10 worst states for elder firearm deaths

When some of your insurance clients say their long-term care planning provider is a bullet, they may be telling you the truth.

That’s one possible conclusion that a user of government mortality data could draw from a quick look at results from a query of cause-of-death data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In 2014, U.S. residents ages 65 and older were about 25 percent more likely to die because of an incident involving firearms than U.S. residents ages 64 and younger were.

The civilian firearm-related death rate for people ages 100,000 and older was 12.7 per 100,000, compared with 10.2 for people ages 64 and younger.

Many of those deaths are the result of suicide. 

For people ages 64 and younger, the death rate was 4.3 per 100,000 for firearm deaths unrelated to suicide, and 5.9 pr 100,000 for firearm-related suicides.

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For people ages 65 and older, the death rate was just 1.1 per 100,000 for firearm deaths unrelated to suicide, and 11.6 per 100,000 for firearm-related suicides.

See also: Williams post-mortem: Answers to 9 questions in suicide cases

The CDC makes cause-of-death data available to the public, for health statistical reporting and analysis purposes only, through its WONDER search system.

One way to use this data may be to energize your efforts to help older clients, including older clients who may be acting as caregivers for loved ones with serious disabilities, get access to the financial resources, emotional support and respite care services they need to make life bearable.

Another way to think about the data is as an introduction to the CDC WONDER system query tool, which can give agents and brokers a powerful tool for analyzing why Americans die.

The current version of  the database includes figures on a large catalog of causes of death. The list of causes of deaths related to falls, for example, includes everything from falls from ladders to falls involving wheelchairs.

Meanwhile, for a look at the 10 states with the highest firearm-related death rates in 2014 for residents ages 65 and older, read on:

(iStock)

10. Idaho

Elder firearm deaths per 100,000: 18.

Number of elder firearm deaths: 42.

Number of residents 65 and older: 233,376.

Related: 12 states with the highest breast cancer death rates

Louisville, Kentucky’s largest city. (Photo: Thinkstock) 

9. Kentucky

Elder firearm deaths per 100,000: 18.

Number of elder firearm deaths: 118.

Number of residents 65 and older: 654,514.

Related: 10 states where older residents have more syphilis

8. Oklahoma

Elder firearm deaths per 100,000: 18.1.

Number of elder firearm deaths: 102.

Number of residents 65 and older: 562,531.

Related: 7 states where the ‘super twin’ birth rate plummeted

Trees on the rim of the Grand Canyon. (Photo: Getty Images)

7. Arizona

Elder firearm deaths per 100,000: 18.4.

Number of elder firearm deaths: 197.

Number of residents 65 and older: 1,070,217.

Related: 10 best states to move to when you retire 

Blue haze over Denver, Colorado’s capital. (Photo: Thinkstock)

6. Colorado

Elder firearm deaths per 100,000: 20.1.