Facing the Problems of Providing Long-Term Care for the Oldest Old.

As the baby boomers reach the so-called third age, they are healthier and more active than any earlier group of retirees. However, one day they will be joining the already growing population of those over 85, raising economic and health care issues that range from addressing the special needs of the aged to containing the costs of meeting those needs, especially the costs and problems involved in nursing home placement. A new issue brief from The Century Foundation warns that the nation must address the critical issues raised by this trend, or caring for this population will increasingly strain the resources of individuals, their families, and federal, state, and local governments.

In “Facing the Problems of Providing Long-Term Care for the Oldest Old,” Beverly Goldberg, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, examines the demographic realities facing our nation as the boomers continue to age, the special needs of the oldest old, the costs of the long-term care necessary to meet those needs, and the challenge of developing a large enough cadre of health care workers who are trained in gerontology. Goldberg, an expert in the issues posed by aging and author of Age Works: W hat Corporate America Must Do to Survive the Graying of the Workforce (The Free Press), also suggests actions that can be taken now to avoid a potential crisis.

As the baby boomers reach the so-called third age, they are healthier and more active than any earlier group of retirees. However, one day they will be joining the already growing population of those over 85, raising economic and health care issues that range from addressing the special needs of the aged to containing the costs of meeting those needs, especially the costs and problems involved in nursing home placement. A new issue brief from The Century Foundation warns that the nation must address the critical issues raised by this trend, or caring for this population will increasingly strain the resources of individuals, their families, and federal, state, and local governments.
http://www.tcf.org/publications/economicsinequality/goldbergbrief.pdf