We will probably not see such dramatic changes in the 21 st century if the United States does not tackle the problem of child poverty more vigorously. Seventeen percent of young people aged 18 to 22 are poor. To affect meaningful changes in the aged of the 21 st century, we need to mount a campaign to reduce childhood poverty now . The vast majority of the elderly now receive Social Security - 91 percent compared with only 69 percent in 1962. But it is only part of the story to talk about the fact that conditions for the elderly as a whole have improved over the 20 th century and that this trend is likely to continue.
Some groups are still very vulnerable.
If the total dollar income of the elderly population is divided into equal quintiles or 20 percent shares, we learn that the top 20 percent of all the elderly income is shared among just six percent of the elderly. The bottom 20 percent of elderly income is shared among 34 percent of the elderly. Much will depend on the fate of Social Security and the changes that Congress and the President choose to make. Under one scenario, Social Security will be partially privatized, and thus the strength of the stock market will become linked to levels of economic well-being the elderly can expect. The major factor that determines whether older people are able to lead independent and active lives is their health.