As we age, many of us will experience chronic health conditions like Alzheimer’s, cancer, or heart disease, reinforcing the importance of access to high-quality geriatric treatment. The field of geriatric medicine is for those 65 years and older and addresses the needs and challenges of the older population so they can go on living full, active lifestyles. Many cities are equipped to care for aging populations, but which ones are best? Using data from the CDC, Medicare.gov, Census, and other sources, we ranked 100 of the most populated U.S. cities to uncover which ones have the most resources for older Americans.
The Best U.S. Cities for Geriatric Treatment
Using geriatric treatment factors, like the number of oncologists per 100k people and the average life expectancy, we found out which U.S. cities fell into our top 20 for geriatric patients.
Boston, MA, places first with a city score of 84.5 out of 100, receiving top marks for the score of its highest-rated geriatrics hospital (86.2) and the total number of geriatricians (182) and oncologists (94.6) per 100k people.
Next on our list is New Haven, CT, which received a score of 84.4 out of 100. New Haven is home to a large number of long-term care hospitals (23.8) and dialysis facilities (19.9) per capita, making it a well-resourced city for geriatric patients.
Pittsburgh, PA, places third with a score of 78.6 out of 100. 15.90% of its population is 65 years or older and has an average life expectancy of 76.8 years.
San Francisco, CA, secures the fourth spot with a score of 77.7 out of 100, while the east coast dominates fifth (Baltimore, MD), sixth (Bridgeport, CT), and seventh place (Miami, FL).
Honolulu, HI, ranked eighth due to having the highest life expectancy (80.7) and 25.08% of its population being 65 years or older.
Other honorable mentions include NYC, which placed 19 on our list and is home to the #1 ranked geriatrics hospital in the country, Mount Sinai, which offers holistic and integrative health therapies for the aging population.
We also wanted to dive into the specific factors pertaining to late-stage cancer patients. We isolated ranking factors such as the total number of oncologists, the number of home health services per 100k people, and the number of cancer cases and deaths per year, among other factors.
Three Connecticut cities (Hartford, Bridgeport, and New Haven) lead the charge as the best U.S. cities for late-stage cancer treatment. Overall, Connecticut has a lower number of cancer cases and deaths per year, which was weighted heavily in this grouping, leading CT to triumph in this area.
Full Data Set
Below is our complete data set. Scroll through to learn how each city stacks up to the rest.
Closing Thoughts
Once you turn 65, you may find yourself in need of specialized geriatric treatment. The field of geriatric medicine is designed to help you live a fulfilling, vigorous life so you can enjoy your retirement years in a healthy body and mind.
Leading a productive life also means taking care of your finances. You may decide that selling your life insurance policy in exchange for a lump sum could be the right move for you. Contact Coventry Direct or give us a call at 1-800-268-3687 for more information.
Methodology
To discover the U.S. cities with the best treatment for geriatric patients, we first analyzed a list of the top 100 cities, based on population size. We then assigned cities with a score of 0-5 for each factor, with a score of 5 representing the most favorable conditions. Next, we determined each city’s total score from the total of its individual factor scores, which were weighted according to their impact on geriatric treatment. Individual factor scores were then added together to give each city a final score from 0-100. Higher scores indicated cities are better for geriatric treatment. A complete list of factors is outlined below:
- Total # of Geriatricians, MediFind, weight: 2.00
- Geriatricians per 100k, MediFind, weight: 2.00
- Oncologists per 100k, MediFind, weight: 1.00
- Home Health Services per 100k, Medicare, weight: 0.50
- Hospice Care Providers per 100k, Medicare, weight: 0.50
- Long-Term Care Hospitals per 100k, Medicare, weight: 0.50
- Dialysis Facilities per 100k, Medicare, weight: 0.50
- % of the population that’s 65+, Census, weight: 2.00
- # of Cancer Cases & Deaths per year, CDC, weight: 1.00
- Average Life Expectancy, CDC, weight: 5.00
- Score of Highest-Rated Geriatrics Hospital, U.S. News, weight: 5.00
To determine which cities were best for late-stage cancer specifically, we looked at the following factors, outlined below:
- Total # of Oncologists, MediFind, weight: 1.00
- Oncologists per 100k, MediFind, weight: 1.00
- Home Health Services per 100k, MediFind, weight: 1.00
- Hospice Care Providers per 100k, MediFind, weight: 1.00
- Long-Term Care Hospitals per 100k, MediFind, weight: 1.00
- # of Cancer Cases & Deaths per year, CDC, weight: 5.00
