UnitedHealth Group Inc.

05/18/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/18/2021 05:00

Press Release

These growing challenges have been exacerbated by COVID-19. As a recent survey by the AARP Foundation found, the pandemic undermined healthy routines by isolating people from one another and causing higher levels of anxiety and depression.

America's Health Rankings Senior Report, now in its ninth year, provides a portrait of the health and well-being of older adults in the United States, capturing trends, successes and opportunities for health improvement. Using an updated model that emphasizes the impact that social, economic and environmental factors have on overall health, this year's Senior Report highlights 49 measures of population health from 22 unique data sources that are used to highlight current and emerging issues affecting seniors.

According to the report, developed by the United Health Foundation in partnership with the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA), seniors across the country experienced some improvements in measures of access to quality health care and preventive services. However, progress was not shared equally across the country and disparities by geography, race/ethnicity and other factors persist. Health improvements for older adults were not experienced equally across the country, with populations in rural states and certain racial and ethnic populations facing greater challenges.