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Terrie Fox Wetle, PhD

Associate Dean of Medicine for Public Health Brown University

	Because this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

The fastest growing segment of our population is the "oldest old," usually defined as those 85 years and older. In 2005, this group numbered more than 5 million persons, or about 1.7% of the US population, a 40% increase since 1990. Because the oldest old carry a greater burden of disease and disability, they account for a substantial proportion of health care spending, with total annual per capita health care costs of $25691. A higher proportion of health care spending in this population is partially attributable to long-term services—most notably, nursing home care.

As our population ages, substantial concerns have . . . [Full Text]