Report Ranks State Senior Care, Sounds Alarms : US : Latinos Post

By Erik Derr (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: May 28, 2013 10:11 PM EDT

America's Baby Boomer generation will soon make a rush for more medical attention, but many states ill-prepared for the health care onslaught.

That's the conclusion of a new report that finds Boomer seniors are living longer than prior generations, but --- plagued with growing rates of obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases --- are ushering in a ravenous demand for medical treatment that will as well go boom, into an all-out health care crisis.

The first of the Baby Boomer generation turned 65 a couple years ago, triggering a "tremendous demographic shift in the U.S. population," said physician Rhonda Randall, a senior adviser to the nonprofit United Health Foundation, which released America's Health Rankings Senior Report on Tuesday.

The report analyzed the status of senior health state-by-state, based on 34 different measures that included physical inactivity, obesity, self-reported health status, poverty, drug coverage, hospital re-admission rates and flu vaccinations, according to a report by USA Today.

The data examined was collected from more than a dozen government agencies and private research groups.

Randall noted in the USA Today report that as generations move into retirement, they become greater consumers of health care. Yet, because those turning 65 today "are more likely to live longer than their parents and grandparents," they will also be "much more likely to live sicker for a longer period of time," she said.

The report asserted that if the nation's health care needs are not adequately met, the increased burden of chronic disease will negatively impact the country's economy, as well as the well-being of older Americans.

"This is a really important time in our nation's history for us to take a look at this demographic change and the health and behavior outcomes for this population. If we don't measure it, we won't know what to do about it," she said.

Overall, Minnesota topped the list in senior health, followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Iowa.

Mississippi ranked as the worse state for senior health, preceded by Oklahoma, Louisiana, West Virginia and Arkansas.

Minnesota, the study explained, was chosen as the best state for senior care based on its large number of seniors who report very good or excellent health, high rates of accessible drug coverage, relatively high availability of home health care providers, a low rate of senior hunger and a low rate of hospitalization for hip fractures.

The country's most populous states generally ranked in the middle of the list, with New York coming in at 23, California at 25,

Then again, the analysis also said Minnesota faces several public health challenges, including a high rate of chronic drinking, low numbers of senior residents with dedicated health care providers and comparatively low per-capita state benefits for older adults living in poverty.

Mississippi, in contrast, was found to have a low prevalence of chronic drinking, but a high rate of flu vaccinations.

Nonetheless, a high percentage of seniors in Mississippi live in poverty and at risk of going hungry, while the rate of premature death is also significantly high.

A very low percentage of Mississippi seniors reported very good or excellent health, while a relative few also reported annual dental visits.

The senior population in Minnesota is expected to grow 54 percent between 2015 and 2030, while that of Mississippi is predicted to increase 46 percent.

Arizona led all other states in expected senior population growth with a more-than-double 101 percent increase, followed by Nevada with 89 percent, Florida with 88 percent, Alaska with 70 percent and Texas with 67 percent.

Here's how all 50 states ranked in the report:

1. Minnesota

2. Vermont

3. New Hampshire

4. Massachusetts

5. Iowa

6. Hawaii

7. Connecticut

8. Colorado

9. Utah

10. Maryland

11. North Dakota