West Virginia Ranks Third in the Nation for Percent of Population Over 65

SeniorLiving.org's Oldest States in America study ranked the state of West Virginia third in the country for residents in the 65 and older demographic and the 65 to 74 category, trailing Maine and Florida, reports WOWK-TV 13 . Furthermore, West Virginia placed No. 2 for the percentage of its population in the 75 to 84 age group. West Virginia AARP President Jane Marks said an older population can be an economic asset, "because we are still working, we are living longer but healthier lives, and we do things like pay taxes and shop and travel." She added that while an older populace can increase pressure on healthcare services, this is not necessarily detrimental. "If we are accessing and paying for health services that is actually driving the health industry," Marks noted. "In West Virginia, it also is a way for us to contribute to the health system because we also have about 300,000 family caregivers, folks who are providing free care for their loved ones. That is folks that are not having to go into long term care, folks that can stay out of the hospital because they have family caregivers taking care of them."