Mississippi is getting older. No, this is not about our Bicentennial, but
our people.
Since 1980 Mississippi's total population increased 18.5% but the
population of residents aged 65 and older jumped 43.3%. This pushed the median age up from 27.6 years
in 1980 to 36.5 years in 2015. Over that time, the percentage of population aged
65 and older moved from 11.5% to 14%.
Guess what, health rankings rate Mississippi the worst place to be old.
The United Health Foundation just released its latest America’s Health
Rankings - Senior Report. This is
the fifth annual report. In the first two reports, Mississippi ranked 50th.
We got off the bottom for two years. Now, we're back again, dead last in senior
health.
The foundation says it publishes the senior
health report to encourage "continued conversations among policymakers,
public health officials and community leaders" and to drive "action
to promote better health for our nation’s seniors."
The report subtitle was "A call to action
for individuals and their communities."
We'll have to see if Mississippi is paying attention.
The report does treat Mississippi kindly. It doesn't spotlight our bottom
ranking. Rather, it says we're one of the three states "with the biggest
opportunities for improvement."
Nice twist. Kentucky (#49) and Oklahoma (#48) join us in these
opportunities.
The rankings are based on 34 measures of senior health distributed among
five categories. The categories and our ranking in each were: Behaviors (45th);
Community & Environment (50th); Policy (41st);
Clinical Care (47th); Outcomes (45th).
Interesting that our policies outrank our provisions for seniors.
The report included several lowlights and a few highlights for
Mississippi:
Lowlights: In the past three years, food insecurity increased from 20.5%
to 24.3% of adults aged 60+; in the past two years, volunteerism decreased from
25.3% to 20.3% of adults aged 65+; since 2013, obesity increased from 27.9% to
30.8% of adults aged 65+.
Highlights: In the past three years, preventable hospitalizations
decreased from 85.8 to 67.8 discharges per 1,000 Medicare enrollees; in the
past two years, poverty decreased from 14.3% to 12.5% of adults aged 65+; since
2013, the percentage of adults aged 65+ with no disability increased from 54.0%
to 57.4%.
We ranked in the bottom 10 on 17 of the 34 measures and in the top 10 on
only two.
The bottom 10 measures were: physical inactivity, obesity, dental care,
poverty, volunteerism, community support, food insecurity, number of geriatricians,
health screenings, hip fractures, hospital deaths, hospital readmissions,
preventable hospitalizations, percent able-bodied, self-reported high health
status, premature deaths, and teeth extractions.
The top 10 measures were: excessive drinking, with only estimated 3.9% of
seniors indulging at that level; and pain management, with 50.6% of seniors with
arthritis who reported that related pain does not limit their usual activities.
Oh, the top five states for senior health were Minnesota, Utah, Hawaii,
Colorado, and New Hampshire. The top ranked state in the cluster around
Mississippi was Alabama at 43rd.
The state and national turmoil surrounding healthcare funding suggests
our ranking is unlikely to improve any time soon.
Stay healthy my fellow seniors.
Crawford is a syndicated
columnist from Meridian (crawfolk@gmail.com)
23 comments:
Bunch of stats, no stated position and no proposed solutions.
Make your own conclusions 11:04. Mine are 1) all young people that CAN leave do so at first chance. 2) the flag's days are numbered.
Sad that you have to go back to the 80s to see an increase in population but that's what the author did
Thanks Bill for the stats and it should give our elected officials pause, but probably not. Slashing the health department budget is only going to escerbate the situation. Policy decisions have consequences. And a note to 11:04 -- Bill is just putting the facts out, it's up to Tater and Gunn and Cowboy Bryant to lead us to the promised land and I don't see the Red Sea parting. And it also begs the question of where are the children going. Answer -- out of state where there is opportunity. And who is left -- the old farts.
Of what possible value or use are these stats? What the hell has this got to do with Tater or Feel or any other damned thing? Meaningless trivia.
Meanwhile; what's the average miles per gallon for a medium sized truck today compared to one sold in 1985? More useless crap.
to 5:42: Not useless crap. Tater and Fell and Gunn are in charge and we are going downhill with the young minds leaving the state. Get a grip. This ain't working no matter what you would like to belive. This state is going downhill and at a rapid rate. Put yoru head in the sand and believe it ain't happening.
Unrelated to the article, but when I read the fact that there are a lot more folks over 65 all I could think about was homestead exemption and property taxes. If you are over 65 most of your home value is exempted from all property taxes by state law, 75k of the appraised value is exempt. If the number of 65 and older is increasing so fast that leaves all the rest to pay all the property taxes.
Don't worry the geniuses of Ms Development Authority are working hard to bring in new jobs!
Useless stats? I read it to say that anybody that can get out, is getting out. Pretty telling if you ask me.
Who is left? Old guys posting on the internet all day. And inmates at Raymond
It takes a real mental-lightweight to conclude that the population aging (on average) means all the young people are leaving the state.
I could just as easily conclude that Mississippi is attracting retirees due to the fact that retirement plans are not taxed at the state level.
We are fortunate that the average age is inching up by a 'cross-hair'. Maybe that means the snowflakes are moving to Vermont.
