The subject relating to long-term health care that I want to talk about is the aging of society. This fact has already had a huge impact on the health care system so far, and will only continue to have a huge influence on it. By the year 2030 the number of elderly people is expected to grow to 20 percent of the population, and as of right now they make up only 13 percent of the population. (Pratt R., John, P 454) It appears that this number is only going to keep increasing which means that long-term facilities need to be prepared for that. 2030 may seem like it is a long time away, but when you think about all that needs to be done so that facilities are gradually preparing themselves for this increase it does not seem so ridiculous. I am not saying that every facility needs to instantly start expanding and increasing their staff, but rather that their needs to be a plan of action as to how the are going to gradually handle the situation. (Pratt R., John, P 454)
Also, there has been an increase in the number of people who are living with chronic diseases, which is good because it means that our medical system is getting better. (Pratt R., John, P 455) But that also means that this will effect our elderly population, so that means that our long-term care facilitates should also be preparing for that was well. (Pratt R., John, P 455)
Assisted living facilities have come a long way over the past century, and I believe that they are going to continue to do so. This could potentially be a huge problem, but it does not have to be as long as people just continue to make some changes to their facilities, and just keep in mind that times are changing. I believe that people need to be mindful of the fact that our society is always changing, and they need to realize how those changes may affect them, and then do their best to prepare for it.
Pratt, R., John, Long-Term Care Managing Across the Continuum, Sudbury, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2011, 454-455
