Older Adults

Abstract

Older adults are one of the fastest growing segments of the US population. In 2016, more than 48 million people over age 65 lived in the country, accounting for over 15% of the population and representing a 30% increase since 2005 (Administration on Aging, 2016a, 2016b; United States Census, 2016). Moreover, by 2060, the number of adults living in the USA who are over age 65 is expected to double, reaching an anticipated 98 million (Administration on Aging, 2016a, 2016b). This growth is due in large part to increases in ethnic minority populations. Since 2005, racial and ethnic minority populations in the country have increased from 6.7 million to over 11 million, with projections estimating an increase to 21 million by 2030 (Administration on Aging, 2016a, 2016b). Individuals of racial or ethnic backgrounds make up a significant portion of the total population over age 65; in 2015, 22% of older adults identified as an ethnicity other than “White,” with the highest proportions being African-American (not Hispanic) or Hispanic (Administration on Aging, 2016a, 2016b). When working with older adults, clinicians must be sensitive to the increasingly heterogeneous nature of this population, a point which will be further discussed in this chapter.