Quick Facts About Aging in NC
General Population Data
The number of persons aged 65+ in NC increased 21.1% between 1990 and 2000. [1]
NC's older population is projected to more than double from 2000 to 2030. The very old population (85+) is projected to much more than double, increasing 150%. [1]
The 65+ age cohort is expected to increase to approximately 18% of North Carolina's population by 2030. All other age cohorts are expected to decline in their proportions of the state total. [3]
NC ranked 12th among states in the growth rate of the 65+ population from 1990-2000. During the period from 2000-2030, this rank will fall to 19th. [2, 21]
The median age in NC increased from 26.5 years in 1970 to 35.3 years in 2000. By 2030, it is projected to be 38.2 years. [1, 22]
Life expectancy in North Carolina is approximately 75.6 years. In general, women live longer than men, and white North Carolinians live longer than persons of minority races (2003). [5]
Socioeconomic Factors
The percentage of NC adults 65+ living in poverty decreased to 13.2% in 1999 (from 19.5% in 1989), but this was still higher than the national average of 9.9%. Members of minority races, women, and persons living alone are over-represented among those
living in poverty. [4, 5]In 2000, 41.6% of adults aged 65+ did not have a high school degree. [6]
About half of older adults in NC live in rural areas (2003). [7]
In North Carolina, over 14% of people age 65 and older are employed in the labor force (2003). [7]
Race & Gender
The median age of all minorities in North Carolina is projected to increase at a greater rate than for the general population, from 30.4 years in 2000 to 35.1 years in 2030. [1]
About 18% of older adults in NC are minorities (2004). [6]
North Carolina has a significantly higher percentage of black elderly (16%) than the overall U.S. (8%). In contrast, North Carolina has a much lower percentage of Hispanic elderly (0.6%) than the overall U.S. (5%) (2004). [6]
Older women significantly outnumber older men; they represent 61% of the 65+ population and 74% of the 85+ population in NC (2004). [6]
North Carolina women age 75+ are twice as likely to be poor as men the same age (2004). [6]
In North Carolina, minority men and women don't live as long as whites, yet they have more years of poor health (2004). [17]
Health & Health Care
Less than 1% of older North Carolinians do not have health insurance, compared with the 15% uninsured among those between ages 50 and 65 (2004). [6, 19]
Approximately 52% of older North Carolinians had no coverage for prescription drugs in 2001. This was significantly higher than the national estimate of 31%. [12]
In 2003, North Carolina spent $1.8 billion on Medicaid for the elderly. While this population represents 13.9% of the total Medicaid recipients, they received 27.4% of the total Medicaid resources. [18]
45.7% of NC adults aged 65 and over have a disability (2004). [4, 6]
The leading causes of death among North Carolinians age 65 and older during 2004 were, in order, heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic respiratory disease and Alzheimer's Disease. [23]
Chronic diseases are responsible for 65 percent of all deaths in North Carolina (2003). [20]
More than half (55%) of those ages 55 and older have been diagnosed with arthritis/joint problems. Of those with arthritis, 28 percent reported that arthritis adversely affected their usual activities and/or the nature and amount of work that they perform (2003). [20]
In North Carolina, only 24.5 percent of adults age 65 and over meet recommended levels of exercise (i.e., 30 minutes of brisk walking five times a week). North Carolina ranks among the bottom ten states in this category (2003). [7, 20]
The incidence of all types of cases of Alzheimer's Disease (mild, moderate and severe) in NC is projected to increase by 64.2% from 2000 to 2020. [10]
Less than 25% of NC hospitals reported having a hospice program in 2000, and the median length of stay in hospice for NC residents in 2001 was only 32 days, less than half of the 60 days considered ideal. [11]
There are 175 certified geriatricians in North Carolina (2006). The state has 3.6 geriatricians per 10,000 population age 75+ (compared to 3.8 nationwide). [13]
Caregiving & Long Term Care
In 2000, about 17% of North Carolinians had cared for a person age 60 or older during the previous month, which was higher than the national average (15.7 percent). [6]
North Carolina will need more than 21,000 additional nurse aides and other paraprofessionals to meet the long term care needs of its older adults over the next 5 years (2001). [8]
Since 1990, NC's long-term care spending for older adults has increased from approximately $486 million to $1.38 billion in SFY 2000 (185%). [9]
Over 40% of NC residents in nursing homes were reported to be in persistent pain in 1999. [11]
Family Issues
North Carolina ranks 11th in the number of multi-generational households in the nation, with 101,544 multi-generational households out of a total of 3,132,013 households in the state (2000). [15]
Half of grandparents in NC living with their grandchildren reported themselves as having primary responsibility for their grandchildren's care (2002). [4]
Migration
Among the 8 southeastern states, NC was second only to Florida for net in-migration of people aged 65+ (21,000 between 1995 and 2000). Nearly 65% of these in-migrants were in the 65-74 age group. [16]
NC has the 6th highest net migration rate of the 65+ population in the U.S. for the 5-year period from 1995-2000, and the 3rd highest rate for the 60+ age group for the 15-year period from 1985-2000.[16]
Sources:
