May 26, 2023
By: Trimmel Gomes
May is Older Americans Month, and a new report
shows the Sunshine State is investing heavily in providing community support to
help its older residents.
America's Health Rankings 2023
Senior Report from UnitedHealthcare ranked Florida 25th in health
outcomes for people age 65 and older.
Some noted challenges include a high
prevalence of multiple chronic conditions and low rates of home health-care
workers.
However, Dr. Michael Stockman, medical director of UnitedHealthcare, said
strengths include lots of community support - home-delivered meals, active
senior centers - because Florida spends about $154 per adult over age 60 on
community support, compared with an average of $62 nationally.
"I guess on the sunny side of things in sunny Florida," he said,
"is that they really have a high level of community support expenditures,
which helps keeps seniors living in their homes."
The report puts Florida at 8% in terms of poverty among adults 65 and older.
Florida is among 10 states that haven't expanded Medicaid. Officials at the
Florida Department of Elder Affairs didn't follow up on a request for comment
on the report's findings.
Stockman said keeping seniors active and involved with pursuits such as
volunteering has helped combat the many problems triggered during the severe
isolation of the pandemic. He said that's an area that appears to need
improvement in Florida.
"We also see that the rate of volunteerism in Florida amongst Florida
seniors is low," he said. "This is important because it helps reduce
that social isolation, and it gives a sense of that meaning and purpose, and
allows adults to learn new things."
The report said the early death rate among older Americans increased for the
second consecutive year, breaking a long-term improvement trend. Since 2019,
deaths among adults ages 65 to 74 rose 22% nationwide.
Content for this Post is provided by Florida News Connection, a Bureau of
Public News Service. Public News Service
is a member of the The Trust Project.
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