American 90+ population has tripled since 1980

If it seems like new assisted living communities are starting to appear everywhere, it’s because there are more seniors than ever before. According to a recent article in the Associated Press newswire, there are more than two million people in the United States aged 90 or over. That is an increase of nearly three-fold, compared to thirty years ago.

And if those numbers seem high now, by 2050 their numbers are expended to grow to nearly nine million people.
But according to the article, one of the challenges associated with longer life spans is higher incidents of disability.

“We've seen to some extent that disabilities can be reduced with lifestyle improvements, diet and exercise. But it becomes more important to find ways to delay, prevent or treat conditions such as Alzheimer's disease,” Richard Suzman, an aging expert at the National Institute on Aging, told the news source.

According to the Associated Press, smaller states tend to have higher percentages of people live past 90 years old, and women in this age group outnumber men by about three times. As well, many seniors in this age group fear becoming burdens on their families, and many experts recommend that assisted living communities and retirement homes may be a good choice.