Older adults don't get preventive services

ATLANTA, March 14 (UPI) -- Millions of U.S. adults age 65 and older do not get potentially lifesaving preventive medical services, federal health officials say.

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- published in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Aging, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services -- says since it is known that prevention is critical to healthy living and independence there is a need to promote preventive services for older adults.

For example, the report says 49 percent of Asian/Pacific Islanders and 47 percent of Hispanics report not being screened for colorectal cancer, in comparison to 34 percent of whites. More than 50 percent of Hispanics, 47 percent of blacks and Asian/Pacific Islanders and 36 percent of whites report never receiving a pneumococcal vaccination, the report says.

The report highlights clinical prevention services including vaccination for influenza and pneumococcal disease, screening for early detection of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, diabetes, lipid disorders, osteoporosis and smoking cessation counseling.

"The report takes stock of current levels of recommended services by older adults, and it becomes obvious that many of these services are woefully underutilized," Lynda Anderson, director of the Healthy Aging Program at CDC and one of the primary authors, says in a statement.