ABSTRACT
Over the course of the 20th century, the elder population has increased from three to thirty-five million. In 1900, the number of ‘‘old old,’’ those 85 years and above, was just over 100,000. In the year 2000, this number had swelled to 4.2 million. In 2003, those 65 years and older accounted for slightly over 12% of the total population of the United States.
