America is getting old. Not the nation itself, but the average age of the citizens that call America home. According to the US government's census and population board, by 2030 the Baby Boomer generation will be over the age of 65 and as such, the shift in demographics will cause many changes to the USA's way of life and tending to the aged. One such area where these changes will see direct effects is in the palliative care and nursing home care for aging and senior citizens.
Available Beds in Nursing Homes
As the American population sees the shift toward having more senior citizens there is going to be pressure on the available nursing homes in the country to expand and provide more beds and spaces to accommodate the change. This is no small task. The two sides of the coin to this have positive and negative effects on the aging population (and indeed, to those under age 65). The positive side of the coin shows projections illustrating increases in the amount of jobs available in the country, especially in the construction, design and nursing fields.
As the American population ages construction of new facilities and assisted living homes becomes critical. As the construction and expansion takes place there will be a need for qualified laborers and construction specialists such as architects and designers. Economists say this will help push the country's economy forward and will help to keep the unemployment rate down.
The flip side of this coin is while the age demographics shift, there is going to be a demand for laborers and constructions workers, but there will be a dip in available hands to actually do the work. This is going to create a demand for higher wages and benefits which will push the already spiked costs for nursing care and elderly services even higher leaving many in tough situations.
Nurses, Doctors and Trained Medical Professionals
With the growing aged population, there is going to be a huge need for more qualified Nurses, doctors and medical professionals who understand and work with the elderly. When this shift occurs, there will be a strain on available medical services and professionals already in the country. The hope is younger generations will go into the needed fields of medicine and technician professionals.
Everything from radiology techs to physician assistants are going to be in high demand. But with the younger generations not growing as fast as the aging, there are valid concerns about available new medical health practitioners and where to find them.
With the continued strain on Nurses and other medical professionals, there is going to be long waits for basic appointments and services as well as increases in the already high costs of American medical services. For many in the aging population, the fear that even with a pension and health insurance, meeting the basic monthly expenses for needed prescription drugs and doctor's appointments may be out of reach for many. This means the aging population will be at risk as they will not be able to afford their needed medical services and drugs.
Some economists argue that as the demand for such services and professionals increase, there will be a huge opportunity for the younger generations to study, train and enter the medical field. Hopefully this will meet the services needed by the aging population as well as increase the economy and push positive growth forward. This is projected to mean better conditions and services available to the growing and aging population of the USA.
The solutions for the aging population are not easy, but hopefully the country will rise to the challenge to take care of it's elderly. They have already given so much to the country and it is important the country rise to meet their needs as they grow old.
Related Article: Aging Population a Boon for Health Care Workers
