THE CHALLENGE OF AGING

In the year 1900, American life expectancy at birth was 47 years. By 1950, life expectancy at birth was 67 years for men and 71 for women. In 1900, persons over 65 represented 4.1 per cent of the total population; by 1950, this figure was precisely doubled. In 1950, of Pennsylvania's population over 65 years of age, 21 per cent of the men and 57 per cent of the women had no money income whatever, and of those over 65 who had some income, the men averaged $1,400 a year, whereas the women averaged but $560. In 1900, about two-thirds (66 per cent) of the population over 65 was actively in the labor force; by 1950 this figure had declined to about one-fifth (21 per cent). In 1950, 24 per cent of people over 60 admitted to mental hospitals were admitted for mental conditions directly associated with old age. These may sound like dry statistics, but the observant student of sociology would be quick to realize that they are statistics of dramatic significance to the pattern of our culture. The tremendous increase in life expectancy since 1900 points up the fact that people are living longer, so that our population today is composed of a greater percentage of older persons. Statistics of income and of the number of older citizens active in the labor force are indications of the economic and social problems which increasing numbers of elder persons in the population are experiencing. The number of elder citizens admitted to mental hospitals for illness directly associated with their age, accents these problems, and emphasizes the extreme toll taken by the psychologic, physiologic and social stresses faced by older persons. In view of the fact that more and more people are reaching the upper age levels, it is of supreme importance to be aware of the problems involved in these statistics.