Aging Population Effects on Health Care
Aging Population Effects on Health Care
Health care is a fast evolving field with advancements of technology and treatment options growing every day. The delivery of care has grown and often shifts direction over the years to accommodate changing population demographics and needs of patients. Many factors play a part in the role of health care and medical treatment, one of those factors being population demographic changes. When the demographics of a population change it can cause adverse effects on the surrounding area in many ways, such as access to care, types of treatment needed to care for the population and the need for health care employees. In a particular population where the demographic is aging the dynamic and need for care begins to affect the health care system in a variety of ways. All health care entities involved play a role in ensuring the challenges and the needs of the population change are met.
As the population demographic ages the impact on the delivery of care will be significantly altered, such as the organization of care and how it is delivered, treatment options, long-term care, and health care coverage will all be affected in different ways. According to the Administration on Aging of the Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 13% of the people living in the United States are elderly as of 2011, which average to about 40 million people. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that by the year 2030 this number will expand to 72 million making up for 20% of the population in the United States (Campbell, 2013). Another factor that affects the aging population demographic is the rapid rate of retiring Baby-Boomers, with almost 10,000 entering retirement every day over the next 16 years this number will continue to grow (Campbell, 2013). The increasing amount of people aging in the United States as well as all over the world means the focus of health care will shift from acute care to the treatment of
Health care is a fast evolving field with advancements of technology and treatment options growing every day. The delivery of care has grown and often shifts direction over the years to accommodate changing population demographics and needs of patients. Many factors play a part in the role of health care and medical treatment, one of those factors being population demographic changes. When the demographics of a population change it can cause adverse effects on the surrounding area in many ways, such as access to care, types of treatment needed to care for the population and the need for health care employees. In a particular population where the demographic is aging the dynamic and need for care begins to affect the health care system in a variety of ways. All health care entities involved play a role in ensuring the challenges and the needs of the population change are met.
As the population demographic ages the impact on the delivery of care will be significantly altered, such as the organization of care and how it is delivered, treatment options, long-term care, and health care coverage will all be affected in different ways. According to the Administration on Aging of the Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 13% of the people living in the United States are elderly as of 2011, which average to about 40 million people. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that by the year 2030 this number will expand to 72 million making up for 20% of the population in the United States (Campbell, 2013). Another factor that affects the aging population demographic is the rapid rate of retiring Baby-Boomers, with almost 10,000 entering retirement every day over the next 16 years this number will continue to grow (Campbell, 2013). The increasing amount of people aging in the United States as well as all over the world means the focus of health care will shift from acute care to the treatment of