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The results from a recent survey on the overall health of the Upper Peninsula can help guide county leaders to solutions to solve the region’s biggest health needs.
The Western UP Health Department’s Kate Beer shared the findings of the 2018 Upper Peninsula Community Health Needs Assessment with the Houghton County Board of Commissioners Tuesday.
The data was compiled from the responses of a survey mailed out to UP residents, of which nearly 5,000 were returned.
The results showed that though the average age of Houghton County residents was reduced by the number of college students, the adjacent counties of Keweenaw and Ontonagon has populations with more than 31 percent age 65 or over.
When looking at individual residences, roughly 1 in 8 homes in Houghton County is a senior living alone.
The assessment also broke down the various risk factors affecting people’s health and their access to local health care.
Complete results of the survey can be found at http://www.wupdhd.org/upchna/. More information can be found at Healthy UP. Questions can be directed to Kate Beer of the Western UP Health Department, 906-482-7382, ext. 143.
