skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, June 16, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

American Bar Association sues Trump administration over executive orders targeting law firms; Florida universities face budget scrutiny as part of 'anti-woke' push; After Hortman assassination, MN civic trainers dig deeper for bipartisanship.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Political tensions rise after Minnesota assassinations. Trump's DOJ demands sweeping election data from Colorado. Advocates mark LGBTQIA+ pay inequity, and U.S. and U.K. reach a new trade deal.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

EV charging stations are harder to find in rural America, improving the mental health of children and teachers is the goal of a new partnership in seven rural states, and a once segregated Mississippi movie theater is born again.

Report Highlights Challenges to Seniors’ Health

play audio
Play

Monday, May 24, 2021   

ALBANY, N.Y. - Even before the pandemic, seniors were experiencing increasing mental and behavioral health challenges, according to a new report.

The annual report from the United Health Foundation says between 2016 and 2019, there were increases in drug-related deaths, suicide and frequent mental stress among people 65 and older nationwide.

Although the numbers varied geographically and there were disparities between racial and ethnic groups, Dr. Rhonda Randall - executive vice president and chief medical officer at UnitedHealthcare Employer and Individual - said those trends were further exacerbated by COVID-19.

"We saw a risk of social isolation continue to increase in this year's report," said Randall. "We know that there is a significant correlation between social isolation and overall health and, in particular, behavioral health."

The data shows seniors in New York had a low suicide rate and a 28% decline in frequent mental stress in the four years before the pandemic.

New York also had the nation's highest rate of access to federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for low-income seniors and was number one in access to home health workers for seniors with disabilities.

But Randall pointed out there is room for improvement in other health indicators.

"New Yorkers see more seniors living in poverty," said Randall. "A lower use of hospice care for people who are terminally ill when no cure is available, and not getting enough sleep over the age of 65 is pulling New York down."

The report also shows a higher prevalence of severe housing problems and low coverage of pneumonia vaccinations among seniors in New York.

But Randall noted there were some bright spots in the national data.

"In the good category," said Randall, "flu vaccinations were up in 2019 versus the two-year period prior to that by 6% nationally."

By 2050, people older than 65 are expected to be about one fifth of the total U.S. population. The authors hope the 2021 Senior Report will help leaders set future public health priorities.

Disclosure: United Healthcare contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Griot Arts, a nonprofit in Clarksdale, Mississippi, plans to turn 32,000 square feet of vacant downtown property into a vibrant arts and cultural center.

Social Issues

play sound

By Susannah Broun for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Trimmel Gomes for Mississippi News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Col…


Environment

play sound

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Chrystal Blair for Missouri News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborat…

Environment

play sound

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Terri Dee for Ohio News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboratio…


Social Issues

play sound

Minnesota and the nation are feeling the emotional weight of political violence after this weekend's assassination of a top Democratic state lawmaker …

Upgrades to the Arkansas Water Plan include structural analysis of flood mitigation infrastructure and programs, and proposed solutions to reduce the impacts of flooding. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Arkansas lawmakers passed several bills during this year's legislative session to upgrade and improve the state's water and wastewater systems…

Social Issues

play sound

Local Jewish advocates for Palestinians are joining forces to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They are calling on the U.S…

Social Issues

play sound

Washington's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has revised its public school discipline policies, and advocates for children said …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021