Ohio ranked 31st for senior health

A newly released national report ranks Ohio 31st for the overall health of its seniors (Source: “Ohio is 31st in health of its seniors,” Columbus Dispatch, May 21, 2014)

The second annual America’s Health Rankings Senior Report, which evaluated data from all 50 states, says that too many older Ohioans — 550,000 — don’t get enough physical activity. The percentage of high-quality nursing homes in the state is low, at 41 percent, and the rate of preventable hospitalizations is high, at 78 for every 1,000 discharges.

This is the second consecutive year that Ohio is ranking 31st in the report. 

 “Moving the needle to improve senior health takes time because of the chronic nature of the diseases afflicting many of our older adults and the difficulty changing behaviors,” said Bonnie K. Burman, director of the Ohio Department of Aging.

Ohio placed 27th for factors that can be changed, Burman said, showing “we are well positioned to improve our rankings over time.”

Minnesota was ranked No. 1 for senior health, followed by Hawaii and New Hampshire. Mississippi was the least healthy state for seniors, followed by Louisiana and Kentucky.