Texas ranked 41 for senior health this year, 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.
Nationwide, the report shows positive trends for senior health, especially for those measures that look at whether seniors are getting the right care in a setting of their choice. Seniors are experiencing lower hospital readmission rates and preventable hospitalization rates compared to last year, while hospice care use and the number of home healthcare workers have increased.
“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 Texas’s seniors remain,” said Marshall Dawer, M.D., Medical Director, UnitedHealthcare of Central and North Texas. “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.”
Texas’ Overall Health
The America’s Health Rankings Senior Report finds that Texas has its share of strengths and challenges.
Texas’ Strengths
- Ready availability of home health care providers
- Low prevalence of full-mouth tooth extraction
- Few poor mental health days
Texas’ Challenges
- High prevalence of physical inactivity
- Low percentage of quality nursing home beds
- High prevalence of food insecurity
