Senior Health - Where And With Whom We Live In Our Golden Years

Most people consider home ownership to be the most desirable residential option. Older people are no exception. Men who were 65 in the year 2000 could expect to live another 16.3 years, and women could look forward to 19.2 more years (up from 11.5 and 12.2 years, respectively, in 1900). A majority of older Americans report that their health is good if not excellent and 84% of older householders plan to remain in their own homes as long as they can, according to AARP.^{7 8}

The information on the chart comes from the American Housing Survey, which dates back to 1940. Data regarding home ownership rates are shown for each decade from 1950 to 2000. We see that people aged 65+ have always had higher rates of home ownership than the population as a whole, and home ownership rates rose for everyone, from 55% in 1950 to 67.4% in 2000. The rise for older householders has been more rapid, from 68% in 1950 to 80% in 2000.⁹

Living Arrangements of Men 65+

The Census Bureau tells us that older minority Americans are less likely to be homeowners than older white Americans. In 2000, about 66% of older black and 59% of older Hispanic households were homeowner-house- holds.

Living Arrangements of Women 65+

The AARP (formerly American Association of Retired Persons) analyzes housing censuses to find out whether older Americans are adequately housed, an important consideration in allowing them to maintain their independence. AARP reports that in 1997, about 77% of older owners owned their homes outright and lived in single- family homes with a median value of about $89,294. More than one-fifth of older households are rented. Regardless whether they were renters or owners, most older householders said they had few problems with the quality of their residences. Only 6% of older households reported "moderate or severe physical problems" with their housing.

The pie charts show the living arrangements of noninstitutionalized older Americans in 2000. Nearly three-quarters of elderly men live with their spouse, but fewer than half of elderly women have a spouse to look out for them. Older women often live and die alone.

Next we will look at living arrangements of the frailest older Americans.

Sources: Charts: U.S. Census Bureau, "Historical Census of Housing Tables, Ownership Rates, Ownership Rates by Household and Structure Type, http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/census/historic/ownrate.html., and Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "A Profile of Older Americans 2001: Living Arrangements," http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/aoa/stats/profile/2001/4.html. AARP, "A Profile of Older Americans 2000," http://research.aarp.org/general/profile_2001.html. Data retrieved August 21, 2002.