Our Population Is Rapidly Aging

This post is sponsored and contributed by a Patch Community Partner. The views expressed in this post are the author's own, and the information presented has not been verified by Patch.

America’s population is aging rapidly.

In 2020, 56 million Americans will be 65 and older; by 2050, that number will reach 84 million. And, the oldest population—Americans over 85--is on pace to triple by 2040. Nearly 70% of Americans who reach 65 will be unable to care for themselves at some point without assistance.

The question is: Who is going to provide that care?

While there is no silver bullet to the challenges accompanying population aging, home care, privately paid for by the care recipient is emerging as a valuable and vital part of the solution.

The simple fact is traditional governmental health care programs and our current system of institutional care cannot meet the needs of the tens of millions of elderly Americans who will require some form of assistance. Private-pay home care fills a critical gap for seniors between hospital stays, nursing home care, and care provided by family members and loved ones.

Home Care professionals—also known as caregivers—work with family members, community agencies, and medically trained professionals like doctors and nurses to broaden the scope of care and provide better health outcomes.

Nine out of ten Americans 65 and older want to stay home as long as possible, and 80 percent think their current home is where they will always live. The home care industry helps seniors to live with dignity and self-respect, and to feel like an integral part of the society and world in which they live. In fact, for many seniors, a few hours per day of assistance can actually prevent a trip to the hospital or keep them out of nursing homes. With Covid-19 continuing to run rampant, the safest location for our seniors may be to stay Home Instead.

Agencies such as Home Instead Senior Care based in Melrose since 2003 have trained care providers to help families deal with the daily challenges of aging and provide the support necessary to allow elderly Americans to remain independent for as long as possible. We provide seniors a choice about how and where they age and deliver peace of mind to family members, who are unable, for a variety of reasons, to provide all the care their elderly loved ones need. We are experts in senior care and would be happy to assist you with any questions you might have. For further information, please contact us at [email protected], or visit our website at www.homeinstead.com/260.

This is a sponsored post contributed by a Patch Community Partner, a local sponsor. To learn more, click here.