Aging in America: a demographic perspective.

This century has seen an enormous growth in the population aged 65 years and older. Future projections indicate that there will be increases in both the number of older persons and the proportion of the total population that is elderly. In this article, population characteristics and mortality and morbidity patterns are discussed. Consideration is given to the present and future impact that demographic changes in the elderly will have on health care utilization and expenditures.