85th Birthday Parties Abundant in Connecticut

Getting older every day – that has been Connecticut’s story.  Between the 2000 Census and 2010 Census, Connecticut’s over-65 population increased 7.1 percent and over age 85 population increased 32.1 percent.  That compares with a 4.9 percent increase in the state’s overall population.  And the over-85 population growth exceeded the national average increase. Those over 65 – numbering just over half a million - now make up  4.9 percent of the state’s population, a larger percentage than a decade ago, and those over 85 are 2.4 percent of the population – about 85,000 people -  also a jump from the previous Census data.  Only five states - Rhode Island, North Dakota, and Iowa, at 2.5 percent, and South Dakota and Pennsylvania, at 2.4 percent like Connecticut- have as large a percentage of their population over age 85.

The state Commission on Aging – listing Connecticut as the 7^th oldest state in the nation by median age - predicts that between 2006 and 2030, Connecticut's older adult population is expected to increase by 64 percent.  They also note that the state spends over $2 billion (13% of the state budget) annually on long-term care services and supports through Medicaid; 65% is spent on institutional care, 35% on community-based care.