What is Aging Care?
Aging care is a term that incorporates the various types of special care offered to senior citizens. It includes more than 40 million home caregivers such as those supported by Hope Grows, as well as assisted living, long-term care, home health care, and nursing homes.
Aging care has grown in importance as the country ages. By 2030, every person in the Baby Boomer generation will be over the age of 65, meaning that one in every five Americans will be seniors, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
By 2034, there will be 77 million people over the age of 65, more than 76.5 million under the age of 18.
These numbers have made aging care extremely important. The following looks at some of the ways aging care is provided in the United States.
Caregivers
Caregivers work, usually unpaid, in homes across the country. Some offer dementia caregiver support. Others work with elderly relatives who no longer have the physical ability to take care of themselves. While some may associate caregivers with older Americans, about a third of all caregivers are millennial caregivers.
Caregivers face many issues, including struggling with finances. At Hope Grows, caregiver support is offered to caregivers for their own physical and mental wellbeing with programs that provide a respite from caregiving duties.
How Can I Support a Caregiver?
Assisted Living
The term “assisted living” typically refers to housing facilities that offer care to those who no longer can live on their own. They provide a living environment, activities, dining and other amenities for seniors. Nurses are on duty to assist with any medical issues. Assisted living facilities can range from those that are adjacent to nursing homes to resort-style assisted living homes.
Nursing Home
A nursing home is for seniors who have medical conditions that require them to be cared for by medical personnel. They can range from facilities that are much like assisted living homes to those that provide around the clock medical care, including emergency care. Nursing homes fill the gap between those who are not required to be in a hospital but cannot live on their own without nursing care nearby.
Long-Term Care
Long-term care is provided to the elderly or those who cannot care for themselves for an extended period because of illness or injury. As with assisted care and home caregivers, workers help patients with daily tasks such as dressing and making the bed. Long-term care can be provided at home or in a care facility.
Home Health Care
Home health care typically involves daily or at least weekly visits from a home health care worker at the patient’s home. This is typically used by seniors who can still live independently but need assistance with issues such as cleaning, washing and going to the grocery store. In some cases, medical professionals will make routine visits to administer healthcare treatments. Every one of these areas is growing as the country ages, and many can sometimes overlap one with the other. The bottom line is that aging care is going to become more important in the coming years as the country ages, as will the need for caregivers and those who support them.