ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Demographics of the Elderly The term late adulthood or old age usually refers to the stage of the life cycle that begins at the age of 65 years. Gerontologists divide older adults into two groups: the young old (65-74 years), and the old old (>75 years). The elderly comprise the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau). This disproportionate rate of growth is expected to accelerate in the decades ahead (see Fig. 1). Between 1980 and 1990, the population over age 85 grew by 40% and the number of centenarians doubled. In fact, centenarians are now the fastest-growing subpopulation of the elderly. And by the year 2050, some 834,000 living Americans will have celebrated their 100th birthday (Schneider, 2002). This number exceeds the present-day population of the state of South Dakota. Two-thirds of all the people in the entire history of the world who have reached the age of 65 are alive today (Smith, 1997)! And by the year 2050, it is projected that there will be more people over than under age 65 years (U.S. Census Bureau). Women live longer than men. The number of men per 100 women drops sharply in the twilight years (Fig. 2). As a result, older women, as opposed to older men, bear a disproportionate burden of caring for their aging spouses (Fig. 3).
