Home Health Care and the Aging Baby Boomer Generation
“A so-called silver tsunami is headed toward U.S. health care and the country is ill-prepared to deal with the fallout.”(Mitchell 34) The silver tsunami that Dr. Mitchell refers to is the baby boomer generation. As the Baby Boomer generation reaches retirement age, there will be a significant increase in the need for home health care. With increased health care awareness, this generation’s longevity will surpass any previous generations. Home health care needs will increase, which will cause the home health care industry to grow in order to meet the demands. To meet this increased demand there will need to be increases in the medical work force.
The baby boomers are the product of a post-World …show more content…
To keep costs down, home health care is a must. Hospitalizations are costly, and sometimes present an unhealthy atmosphere. There is an increased number of patients with chronic diseases contribute to causes high hospital readmission. Patients who are treated in their own homes are less likely to be exposed to additional infections simply because they aren’t in the hospital with so many other people. In a report from the New England Medical Journal, Dr. Stephen Landers states, “First, by 2030, the number of people in the United States over 65 is expected to exceed 70 million. Many of these older adults will have limitations on their activities, including difficulty walking and transferring from bed to chair, that make leaving their homes difficult.” (1690). Medicare is moving forward to keeping the middle age to elderly population healthy and at home; while keeping medical costs down. Recovery time is often quicker for the home health patient, who goes home from surgery and then on to outpatient. Patients who receive home health care generally return to their prior routines much faster. These patients are also less likely to have a re-hospitalization than people who spend more recovery time in a hospital, or extended care facility. According to CMS, “The United States has a 17.6% readmission rate within 30 days of discharge. The process by which patients move from hospital to other care …show more content…
As our population grows, so do the boundaries. With more people living in rural parts of the United States, lengthy, or recurrent hospital stays, are a challenge for today’s families. Home health care can meet those needs. But the available work force will not be able to meets those demands without a push for more education, higher pay and increased benefits. Previously an elderly person would need to stay in the hospital for necessary treatments because traveling to and from their homes was too much of a hardship. With home health and the right medical professionals your treatments can come to your home. With the coming group of aged Americans there is also the lack of enough home health care professionals (Craig 37). Increased home health care needs causes an increased need for educated people to work in the home health care field. Education for medical professionals is at high level, and will continue to grow as the baby boomers start to retire. The medical field will continue to be one of the most sought after employment opportunities. Increased awareness of the silver tsunami with students in high school would be an excellent place to start (Mitchell 34). For young people today just knowing where to start and how to get there is half the battle. Many high school students still come from families without degrees. It is hard for a parent to help your children make wise decisions when it comes to an advanced degree. Educational
“A so-called silver tsunami is headed toward U.S. health care and the country is ill-prepared to deal with the fallout.”(Mitchell 34) The silver tsunami that Dr. Mitchell refers to is the baby boomer generation. As the Baby Boomer generation reaches retirement age, there will be a significant increase in the need for home health care. With increased health care awareness, this generation’s longevity will surpass any previous generations. Home health care needs will increase, which will cause the home health care industry to grow in order to meet the demands. To meet this increased demand there will need to be increases in the medical work force.
The baby boomers are the product of a post-World …show more content…
To keep costs down, home health care is a must. Hospitalizations are costly, and sometimes present an unhealthy atmosphere. There is an increased number of patients with chronic diseases contribute to causes high hospital readmission. Patients who are treated in their own homes are less likely to be exposed to additional infections simply because they aren’t in the hospital with so many other people. In a report from the New England Medical Journal, Dr. Stephen Landers states, “First, by 2030, the number of people in the United States over 65 is expected to exceed 70 million. Many of these older adults will have limitations on their activities, including difficulty walking and transferring from bed to chair, that make leaving their homes difficult.” (1690). Medicare is moving forward to keeping the middle age to elderly population healthy and at home; while keeping medical costs down. Recovery time is often quicker for the home health patient, who goes home from surgery and then on to outpatient. Patients who receive home health care generally return to their prior routines much faster. These patients are also less likely to have a re-hospitalization than people who spend more recovery time in a hospital, or extended care facility. According to CMS, “The United States has a 17.6% readmission rate within 30 days of discharge. The process by which patients move from hospital to other care …show more content…
As our population grows, so do the boundaries. With more people living in rural parts of the United States, lengthy, or recurrent hospital stays, are a challenge for today’s families. Home health care can meet those needs. But the available work force will not be able to meets those demands without a push for more education, higher pay and increased benefits. Previously an elderly person would need to stay in the hospital for necessary treatments because traveling to and from their homes was too much of a hardship. With home health and the right medical professionals your treatments can come to your home. With the coming group of aged Americans there is also the lack of enough home health care professionals (Craig 37). Increased home health care needs causes an increased need for educated people to work in the home health care field. Education for medical professionals is at high level, and will continue to grow as the baby boomers start to retire. The medical field will continue to be one of the most sought after employment opportunities. Increased awareness of the silver tsunami with students in high school would be an excellent place to start (Mitchell 34). For young people today just knowing where to start and how to get there is half the battle. Many high school students still come from families without degrees. It is hard for a parent to help your children make wise decisions when it comes to an advanced degree. Educational