Or hell, Kingfish says crime is 'improving' in the capital city so maybe Jackson is attracting old folks in droves.
And all those lofters that Ben Allen brought in are aging too.
See?.....ain't got shit to do with Tater.
Our economic plan is to sue, I mean steal from everyone with the pen stroke of a judge and maybe some politicians--Even the privatized pentagon (google). Forget trickle-down economics, this is milk-the-utter(s)-dry economics.
We will milk our way into peak prosperity with a three pronged approach- Milk the government titty, milk the corporate titty, AND milk the consumer tax titty.
Until the golden heffers have been milked dry, our stance will not change. The south has risen again baby!......with other people's money.
Thank you, 11:35, for wrapping this discussion up and sorta bringing it all together in meaningful fashion for us. This will conclude the seminar. Thank you for coming. There are pens and keyrings on the back table as you leave.
Statistical data based on population and age is indisputable.
The relevance to future planning can be disputed but to do so, you should be able to back that up with numbers, not opinions.
Statistical data is used by industry, in general and the insurance industry in particular, to forecast. That they do so is relevant to Mississippi , at the very least, in understanding how such data will affect future decisions they make regarding us.
I would point to future health care costs for the State and how the State will respond to changes in health care at the federal level. Or perhaps, some of you don't believe the statistical data that those over 65 have more medical care costs either and that premium are affected by those costs. Your loyalty to your party hacks forbid you to believe.
"Food insecurity" is a lie.
First, of someone "goes to bed hungry" in this state (or nation) it's because of their OWN inaction. There are plenty of food banks, WIC and SNAP programs (all rife with fraud mind you) to feed everyone. Not going to the store or reaching out for assistance is YOUR fault. If you have children that you can't feed and you don't ask for help, then that's neglect and the kids need to be taken from you.
Second, of you live in a "food desert", then consider MOVING. This isn't going to fix itself and only YOU can make that change.
Finally, if you are "hungry" don't expect someone from the government to come and force-feed you or hand-deliver your food.
More liberal nonsense.
The news is not all bad. It has always been difficult to develop a healthy middle class in the plantation environment that is the State of Mississippi. A handful of lords and ladies do just fine, but young people looking for unlimited opportunity get the hell out. That never bothered the Mississippi power structure, since the permanent underclass, whether slave or free, has always kept them rich. But the outflow of young minds from Mississippi means that some people are actually making use of their educational opportunities.
"Mississippians getting older", doesnt that go without saying.
"....but young people looking for unlimited opportunity get the hell out."
Please list the 'limits on opportunities'.
And where is it that you go to find unlimited ones? California? Oregon? Idaho? Atlanta? Miami? New Orleans? Vermont? Massachusetts? Good luck with that.
I didn't post " limits on opportunities" but I can help you out 12:30 am.
Compare the number of jobs available to our graduates in any trade or profession with the number of jobs available. And, then compare the salaries offered in our State compared to other States.
And, as to where they are going? Try Nashville and Charlotte and Raleigh for starters. Those cities got the most graduates in my children's class.
Those who stayed were those whose families already had a business or practice in place here.
Our IHLs know where their alums are. See if they can provide you the information you seem to think doesn't exist.
"Compare the number of jobs available to our graduates in any trade or profession with the number of jobs available."
Let me see if I understand. What you just said is 'compare the jobs available to the number of jobs available'. I'll get back to you.
12:30 hasn't a clue just how far gone misssissippi is when it comes to jobs. You don't have to go to a 'liberal hellhole' to find more opportunity.
3:50....Why the hell are you still here? You have not a farkin' clue what jobs are available in this state, not to mention entrepreneurial opportunities. You think somebody is holding a golden-slipper for your sweet child out there somewhere in the land of OZ? Tell that kid to get off his ass and work for it like the rest of us have. Or he can procure a vagina hat and be really productive.
@ May 29, 2017 at 12:30 AM
Sadly to say - yes - you can go to the places you name and find more opportunity.
Mississippi is a depressing place. The tone here is negative. The people that live here hate it. The only reason why some stay, is because it's the only home they've ever known.
The legislature even tries to legislate morality - but yet preaches individual freedoms and liberty's - they are a walking contradiction. People don't know whether they are coming or going.
Then add in the manic weather, hot one minute - then storming 30 minutes later. LMAO!
It's bad when a majority of the citizens leave this state to have a good time somewhere else. Think about it?
Kid Rock said it best in his song - "Jackson, Mississippi"
"And when the sunshine showed
Her face I felt like I was ready to die
Went lookin' for a place to hide
A hole I could crawl inside
Long lines
Whiskey bottles
And the same old song
I smell death in the air
And I know it won't be long
And I could say I'm trying to change
But that's just another lie
Its been a day and a half
And I'm still high
And I feel like Jackson Mississippi
A river runnin'
Like Jackson Mississippi
A river runnin'
Like Jackson Mississippi
A river runnin through my viens
And when the daylight disappeared
I took a good look inside
Behind my pride
I sat down and cried
I know I'm not a fool
But I don't know what's wrong
Maybe its time to pack
And just move on
And I could say I'm trying to change
But that would just be a lie
I'm lookin' for some one to tell me why"
That is all of Mississippi in a nutshell
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