Aging facts

• The reaction time of most old people tends to be slower than the reaction time of younger people.
• Old people usually take longer to learn something new.
• 86.7 million - Projected number of people who will be 65 or older in the year 2050.
• A study found that elderly people who worry about collapsing fall more frequently.
• Older workers have fewer accidents than younger workers.
• 483 million - Current senior population of people age 65 and older in the world.
• 974 million - The total worldwide senior population over age 65 by 2030, projected by the Census Bureau. 
• The majority of old people are seldom irritated or angry.
• Most medical practitioners tend to give low priority to the aged.
• In general, older people who live in rural areas have lower incomes than urban dwellers.
• Health professionals often have difficulty diagnosing depression in the older person. 
• The inability to hear can produce emotional disturbances such as depression, anxiety, and frustration.
• Age influences the speed of learning.
• A major change in distance acuity occurs between ages fifty and sixty.
• Speed of reaction time tends to decline with age.
• Signs of alcohol problems in older people are often mistaken for signs of aging or chronic illness.
• Frequently the fear of aging is more harmful than the aging process itself.
• There is a higher suicide rate among the elderly than among younger adults.