Clinical Geropsychology and U.S. Federal Policy

The age distribution in American society has changed drastically since 1900 when only one in 25 Americans was age 65 or older, and the average life span was 47 years. In the year 2000 one in six Americans will be age 65 or older, and the average life span will exceed 80 (Neugarten & Neugarten, 1989).