Report: R.I. 14th in country for senior health

PROVIDENCE – The Ocean State ranked 14th, a 12-spot improvement from 2014, for senior health, according to the third edition of United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings Senior Report: A Call to Action for Individuals and Their Communities.

The report showed that Rhode Island has its share of strengths and challenges, with 12 measures in the top 10 and 15 in the bottom 20 among all states.

Rhode Island ranked first in two measures – for having a high percentage of seniors with a dedicated health care provider (97.5 percent) and for a high percentage of seniors receiving health screenings (92.4 percent).

Rhode Island ranked eighth for having 72.3 percent of seniors visit the dentist regularly. It also ranked sixth – among the lowest – for teeth extractions among adults age 65 and older.
Rhode Island also ranked in the top 10 for a low rate of suicide and for SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] usage, both fourth, as well as access to hospice care, ninth.
Challenges that remain include obesity, as 26.8 percent of Rhode Island adults 65 and older are obese, giving the state a rank of No. 26, and access to home-delivered meals, No. 42. The lowest rankings were in engagement in volunteerism and getting recommended hospital care, which were both ranked No. 47.

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“United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings Senior Report is a vital tool for understanding where we, as a state, are making strides in senior health and where key challenges for Rhode Island’s seniors remain,” Dr. Donald Stangler, medical director, UnitedHealthcare of New England, said in a statement. “With America’s senior population poised to double by 2050, we must continue to invest in programs and solutions that address our seniors’ health needs and help them live the best lives they possibly can.”

Nationwide, the report shows positive trends for senior health. It said seniors are experiencing lower hospital readmission rates and preventable hospitalization rates compared with last year, while hospice care use and the number of home health care workers have increased.

According to the report, Vermont is the healthiest state for seniors, rising from fourth place last year. New Hampshire ranks second, improving one spot from last year. Minnesota dropped to third after being ranked first for two years in a row, while Hawaii, No. 4, and Utah, No. 5, round out the top five states. Louisiana is the least healthy state for older adults, followed by Mississippi, No. 49, Kentucky, No. 48, Arkansas, No. 47, and Oklahoma, No. 46.

The rankings can be viewed HERE.

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