By Vincent Lim
A new report released by the USC Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging at the USC School of Social Work found that while Angelenos overall are living longer, there are significant differences in health prospects for older adults of certain racial and ethnic backgrounds, depending on where they live in the county.
The 2015 Los Angeles Healthy Aging Report details important information about the health and overall well-being of adults age 50 or older living in Los Angeles County, with an emphasis on those in South Los Angeles, East Los Angeles and the Harbor area. One of the most comprehensive explorations of aging and quality of life ever conducted on LA’s older residents, the study reports on health status, access to and use of health care, and social and economic factors affecting healthy aging.
“While we have made progress in fostering an environment for healthy aging in some areas, our sub-county data tells us that we’ve fallen behind in providing adequate and accessible health and wellness resources to many of our communities,” said Provost Professor William Vega, executive director of the Roybal Institute. “The findings put a spotlight on several areas where changes are needed.”
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, whose district includes areas of East Los Angeles and South Los Angeles that are discussed in the report, said: “These findings give us an opportunity to critically examine the issues confronting older Americans in Los Angeles and to find long-term solutions to the challenges they face. The Los Angeles County population will grow dramatically older in the coming decades, and the public and private sectors must be ready to meet the needs of our aging population.”
As the nation’s largest county by population and as one of its most socioeconomically diverse, Los Angeles County is projected to become increasingly old in the very near future. By 2020, the county’s age-50-or-older population is expected to increase by 27 percent, and the population age 65 or older by 43 percent.