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Arizona ranks 30th in overall health for older adults

new reporton the state of the health and well-being of America’s older adults has been released. So, how do  seniors in Arizona fare these days?

The report by the United Health Foundation looked at 52 measures from 22 data sources. It found Arizona was ranked number 30 in overall health.

Strengths included a low risk of social isolation and a high hospice care use. Another area of improvement is the number of available geriatricians. That figure ticked up, though as of 2022, there were only 92 in the state.

The challenges facing older Arizonans include a high suicide rate and a low percentage of seniors who have a dedicated health care provider.

Nationally, the report found that the early death rate among older adults increased for a second year in a row. Since 2019, deaths among seniors ages 65 to 74 rose 22%. 

KJZZ senior field correspondent Kathy Ritchie has 20 years of experience reporting and writing stories for national and local media outlets — nearly a decade of it has been spent in public media.