Living Old In America Essay

There has been an extensive change in the U.S. demographics within last 50 years. According to Center for Health Workforce Studies (2006), in 2020, there will be about 54 million Americans above the age of 65 years as compared to 35 million in 2000. This number is expected to rise further at the rate of 12.5% to 20%, which means by 2050 every 1 in 5 American will be above 65 years (p. 2). This exhibits how baby boomer generation will have a significant impact on the current long-term care system. Long-term care is defined as the continuum of services framed to support the needs of people with chronic health problems and physical limitations.

As health care costs increase, Medicare could be pushed to its breaking point. As a result of the Baby Boomer phase, there is an increasing elderly population in America. A baby boomer turns 60 every eight seconds. Increased life expectancy partnered with declining fertility rates are causing the population to age (Everyday

People are living longer lives now which has increased the elderly population, that we need to adequately provide care to. Now we also need to factor in the cultural traditions of this aging population.

Sridhar, R., Naughton, B., (2010), stated that the U.S. population is aging and associated with this group is an increase in the incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases, with consequential increase in health care expenditure. They stated that in 2000, the total Medicare expenditure was $239.5 billion. By the year 2010, this expenditure is estimated to increase to $519 billion. The concept of aging in place is one method proposed to reduce cost, while maintaining the quality of life for the elderly. The elderly will be supported in their environment of their choice while avoiding institutionalization and or nursing home

Callahan wants us to understand a new perspective of old age; we must know the meaning of the human life cycle and have limits when spending money in addition to programs to prolong life with no value (Callahan, p.592). Extended life shouldn’t be the worry, the worry should be the quality of the elderly person’s life and how one can make it better now and as painless as possible. The goal that should be in mind is to give meaning to elderly life by making it a “decent and honorable time” (Callahan,

However, these different lifestyles for elderly people has so much variation to it that there is a plan for almost everyone. The only thing stopping people from having the perfect plan is the cost that is usually associated with these plans because the severity of each elderly varies heavily. For example, my great-grandfather, who is in his late 90’s, is still able to have a coherent conversation with my family and knows exactly what is going on in the world. As a result, he lives in assisted living, where he can a life how he wants to, without a heavy regiment. I don’t think there is a perfect solution in taking care of elderly people because you either give them the best care or you become financially broke of taking care of an elderly person.

She suggested it would be a great fit for my professional aspirations. Shadowing her and asking in depth questions to her students in the AGNP program, further affirmed my ability and commitment to compete in the rigorous curriculum. After researching the role of an AGNP and FNP, I learned that now more than ever before, there is a strong reliance on Nurse practitioners for patient care management. For these reasons, I wish to become an Adult Gerontology or Family Nurse Practitioner. I am thankful for my experience as an STNA and Restorative Aide at Darby Glenn in addition to my time at UD.

Late Adulthood Many people in the United States and other industrialized countries are living longer. The life expectancy at birth now is 81 years old. Although this is an important achievement, it is important for social workers to understand the affects that increase longevity have on the individual, family life and social work practice. (https://www.nia.nih.gov).

It is my analysis of the financial burden and decisions we had to make for my grandmother is that as the demand increases for long-term care as the baby boomer population ages, Medicare and Medicaid will be forced to reevaluate how they pay for long-term care. Many states are not equipped to handle the comprehensive needs of this aging population (Ford, Henderson, & Handley, 2010). Also, families are forced to take on enormous financial burdens due to the lack of coverage by Medicare (Can Medicare, 2015). The are no true pros to this situation.

Discussion 5- Advocacy According to recent data, the baby boom generation will have all retired by 2030, (AARP), which is only 15 years from now. The population in this generation will include 77 million more 65 and older individuals, not including the 54 million already in retirement and receiving Social Security and Medicare benefits. Please note that many seniors also receive some form of federal benefits such as military pensions, survivor’s benefits, annuities, investments income or an awarded settlement (Quad Agno, 14). Unfortunately, in our society driven many times by greed, this has placed our seniors in vulnerable positions, particularly when health and cognitive functions have declined; a slight disadvantage of becoming older (Quadagno,

The elderly are a largely growing population but they are treated as a minority group. They are placed in assisted living care for numerous reasons such as convenience, health issues, and distress of the informal caregiver. Although assisted living may seem like the best situation for our aging society the movie suggests that this may not be the case. There are many special instances that the elderly have to deal with, such as elder abuse and fraud, as depicted in the movie. Further investigation must be applied in order to limit the number of events like those of Joan Boice, Merle, and George

A nurse must be able to perform activities like moving a patient, lifting heavy equipment, being on their feet for much of their shift, etc. The nursing profession can be very taxing on a person’s body and society as a whole is seeing the effects of this. Older nurses who have been in the field for a long time are no longer able to perform these tasks and it is causing them to change their area of expertise, or even leave their profession entirely. This has negatively impacted effective health care delivery and proper patient-centered care because these nurses are not able to effectively help their patients. Research shows that there are a large amount of nurses that are near or at the retirement age.

In coming decades, Scientists predict the number of people will rise to 13.8 million. The aging population is increasing because of low birth rates and increased life expectancy. As America 's population ages, there will be other health issues emerging. The most common health concerns for seniors are diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and cancer. All of these conditions are the leading cause of death.

The feeling of being able to alleviate the suffering of an acutely ill patient is at once incredibly satisfying and immensely humbling. I am constantly in awe of the fact that by coming to work everyday, I have the privilege of helping others who cannot care for themselves. During my time in my Clinical Care Extender Internship, I developed a special interest in caring for the geriatric population and have had the opportunity of serving as a personal caregiver to an elderly woman with dementia. I do not take the trust and confidence that my patient places in me lightly and work hard to advocate and provide for her safety because she deserves no less. Thus, in the interest of patient advocacy, as a nurse in your facility, I will seek to improve the practices that will keep my patients safe and promote their healing.

Recently the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) became a very important profession due to the major changes in the healthcare system and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) goals that focus on providing patients with affordable but quality care, improving patient health outcomes, expanding care to the underserved areas, and lowering the costs. It became apparent that over the years nurses played an important role in healthcare system. According to the National Governors Association (2012) “The demand for primary care services in the United States is expected to increase over the next few years, particularly with the aging and growth of the population and the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)” (p. 1). In addition,