Introduction
By 2050, the number of Americans sixty-five and older is going to double, to more than eighty million. Moreover, research found that almost ninety percent of Americans, including those older than seventy, want to age in place for at least the next five to ten years of their lives. As the American population ages, and as the digital health field expands, technologies addressing the unique challenges of aging in place will become more of a reality. Great strides already have been made to improve aging. Seniors who want to age in place need to be as independent as possible. Technical innovations for successful aging offer opportunities both for older people and for societies with growing numbers of old and very old people.
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Unfortunately, the number of unofficial caregivers is also expected to decline. In 2010, researchers estimated that there were seven potential caregivers for every elderly adult over age 80. This ratio will drop to four to one by 2030 and eventually fall to three to one by 2050, because baby boomers are aging away from being caretakers to becoming the ones who need caretaking. This becomes even more problematic in light of the fact that 68 percent of Americans think they will be able to rely on their children and other family members when it comes to long-term care (Matthews, 2013).
If family members are not available, the elderly may have to rely on a visiting nurse or go into an assisted living center, which may only add to the already mounting medical bills that seniors acquire. Medical care for one person over age 65 is between three to five times costlier than care for one person under age 65, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported, and sometimes the costs and the responsibilities fall on the next generation. By 2050, 227 million adults globally are expected to require a caregiver to help them through the aging process (Matthews, 2013).
This suggests that older adults will soon overwhelm the number of caregivers available to assist them. To compensate for this, many are looking towards helping older adults stay in their home for as long as possible, even if they experience functional or cognitive impairments. This idea is known as aging in
It is a known fact that people are living longer today and with older age comes many obstacles for which the elderly overcome. Such obstacles as; physical changes, mental changes, changes in income, friends, family, and at times their way of life. As the baby boomers are getting older, some find that their social life has declined because most of their friends have died. Moreover, some of the boomers are maintaining their lifestyles as though nothing has changed, while others are in the midst of significant changes in their lifestyles and their way of life. The purpose of this discussion board is to compare and contrast two social theories about aging and how it relates to the role of the caregiver. Furthermore, I will discuss the one new
The challenge America now faces is the number of people reaching retirement will double in number by 2030, and the U.S. population will increase almost 20 percent ("Our Aging Nation," 2015). The goal is for the elderly to maintain and live with independence and dignity, as well as, provide a wide range of professional health and social service expertise, home care, and residential support and services that will be needed ("Our Aging Nation," 2015). Since the number of caregivers needed for this population will not be able to meet the demands other resolutions are considered necessary.
In the U.S, one in four will be aged 60 years and older by 2050 (U.S. Census Bureau). This represents an overwhelming number of people who will either be in the caretaker role or be the ROC. Like today, most of the care will be provided by informal unpaid caregivers. The number of informal unpaid caregivers is expected to rise from 20 million in 2000 to 37 million in 2050 (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation [ASPE], 2003). Because of the burden of care giving, many caregivers will experience depression, poor health and quality of life (Etters, Goodall, & Harrison, 2008). Their well-being is an important public health concern.
Taking care of the individuals that are getting older takes many different needs. Most of these needs cannot be given from the help of a family. This causes the need of having to put your love one into a home and causing for the worry of how they will be treated. It is important for the family and also the soon to be client to feel at home in their new environment. This has been an issue with the care being provided for each individual, which has lead to the need of making sure individuals have their own health care plan.
Which is why after reading this, I think what matters most when I envision eldercare is not only having a variety of engaging activities but also having family members visit them often and to even take them out for lunch or home for the
With home care becoming the next wave of long-term care services that will help keep Baby Boomers out of institutional programs and skilled nursing facilities, it will require a supplemental add-on support for family members or the at home caregiver as respite care and compensation for this care will have to be financially addressed. Adult day services provide the aging adult with physical exercise, social activities, and cognitive engagement. The Baby Boomers independence and acknowledgment of traditional long-term care institutions will bring change to the style and type of adult day care activities offered, as they are more engaged with technology, and at keeping themselves as active as
Many people are living longer and sometimes the elderly are unable to take care of themselves and will depend almost 100% on the care of others. The U.S as with many other developed countries must find ways to cope and address this shift in demographics. John Beard, the department head of Ageing and Life Course in World Health Organization stated with the rapid aging of populations, finding the right model for long-term care becomes more and more urgent. Recent records from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that about 12 million men and women who are over the age of 65 will need long term care by the year 2020. Furthermore, a study done by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services stipulates that four out of 10 people who will reach the age of 65 will stay in a nursing home at some point in their lives.
Research show that in 2013, over 9.5% of seniors over the age of sixty-five lived in poverty with the percentage increasing as an individual’s age increases (McNeal, 2016). These statistics does not account for the other issues which affects families and caretakers when addressing the well-being of their loved ones and the inadequate access to long term care.
If you've ever thought about senior homecare, you've probably heard or read some home care myths that made you stop and think twice about it. With only a third to a half of seniors receiving homecare going through a professional care agency, many family care providers wonder what the reluctance is. Perhaps some of the myths are true?
This could be where the problem starts because although the elderly want to be independent and live on their own, most are not completely capable of this and need the assistance. The unavoidable process of aging will happen to
Health care is a necessity in life, even more so for the elderly, but the country we live in does not provide its citizens with a universal health care system. With that being said, it is pivotal for the elderly to find ways to finance their health expenses. With the advancement of medical technology, there are 44.7 million individuals that are 65 and above about 14% of the population. (census.gov) Finding ways to provide the elderly is a daunting task. On the bright side, there are many different programs to assist the elderly in paying for the health care they need.
Americans at the ages of 65 years and older are considered in the “elderly” classification. With advancements of healthcare and life expectancy growing rapidly, it is expected that the average American will grow to live at this age or longer. According to the Population Reference Bureau, the number of Americans at the age of 65 and older is expected to double from roughly 46 million today, to over 98 million by 2060. This means that the elderly’s portion of the total United States population will grow from 15 percent to almost 24 percent. As people obtain older age, they also obtain the health and social problems that accompany it.
The need for long-term care services has grown as the life expectancy of the U.S. population increases. There is a 70% chance a person who is 65 years of age or older will need long-term care, and women are more likely to need this care because they live longer than men on average. It’s not just the elderly who are most likely to need long-term care services. People who have been in an accident or have a chronic illness or chronic condition due to poor eating habits, lack of exercise, or family history are more prone to need long-term care services. Also, people who live alone are likely to need long-term service if they don’t have family or a partner nearby to help take care of them.
In the article, “Ensuring Care for Aging Baby Boomers: Solutions at Hand,” Elizabeth J. Bragg and Jennie C. Hansen (2015) explain that around seven out of ten people will need assistance from the reason being that many older adults do not have a partner to help provide the other with care, disabilities increase with age and the physical and cognitive abilities tend to decline with age. Many of these older adults will require assistance with long term services and supports, which give aid in of dressing, bathing or any other daily activities. The cost of care for an elderly individual in an assisted-living facility, home care, and adult day care can be a burden on that individual as well as the family. The family attempts to act as a caregiver to help offset the expenses but the overall ratio of caregivers to people over sixty five will decrease in years to come, which as a result an increase in caregivers educated in geriatrics will need to be fulfilled (Bragg & Hansen, 2015, p.
While middle-aged parents are trying to work their way into a more prosperous lifestyle, their children and their parents are lost in the shuffle. While adults are usually driven to find the best possible daily care for their children, they oftentimes forget about the needs of their own parents, who are becoming less self-sufficient and more disadvantaged. It is becoming more and more common to see grandma and grandpa shipped off to a nursing home then cared for by family members.