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April 16, 2008, 5:22 pm
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MSeal |
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Healthcare system unprepared for aging boomers |
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After a federal review released Monday, the American medical system is not prepared to handle the flood of baby boomers. The study reports crisis-level shortages in healthcare workers and serious gaps in training.
The LA Times paints a pretty dire picture:
The Institute of Medicine report -- "Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce" -- estimates that there currently is only one physician certified in geriatrics for every 2,500 older Americans and that turnover among nurse's aides averages 71% annually.
In California, the situation is even more dire. Although the institute's study focused on the national picture, a state legislative report estimated that there is only one geriatrician for every 4,000 Californians age 65 and older.
In addition, only 3% of social work students specialize in gerontology, only 5% have taken a course on aging, and the state faces a shortfall of 30,000 certified nursing assistants who care for the frail elderly in convalescent homes, according to the California Strategic Plan on Aging Advisory Committee.
Although California's median age is one of the lowest in the country, according to the Census Bureau, there were nearly 4 million residents age 65 and older in 2006; that number is expected to more than double by 2030. Florida had just over 3 million residents 65 and older in 2006.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-na-health15apr15,1,1627164.story |
Comments
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April 17, 2008, 9:23 am
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Ozzie says... |
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I think the Baby Boomer generation, which I am in, will find there are shortages of doctors, social security, nursing homes and everything else associated with aging. There are so many of us! |
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April 17, 2008, 9:44 am
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gbyrd says... |
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Everyone makes a big deal with everything associated with baby boomers. We will find a way to work through the problem, it is not the end of the world. |
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April 17, 2008, 3:41 pm
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skatss says... |
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I'm a baby boomer too and I doubt if anything will be available for us when the time comes. But I'm sure that the government and the baby boomers themselves will figure this out. Too many of us will be approaching our senior years at the same time. We are one of, if not the largest generation of people. Something will be done to help. |
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April 21, 2008, 6:37 pm
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zebra says... |
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Either something will be done or not. Perhaps it will be the straw that broke social security's back. The system is already taxed beyond the original limits, having even more using it will surely draw a deficit we can't come back from. |
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