There's a reason you see many more older women than men at the bingo parlor - - women live longer than men. For most of us, that's really no secret, but the related numbers may be surprising:
- 14% of the U.S. population is made up of older (65+) Americans.
- Of this group, women outnumber men greater than 4:3.
- Persons reaching age 65 have an average life expectancy of an additional 19.2 years (20.4 years for females and 17.8 years for males).
- In Texas, the population of older Americans has increased over 30% from 2000 to 2011 (2.7 million).
- Stress -- women, as a group, tend not to internalize stress as much as men. Also important is the fact that women have stronger social connections than men, which help them vent and share their stress.
- Delay of the onset of cardiovascular disease. Women tend to develop cardiovascular problems in their 70's and 80's, while the male trend is in the 40 - 50 age bracket. Estrogen is credited as keeping the arteries strong.
- Men often take bigger risks with their well-being than women. Unfortunately this biological marker leads to more men dying earlier.
- Women take better care of their health. It's estimated that 28% of men don't have a regular doctor.
The fact that women live longer means that many of them will need long-term care - and need it for a longer period of time than men. The insurance industry has taken note of this fact as well. Long-term care insurance rates rose between 20-30% for a female policy from 2013-2014, while a male policy actually dropped about 15%.
Many of the issues of aging can be solved by providing parents with the support they need to continue to maintain their independence. The resources provided by Caring Senior Service can help. Get in touch with us today! Visit us @ http://tucson.caringseniorservice.com
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