Numeroglogy: Aging By The Numbers

YOU are #1 in managing Long Term Care and care giving in residential facilities. 

YOU can make a difference.

Statistics taken from the St Louis, Missouri area of the Ombudsman organization, aka VOYCE .

"The long-term care industry has grown rapidly in the past decade due to growing demand generated by our aging population. This demand will only increase as we live longer and more individuals reach the age where they will be more likely to require some type of long-term care.

Looking at the Numbers

"70% of people turning age 65 can expect to use some form of long-term care during their lives. (U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services)

"Baby boomers started to turn 65 years old in 2011.

"The number of older people will increase dramatically in the period from 2010 to 2030. 

"By 2030, the older population is projected to be twice as large as it was in 2000 – growing from 35 million to 71.5 million people. (2009 Long Term Care Insurance Sourcebook, American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance)

"The population 65 years and older is increasing as a percent of total population. 

"Of the older population with long-term care needs, about 30% have substantial long-term care needs. 

"Of these, about 25% are 85 and older, and 70% report they are in fair to poor health. (Long-term Care: Medicaid's role and challenges, Publication #2172, The Henry J. Kaiser Foundation)

"40% of the older population with long-term care needs are poor or near poor (with incomes below 150% of the federal poverty level). (Long-Term Care: Medicaid's role and challenges, Publication #2172, The Henry J. Kaiser Foundation)

"There are over 44 million caregivers, or one out of every five households, involved in caregiving to persons 18 years of age or older. 34 million caregivers provide care to someone 50 years of age or older. (Caregiving in the U.S., National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP)

"By 2050, the number of individuals using paid long-term care services in any setting – at home, residential care such as assisted living, or skilled nursing facilities – will likely double to 27 million people from the 13 million who were using long-term care services in 2000. 

"This estimate is influenced by growth in the population of older people in need of care. (The future supply of long-term care workers in relation to the aging baby boom generation: Report to Congress, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Labor)"

In Summary:  Most people want to live longer. Medical Care, Genetic Testing and other advancements are focused on providing a better quality of life, eradication or lessening of diseases or their effects and generally increasing longevity.

However, life happens. Accidents happen. Diseases for which we have no cure and those that are "orphans" -- where research is underfunded or symptoms are not recognized -- will continue to be plagues on world societies and affect care giving for all ages, including but not limited to the advanced in age.

Long Term Care facilities are places where men and women who need constant medical care are housed and they cannot, due to physical limitations, move independently or maneuver without assistance in case of an emergency.

For their sakes and the well being of everyone in Long Term Care facilites, there are actions needed to protect and defend these individuals.

YOU are the first line of defense.

YOU are the voice of those who cannot be heard.

YOU are moving daily, no matter your age as a Millennial or Baby Boomer, into that current darkness, that current hidden and seldom spoken about world of Long Term Care Facilities.

YOU hold the keys of knowledge and the ability to speak out about those places where people receive less than quality care, are treated as less than individuals and whose quality of life is managed and hidden in its inadequacies and inabilities through carefully managed reporting and occasional cover up with appearances far above the every day. 

Make a friend in a facility. If only to attend a "public event" and get to know someone who you include in your very busy life. 

Their life is a life of waiting, of hoping and of needing connectivity with the REAL WORLD, the world beyond their limitations within the walls, sometimes the grounds or areas just outside the walls. 

Many residents have no immediate families nearby.

Many residents wait day after day hoping someone in their family can take the time or find the time to visit.

Volunteering or simply finding a reason -- donating craft supplies, teaching a class of some kind, playing a musical instrument -- these small gifts of time make Aging By The Numbers a time in life to look forward to and give meaning to many who place a value on your time even higher than you do.