AGING AND FUTURE SHOCK

Older Sooner - The U.S. population is rapidly growing larger, and with a particularly sharp increase in the elderly and the "oldest old." In fact, the future age structure of the population will soon be much older than it is now.

Projections:

• National Population increase - 392 million by 2050. A 50% increase from 1990.
• Older Population increase - 65+ yrs., numbered 36 million in 2003 (12.3% of U.S. population) or 1 in every 8 Americans.
• Doubling by 2030 - there'll be 71.5 million older persons (more than twice their number in 2000).
• Baby Boomers - soon reaching retirement age - 65 yrs. in 2011.
• Life Expectancy - increasing to 86 yrs. for males; 92 for females (2050). Number of Elderly - with poor health is projected to increase sharply from 1990 to 2030, doubling or tripling of the number reported in 1990.

A Question - For many scholars, health-care givers, as well as the public - the basic question is: Will people live well during these added years of life or will they be physically dependant on others because of serious health or disabling conditions? First, what is the existing status and problems of the elderly population to-day?

Here is the picture:

Retirement:

• Retirement systems are threatened.
• Incomes are smaller.
• Health-care options are declining.
• Social Security not sustainable. 
• Reform plans not sustainable. 
• Policy experiments not sustainable. 
• Polarizing of ideas not workable.

Insurance and Government:

• Increasingly frustrating demands of insurance groups and government agencies.
• Federal funding plummeting.

Health Care:

• Rising operational costs, declining care. 
• Competitive costs rising. 
• Understaffing. 
• Increasing demands.
• Pharmaceutical increases.
• Compromising standards and policies.
• Shrinking options.
• Increasing litigations.

Long Term Care Facilities - Much of the elderly U.S. population are living appallingly compromised lives. Consequently, many have limited social, financial, and housing resources. Others have grave difficulties of home management of patients, with serious health or disabling conditions.
Many, therefore, are being driven to overburdened long-term-care-facilities. Alzheimer's disease patients, for one, in nursing home residences, are most common and at the highest ages.

Nursing Home Statistics:

• Estimated 1.56 million elderly (65+) are living in nursing homes in U.S.
• 18,000 long-term-care-facilities and 1,813,665 beds are in the U.S.
• 4.7% aged (65-84), to 18.2% aged (85+) are living in nursing homes.
• 43% of those turning age (65) in 1990 will enter a nursing home at some time during their lives.
• 52% of all women and 33% of all men who are now (65) will spend their last years in a long-term facility. 

Unfortunately - Many are too frail, too sick, too poor, and too powerless to chose or even protest their care. From this, there will be large increases in the number of vulnerable groups, such as the "oldest old."
Number One Problem - These grim statistics puts a greater force on long-term-care-facilities and the general quality of care, of which wounds are the number one problem, with their complex healing process.
Live Better - Live Longer - Coast to Coast Wound Care Surgeons are far beyond the ordinary as they offer real, workable, health-care options never offered before. But, not just to the outward aspects of aging and wound-care, but also to the hidden problems affecting the resident-patients' quality of life - to not only live better, but to live longer. 
Exceptional Service - Our skilled and dedicated surgeons offer an exceptional in-house, wound-care service, conveniently, effectively, and compassionately at the patient's bedside and familiar surrounding of the nursing care facility.

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Aging | Chronic wounds | Bedsores | Wound types | Pain | Diet and healing | Risk factors