Question

Researchers have been trying to gauge the impact of the graying of America. They report that currently 5% of the US population is over the age of 75 and it is expected that in ten years, 15% of the US population will be over the age of 75.

Will the shift result in higher mortality rates? Why or why not?

Answer 1

The population of the US over 65 years old has increased more than 10 times in 90 years. (3 million in 1900 to 33 million in 1994) and to 36.8 million in 2010.. This increase is known as the graying of America which denotes larger and larger population getting older. One major reason of such an increase is better life expectancy of the older population. Thanks to healthy life-style, awareness about food and other habits, anti-smoking campaign, habitual exercise, better medical facilities. As per the expectation, 15% of the US population will be over 75% means that after 80s or may be later the mortality rates of the older population would increase because as the ages increase, the resistances to diseases and other deformities are low. Thus, these people would suffer more than the younger people. Not only that, these group of people will have to be taken special care of, as with the advancement of ages they become more dependent.

Very often, in our daily lives, we have noticed that depression affects the old age group to a significant extent. .They feel lonely and also isolated which compels them to think that no one takes care of them. If we are referring mortality rate to be number of deaths per unit time, it will decrease because no all the old people will die at the same age. Some will remain active even at much higher ages while some will become dependent. If healthy life-styles are maintained, regular medical check-ups are performed then there is no reason that the life expectancies would increase which means mortaity would decrease.

Thus, the shift would result in longer lives of the older people. Thier death rates would decrease.Besides, women have higher life expentancies than men. Threats of cardiac arrest increases with advancement of ages.Males become more victimised than females. Non-smokers or non-alcoholics would have more life expectancies as compared to the smokers or alcoholics. Lastly, mortality rates would decrease as graying of America progresses.