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P a g e
Health care innovations from joint replacements to new pain medications have helped them
live more active lives than their parents did at the same age. These innovations have
translated into a decreasing percentage of Americans who are considered chronically disabled
(from 26.2% in 1982 to 19.7% in 1999 when the most recent data were
Available
26
).
Depression affects nearly 7 million older adults, but many do not receive treatment.
Community-based strategies to effectively screen and treat older adults should be more widely
disseminated.
27
In 2004, about 34 million people were providing unpaid care for adult family members, friends,
or neighbors aged 50 years or older. This number will increase dramatically as Baby Boomers
reach older age. With longer life expectancies, there will be multiple generations in the same
family that are over 65 creating a new definition of the sandwich generation. A key public
health goal is to translate policies and strategies known to improve caregiver health and well-
being into widespread practice.
Many grandparents today are stepping in to raise their grandchildren when the children's own
parents are not able or willing to do so. In fact, the U.S. Census of 2000 found that over 2.4
million grandparents have responsibility for their grandchildren. Often, grandparents take on
this obligation when the grandchildren's own parents abandon them or when the children can
no longer live with them because of the parent's mental disorder, substance abuse, or
incarceration. Thus, they have the added burden of caring for children who suffered from
abuse or neglect from their own parents. These children may feel insecure and afraid; they
may be angry at their situation and even embarrassed by it.
Findings
In the 55+ Survey, Chesapeake residents revealed their opinion about the most important
aspects of quality of life:
