Meeting the health care needs of older adults

Today, nearly 56 million Americans are over the age of 65. 根据 USAging报告, that number is expected to climb to more than 74 million by 2030.

As the population ages, the demand for quality health care for older adults grows. 的se adults will need to rely on innovative solutions to meet their care needs. Expanded home-based medical care is one promising solution that can potentially revolutionize how we deliver health care to seniors.

Breaking down the geriatric provider shortage

Despite a growing population of older adults, the number of providers isn’t keeping pace. 美国.S. is already facing a shortage of geriatricians, and the number of trained geriatric providers has only risen slowly in recent years — nowhere near the 33% growth rate of over-65 Americans projected within the next decade.

的 2023 America’s Health Rankings® Senior Report, published by United Health Foundation, found that the number of geriatric providers grew by just 8% between 2021 and 2022. 的se providers include family medicine doctors, internal medicine geriatricians and nurse practitioners.

And the number of personal care and home health workers only grew by 5% between 2020 and 2021, though growth rates vary by state.

This nominal growth isn’t enough to meet demand. 的 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that by 2025, the country will be short by 27,000 geriatricians.

的 consequences of this shortage may include longer wait times, 减少获得医疗服务的机会, and compromised care quality for older adults.

Understanding our older adult population

America’s Health Rankings Senior Report highlights the challenges older adults face. It shows that while efforts to improve access and reduce isolation continue, more must be done.

报告发现:

• Older adults face the chance of early death at higher rants than they have in past years.
• Rates of drug-related deaths continue on an upward trend.
• 6 million adults over 65 live in poverty — an increase of 10% since 2019.

的 report also highlighted some improvements beyond the slight increase in geriatric providers. 它显示:

• 的 number of home health care workers per capita is on the rise.
• Access to high-speed internet increased by 7%.
• Food insecurity has declined, and the percentage of adults receiving home-delivered meals has increased.

A workforce that works for America’s seniors

虽然在上升, our limited geriatric provider workforce requires us to think differently about delivering care to seniors.

Home-based medical care — which could include traditional caregiving as well as wearable monitoring devices, 远程医疗访问, and even food deliver — is one way to alleviate the strain caused by the geriatric provider shortage. This approach keeps people in their homes and connected to families and communities, reducing isolation-related risk factors.

Organizations have opportunities within homes and communities to go beyond post-acute care management. In-home care offers services and solutions that give seniors more fulfilling experiences so they can live their best lives.

By leveraging new technologies and interdisciplinary care teams, home-based medical care can offer a range of necessary services to improve the well-being of our aging population.