With the aging of the baby boomers, the number of people in the
United States older than 65 is projected to double from about 35
million today to nearly 70 million by 2030. There will be a
disproportionately greater increase in the number of elderly
Americans who suffer from a mental illness--from approximately 6
million today to about 15 million by 2030 (Jeste et al., 1999a).
Younger adults who have a serious mental illness, such as
schizophrenia, currently have a significantly shorter life span
than those without mental illness. The average life span of
these patients is expected to increase, thanks to improved
pharmacologic and other treatments, as well as general
improvement in health and nutrition. In addition, as people in
the general population live longer, the numbers of individuals
who will develop psychotic disorders in later life will also
grow. One of the most disenfranchised groups in health care is
older people with psychotic disorders. The health-related well-
being of older patients with psycho