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- Ageism - A prejudice, the tendency
to categorize & judge people solely on the basis of their chronological
age. Ageism can target people of any age, old people are often stereotyped
in this way.
- The study of old age is Gerontology.
- The study of populations, including descriptive statistics regarding age, sex, and other characteristics of various groups is called Demography.
- The world's population over the age 65 is 7 percent and in the United States it is 13 percent.
- The actual proportion of the elderly who are in nursing homes and hospitals is only 5 percent at any given time.
- Dependency Ratio is the ratio of self-sufficient, productive adults to dependents-children and the elderly.
- In most industrialized countries, the current dependency ratio, about two independent adults for every dependent person, is better than it has been for a century, as a result of the declining birth rate since 1970 and the small cohort just entering late adulthood.
- What will happen as more and more people live past working age? Some experts warn about the potentially catastrophic consequences of increased costs for the medical care of the elderly and of decreased publics funds for the needs of the younger generation.
- Only about 5 percent of the elderly live in nursing homes, about another third live alone, about 20 percent live with grown children, and the rest live with a husband or wife.
- Young-old are healthy, vigorous, financially secure older adults who are well integrated into the lives of their families and their communities.
- Older adults who suffer from physical, mental, or social deficits are old-old.
- Oldest-old are elderly adults who are dependent on others for almost everything, requiring supportive service such as nursing homes and hospital stays.
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