1. NC Office of State Planning, State Demographics Unit. (2004). Past and Expected Trends.
2. U.S. Census Bureau (2000). PHC-T-13, States and Puerto Rico Ranked by Percent Change of Population 65 Years and Over: 1990 and 2000.
3. The North Carolina Atlas Revisited. (2004)
4. NC State Data Center. (2002). New Socioeconomic Portrait of North Carolina.
5. State Center for Health Statistics. (2003). A health profile of older North Carolinians. Raleigh, NC.
6. North Carolina Study Commission on Aging (2004). Report to the Governor and the 2004 Session of the 2004 General Assembly.
7. Division of Aging. (2003). The Aging of North Carolina: The 2003–2007
North Carolina
Aging Services Plan. Raleigh, NC.
8. North Carolina Institute of Medicine. (2001). A Long Term care Plan for North Carolina: Final report. Durham, NC: North Carolina Institute of Medicine.
9. NC Division of Facility Services. (2000). Long-Term Care Expenditures For Older Adults Reported For SFY 2000.
10. NC Division of Aging. Alzheimer's Disease Estimates: Getting Ready for Alzheimer's Disease in North Carolina: Estimates and Projections for Each County.
11. Last Acts: A National Coalition to Improve Care and Caring at the End of Life. (2002). Terminally ill and dying residents of North Carolina receive mediocre to poor end-of-life care.
12. Division of Facility Services, NC Department of Health and Human Services. (2001). Making Prescription Drugs More Affordable for Older Adults : an update on North Carolina. Note: The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) took effect in 2006; see What MMA Means to North Carolina for more information.
13. Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs Status of Geriatric Workforce Study. Distribution of Certified Geriatricians in the United States for Populations aged 75 and over, 2006.
15. U.S. Census Bureau (2000). PHC-T-17, Multigenerational Households for the United States, States, and for Puerto Rico: 2000.
16. US Census Bureau. (2003). Internal Migration of the Older Population:
1995-2000. CENSR-10.
Longino, Charles F.; Bradley, Don E. (2003). A first look at retirement migration trends in 2000. The Gerontologist 43(6): 904-907.
17. CDC. (2004). "North Carolina: How Many Years of Your Life Will You Enjoy Good Health?," Chronic Disease Notes & Reports. 16 (2/3).
18. Division of Medical Assistance. (2003). Medicaid Tables For State Fiscal Year 2003, Table 10: Medicaid Service Expenditures by Recipient Group.
19. North Carolina State Data Center (2004). Health Insurance Coverage in North Carolina, Summary
20. N.C. Department of Health and Human Resources, Division of Public Health. (2003). The Health of North Carolinians: A Profile. Raleigh: NC.
21. U.S. Census Bureau. (2005). Change in Total population and population 65 and older by state: 2000 to 2030.
22. NC Office of State Planning, State Demographics Unit. (2005). April 1, 2030 County Total Age Groups-Adults.
23. State Center for Health Statistics. (2004). NC Vital Statistics Volume 2, Leading Causes of Death - 2004. TABLE A: Leading Causes of Death* by Age Group- North Carolina Residents, 2004.
last updated Nov 2005
