A new report benchmarking the health of seniors in America finds poorer health outcomes for rural senior citizens compared with their urban and suburban peers and increased national suicide rates. An analysis within the report also highlights the risk of social isolation and its association with poor health for seniors. The 2018 United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings® Senior Report provides the latest check-up on the health and well-being of the nation’s seniors. Using 34 measures of senior health, the report highlights successes and challenges this population faces on a national and state-by-state basis. Key findings across states show that rural seniors are:

● more likely to be physically inactive (34.3 percent compared to 30.4 percent in suburban and 30.1 percent in urban areas); and

● more likely to report a fall (32.4 percent compared to 28.5 percent in suburban areas and 29.5 percent in urban areas); and

● seven percent less likely to report receiving a flu vaccination than urban seniors (57.2 percent vs. 61.4 percent, respectively)