title: Living longer in the United States: health, social, and economic implications.
abstract: The age structure of the population of the United States has shifted with improvements in mortality rates and decreasing fertility rates, so that there are an increasing number and proportion of the population aged 65 and over. The elderly are at risk for chronic illness and disabling conditions that require considerable medical resources. The elderly population is projected to continue its rapid growth well into the 21st century, with the very old projected to increase at the fastest rate. These demographic projections will have significant implications on the medical care system in terms of the supply and distribution of health practitioners to meet their medical care needs. Alternative long-term care community services are required to prevent high cost institutionalization. The projected growth of the elderly will also place a larger burden on the working population to finance Social Security and Medicare.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000639:trends*; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States