Report on Aging Gives Illinois Low Marks

Report on Aging Gives Illinois Low Marks

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Older women in Illinois receive lower levels of certain kinds of preventative care than women in other states.

That’s according to a national report on aging compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

James Firman, president of the National Council on Aging says the report shows public health officials where more work is needed.

Firman: One of the things that this report does is it confronts the brutal facts for all of us and helps us as a society see how we’re doing in very real, measurable ways. And I think that’s a very important and significant contribution of this effort.

The report says older Illinois women did not receive enough influenza and pneumonia vaccines, colorectal cancer screenings and mammograms.

The report includes data on fifteen factors that lead to chronic disease in older adults, including oral health, nutrition and obesity.

The Illinois Department of Public Health says it’s still reviewing the findings.