The aging population is a global issue. In 2010, 13.1% of the population in the country was considered old. The senior citizen’s population is estimated to increase to 21.4% by 2050, which is significantly a steep increase compared to the populations of several East Asian, Latin American and European countries.
In this article, we have discussed a variety of options for elderly care in the country.
What are the options for the elderly care?
- Family
A survey revealed that 43.5 million adult family caregivers in the US care for their elders over 50 years of age and approximately 14.9 million cares for people who have Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, a family caregiver can avail a paid family leave insurance benefits for up to six weeks in a year if she/he is insured and unemployed due to the time taken to care for an elderly or an ill family member. Family caregivers are more likely to assist their elders in their daily activities such as feeding, bathing, dressing, grocery shopping, housekeeping, managing finances, monitor their health condition and seek medical assistance whenever required - Other caregivers
These include unpaid family caregivers such as a spouse, children or friends and paid non-professional caregivers such as home care aides managed by family or an agency. - Home care aides
In 2012, 2.1million home care aides held jobs. Half of which was taking care of a patient in his/her home. These aides are much in despite their limited education and lack of formal healthcare training due to the steep rise in the cost of nursing home care. Home care aides are estimated to increase over 3 million by 2022. - Professional caregivers
These include rehabilitation therapists, home health visiting nurses, and healthcare social workers. Their therapies may include speech-language pathology, occupational therapy services, and physical therapy. The main objective of professional caregivers is to ensure that the patients develop independence through their services and are able to perform their daily activities comfortably.
Be it professional or unprofessional care; our elders need support to lead a life of dignity.