"San Diego County Senior Health Report"

In 2005, some 3,736 seniors ages 65 years or older were hospitalized as a result of a fall. That same year, 125 seniors died from an underlying cause of a fall. That death rate was 10 times higher, for people aged 85 years or older, than for those aged 65 to 74. Males had the higher risk of death from a fall, as did seniors living in the county's central region.

These statistics are taken from a new document, "San Diego County Senior Health Report," just finalized by the County's Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). The statistics cover not just incidences of falls, but different key health indicators of particular importance to older adults.

Over the past year, two divisions of HHSA — Aging and Independence Services (AIS) and Public Health Services (PHS) — worked together to identify essential markers of health concerns and to gather data.

"The ultimate goal is to create a health report card and monitor statistics regularly as our community partners work with us on interventions for positive health changes," says Ellen Schmeding, manager of AIS operations. "Initially, we have not had a baseline from which to work. This report will help us develop our baseline."

This type of health report will give HHSA and other providers of services for seniors the ability to see the areas that might need more concentrated effort in prevention and education. For instance, are more fitness programs needed? In what geographical areas? For what ages? The report will also be useful statistical material for nonprofit service providers and educators seeking grants.

The report spotlights 17 critical indicators:

• Days in Poor Health
• Frequent Mental Distress
• Overweight and Obese
• Physical Activity
• Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables
• Smoking
• Flu Vaccination
• Mammogram Screening
• Diabetes
• Mental Illness/Depression
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Substance Use/Abuse
• Unintentional Injury
• Unintentional Fall Injury
• Hip Fracture
• Suicide
• Elder Abuse

These indicators were chosen because they represented areas where various programs of HHSA could have measurable impact on the health of seniors.

Beyond these critical indicators, there are statistics on a variety of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and arthritis. Included is a chapter on infectious diseases. There are details on mental health issues, as well as injuries from accidents, attacks, and self-inflicted harm. One section of the injury report details heat-related illnesses, something that AIS has already been successful at impacting with its Cool Zones program.

The Senior Health Report also provides demographic information regarding San Diego County's senior population, including such details as grandparents living with grandchildren and owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied housing. There is material on general "health status" with items from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey conducted by UCLA, which showed that more seniors in San Diego County reported being in good health (74 percent) than did seniors in California as a whole (71 percent).

Included are chapters on prevention, with such elements as immunizations and health screenings, as well as information on the utilization of medical services. There is a "Personal Health Records" section that health professionals can provide to their patients to help them keep track of their medical history, medications, insurance information, and more.

In various sections of the report, there are phone numbers and websites to community resources that can assist older adults with the certain issues, such as free help to quit smoking: 1 (800) NOBUTTS (662-8887). One chapter details the many programs and services for seniors provided by AIS and how to access them.

The "San Diego County Senior Health Report" is available for downloading on the County's Community Health Statistics Unit website at www.sdhealthstatistics.com.

San Diego County Health Stats:

• In 2007-08, 72.3 percent of San Diego County seniors received a flu shot, lower than the Healthy People 2010 target of 90 percent. The pneumonia vaccination rate of 60.7 percent for seniors was also lower than the Healthy People 2010 goal of 90 percent ("San Diego County Senior Health Report," May 2009).
• Nearly half of San Diego County seniors have been told that they have some form of arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia ("San Diego County Senior Health Report," May 2009).

To request additional health statistics describing health behaviors, diseases, and injuries, for specific populations, health trends, and comparisons to national targets, please call the County's Community Health Statistics Unit at (619) 285-6479. To access the latest data, reports and data links, click here.