Like a freight train, 2019 will be here before you know it..it is already late spring (May) and already the talks of summer and monsoon season are upon us..with fall trailing soon after. Why is 2019 so import to the future of home health care you might ask? It happens to be the first year people over the age of 65 will outnumber those younger than 5 years of age. We’re not sure if that’s scary or not, but we do know, home health care isn’t slowing down.
The Future of Home Health Care
As science and the medical community ramp up in the area of prolonging life and living with disease and ailments that just 20 years ago may have been fatal, the need to keep up with home health care has risen sharply in tandem. According to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, Medicare enrollment will increase by more than 50% over the next 15 years from 54 million beneficiaries today to more than 80 million in 2030. The Government Census projects that by 2030, the proportion of U.S. residents older than 65 will have nearly doubled from 2010 (20% vs. 13%). Among the oldest Americans, the Census predicts that the population age 85 and above will double by 2036 and triple by 2049. Interestingly enough, with people living healthier, many retiring Americans run the risk of heart disease (due to rampant obesity) vs. smoking, leaving the question of how to care for ever changing issues on health in the elder community.
The most important concern will be staffing issues as this portion of the population grows. as need arises and more and more health care professionals are needed, the wage increases tend to follow. Unfortunately, cost to consumers and families is tightly held due to Medicare pay outs and the rising cost of medical services elsewhere in the above 65 years of age community.
If you have any questions about home health care please contact Arista HealthCare @ (520) 333-0333