The “Baby Boomers” have always been leading our society through powerful change; because of this it is only appropriate that the next chapter in healthcare begins under their influence as well. The first of the Boomers became of retirement age, sixty-five, in 2010 and every eight seconds another individual of this generation becomes a year older (When I’m 64: How boomers will change healthcare, 2007, p. 3). By the year 2030, “the over 65 population will nearly double as a result of the aging Boomers (When I’m 64: How boomers will change healthcare, 2007, p. 2).” With this significant demographic change, the needs of the aging population will similarly have a significant impact on society, especially the health care sector. Marcia Ory of Texas A&M University (2004) explains that there are two conflicting versions on the future of healthcare; a pessimistic view focuses on the increased costs and care burdens accompanying this aging population due to the sheer size and high disease rates that make up the group (par. 3). While an optimistic view projects the possibility of additional healthy years because of improved healthcare and lifestyles that are available to individuals of the Baby Boom generation. The current healthcare crisis does not have to be hopeless and wrought by pessimism; changing the way patients and doctors currently deal with healthcare and prevention can reduce costly financial burdens and improve quality of life.
On average, members of the Baby Boom generation will gain nineteen years of life in comparison to their parents (American Geriatrics Society, 2013, p. 623). The American Hospital Association’s “Boomer Report” (2007) clearly describes some of the differences these nineteen years will generate: Geriatric pa...
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One article stated that over the year’s specialty areas will concentrate on areas that are more cost-effective. These areas would consist of cancer, heart and neuroscience, cogitating the aging of the baby boomers. Care for cardiovascular patients will always be continual because people are still eating fried foods. Oncology services are rising due to patients being diagnosed with cancer. Our communities are seeing an increase of aging within the population and organizations are not set up for this ‘tsunami’ of patients. The service lines that will remain to be widespread are connected to the aging population—cardiovascular, arthritis, and sports injuries, as the baby boomers stay active longer. “The increasing scope of the continuum of care,
After World War II ended in 1945, veterans returned home to get married and start families which resulted in a “baby boom.” This generation, which has been dubbed “Baby Boomers,” was born between 1946 and 1964. In 2011 this generation will begin to reach age 65, which is a pivotal age for senior adults. In 2050, the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to be 88.5 million, more than double its projected population of 40.2 million in 2010. The baby boomers are largely responsible for this increase in the older population, as they will begin crossing into this category in 2011. (US Census Bureau, 2010). With our population shifting to an older demographic, ageism will weigh heavily on our society and the importance of researching, discussing and finding solutions to ageism will come to the forefront.
For essay three I have chosen to discuss reducing the cost of health care for all Americans. Affordable health care has always been a major issue for many Americans, especially low income families and the poor. In fact according to Statistics Brain their statistics show that many thousands of Americans cannot afford and do not have health care.
The two major components of Medicare, the Hospital Insurance Program (Part A of Medicare) and the supplementary Medical Insurance program (Part B) may be exhausted by the year 2025, another sad fact of the Medicare situation at hand (“Medicare’s Future”). The burden brought about by the unfair dealings of HMO’s is having an adverse affect on the Medicare system. With the incredibly large burden brought about by the large amount of patients that Medicare is handed, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fund the system in the way that is necessary for it to function effectively. Most elderly people over the age of 65 are eligible for Medicare, but for a quite disturbing reason they are not able to reap the benefits of the taxes they have paid. Medicare is a national health plan covering 40 mi...
In today’s society, what was once said to be true and taken as fact regarding older people is no longer the whole story. As Laslett states, “At all times before the middle of the twentieth century and all over the globe the greater part of human life potential has been wasted, by people dying before their allotted time was up.” (1989a), and to a great extent a lot
The existing U.S. population is over 315 million and rising. In the year 2030, 72 million Americans will be 65 or older, a 50 percent change in age demographics since the year 2000. The change is primarily due to the aging baby boomers, who were born at the end of World War II. Americans are living longer than ever befo...
... to combat this issue that faces aging in America. Care need to be the top quality administered from all medical professionals. This will make customers of healthcare feel at ease with coming to them for help. If more aging customers are utilizing healthcare, then this will provide them with the fundamental knowledge of how to properly take care of them and most importantly dispel myths about the elderly. To meet the future demands of the aging population, policymakers, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders are going to need to take action in order to build a high-qualified workforce. Making it affordable to students and substantial enough for teachers is key for the future medical professional. Hopefully in the future for aging Americans, many of these problems in this healthcare system will be resolved and the ones that aren’t will be pacified to a minimal.
As the population of the United States ages and lifespan increases, the U.S. is being faced with challenges that could either hurt the country or benefit it if plans are executed correctly. By the year 2050, more than thirty-two million Americans will be over the age eighty and the share of the 80-plus generation will have doubled to 7.4 percent. Health care and aging population has become a great deal considering the impact it is having on the U.S. The United States is heading into another century with an outstanding percentage of people within the aging population. Today’s challenges involving health care and the aging populations are the employees of health professions being a major percentage of the aging population, the drive into debt, and prevention and postponement of disease and disability.
Within the health care arena there is a growing concern about the needs of the elderly.
Today, the world’s population is aging at a very fast pace and the United States is no exception to this demographic change. According to the U.S Census Bureau, senior citizens will account for 21% of the American population in 2050 (Older Americans, 2012). Although living longer lives may not seem like a negative sign, living longer does not necessarily mean living healthier. Older adults of today are in need of long-term health care services more than any generation before them (Older Americans, 2012). Because of the growing need for senior care, millions of families are facing critical decisions on how to provide care for their parents.
Health and Aging Often we take our health, or the absence of illness, disease, or injury for granted until we become sick. It is then that we recognize the worth of being without ailments. It is then that we appreciate feeling strong, robust and healthy. Being healthy and, being physically and mentally sound, is associated with one's satisfaction with life.
Staying healthy does not only mean to eat a healthy diet, but also to be active and to provide our body with stamina so it can fight various diseases. According to Myers (2003) around a quarter of a million deaths in the United States are caused by insufficient physical activity. The US Public Health Service (1996) has provided enough evidence towards the effect of physical exercise on cardiovascular (e.g. coronary heart disease) and non-cardiovascular health (hypertension, osteoporosis, colon cancer etc.). They followed a group of people for several years and found a positive correlation between the amount of participants’ physical activity and their health problems. So how much exercise is just enou...
Aging Society, or Aging Population, is a growing problem in the United States. The ratio of older people to younger people in the United States is growing, slowly on the young side, and faster on the older side. One of the most common and dramatic concerns and of a population is the likely increase in public costs to a government and therefore the public. As a result of older people generally being more easily able to be harmed or influenced by being more likely to experience/likely to get illness and where medical care is given by the state, then this will therefore, as a result of an increase in the amount of older people, will cause the healthcare and welfare costs to increase. If it is the former then we are likely to face even further
What will US healthcare look like in 2050? According to Getzen (2013), trends in better health will lead to greater need for long-term care and chronic care for the aging population while correspondingly trending toward less acute illnesses (p. 438). Personalized prognostic healthcare will lead to healthier longer lives (Lawrence, 2010). Physicians will become leaders of teams within healthcare organizations rather than the independent practitioners we are familiar with today (Getzen, 2013, p. 438). Thus, the concept of the primary care physician will become a thing of the past (Lawrence, 2010).