Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Table 1: Percent of Persons Age 65 Years and Older <br />Year Orange County North Carolina United States <br />1990 8,136 (8.7%) 804,341 (12.1 %) 31,241,831 (12.6%) <br />2000 9,931 (8.4%) <br />(22.1 % change from <br />1990) 969,048 (12.0%) <br />(20.5% change from <br />1990) 34,991,753 (12.4%) <br />(12.0% change from <br />1990) <br />2010 14,825 (10.4%) 1,306,942 (13.8%) 39,715,000 (13.5%) <br />2020 23,840 (14.2%) 1,831,699 (16.8%) 53,733,000 (16.5%) <br />2030 30,757 (17.0%) 2,221,470 (17.8%) 70,319,000 (20.1%) <br />Source: U.S. Census Bureau, NC State Demographics <br />3. Never before in history have we seen so many people living more of <br />their advanced years in declining health and limited function before <br />death. <br />As we age we have more illnesses, disabilities and chronic conditions that <br />limit our independence and ability to perform ordinary tasks. In the United <br />States, most older Americans (65+) have at least one or more chronic <br />conditions. In 1996 (AoA, Ref #6) the "most frequently occurring conditions <br />per 100 elderly were: arthritis (49), hypertension (36), hearing impairments <br />(30), heart disease (27), cataracts (17), orthopedic impairments (18), sinusitis <br />(12), and diabetes (10)." <br />According to a U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA, Ref #7) Report, "With a <br />current life expectancy of 75 years, newborns today (2000) can expect to <br />experience an average of 13 years with an activity limitation. Because the 85 <br />plus group is the fastest growing segment of the population, many Americans <br />may live with activity limitations for 20 years or more." In North Carolina the <br />average years of healthy life remaining at birth (based on perceived health <br />status) is 63.0. "This means that 12.6 of the 75.6 years of life expectancy will <br />be spent in a state where health status is perceived to be fair or poor." (N.C. <br />Center for Health Statistics, Jan. 2002, Ref #13) <br />The fact that the 85+ population (the" Oldest-Old") is the fastest growing <br />population segment and has the highest per capita disability rate creates <br />social and economic implications for our society now and dramatically more <br />so in the future. Two social situations that best illustrate this are: <br />(1) Increase in Nursing Home Placements with Age. In 2000, only 4.5% of <br />the nation's 65+ population (1.56 million) lived in a nursing home. <br />Page 3 of 18 <br />