The U.S. has made several strides in terms of senior health, like decreasing readmissions, preventable hospitalizations and hospital deaths, but challenges still remain, such as obesity rates and food insecurity, according to the 2017 "America's Health Rankings Senior Report" from United Health Foundation.
Additionally, some states are making greater strides in terms of senior population health than others.
The report offers analysis of senior population health on a national and state basis and ranks states based on 34 senior health metrics, including hospital readmissions, preventable hospitalizations, ICU use, food insecurity and obesity, among others.
The five top-ranked states for senior health are:
1. Minnesota
2. Utah
3. Hawaii
4. Colorado
5. New Hampshire
The five bottom-ranked states are:
46. Arkansas
47. Louisiana
48. Oklahoma
49. Kentucky
50. Mississippi