CURRENT TRENDS and ISSUES in the CARE of ELDERLY

Older adult demographic trend watchers tell us that older adults are the fastest growing age cohort in the U.S. And, within the group of older adults, those aged 80 and older are the fastest growing subgroup (Pew Research).

 People are living longer, according to older adult demographic trends. They are becoming frail and in need of care for more years than was the case 10 or 20 years ago. Many states are reporting an increased incidence of Alzheimers disease and dementia among older adults, both in terms of raw numbers and as a ratio to the overall population.

 Ninety-five percent of people 75 and older say they want to stay in their homes indefinitely.

This desire for independence is perfectly natural, but for their children, it's also a recipe for worry -- that they'll fall, forget to take their meds, or just need assistance.

 You can make your parents' home far safer and more comfortable by investing in some of the new devices aimed at elders who have made the choice to "age in place."

 Today, 89 percent of the elderly want to be cared for at home for as long as possible.
Most caregivers are women, but men are increasingly becoming caregivers, too.

 All this points to steady increases in demands for home-based care. It also means more people will enter the industry to provide care, oversee it, broaden services, advocate for legislation to protect individuals receiving care, adjust labor laws to reflect the needs of caregivers and the industry, and provide more ways to pay for long-term homebased care.

Trends in Health Status and Health Care Use Among Older Women by Kristen Robinson, Ph.D., Office of Analysis and Epidemiology

 Women are the majority in the older population. The large majority of older women are nonHispanic white, but the share of other racial and ethnic groups will grow. A large percentage of older women are living alone. Overall life expectancy continues to improve, and the gap between men and women is narrowing.

 Leading causes of death among older women differ by race and ethnicity. Some chronic conditions are more prevalent among older women than men. Osteoporosis is a silent threat to women. A higher percentage of older women needed help with personal care and routine care needs than older men. Less than 10 percent of older women are current smokers.

 Older women are less likely than older men to be heavy drinkers. Like the rest of the population, older men and women are heavier now than they were a decade ago. Older women and men have low levels of physical activity.

OLDER WOMEN HAVE HOSPITAL STAYS LESS OFTEN THAN OLDER MEN. In 2005, 97 percent of noninstitutionalized women aged 65 years and over said they had a usual place to go for medical care, whereas less than 3 percent said they failed to obtain needed medical care during the past 12 months due to financial barriers. Older men reported similar rates (21).

Older women have hospital stays less often than older men.
Older women also visited office-based physicians at about the same rate as older men. In 20032004, women aged 65 years and over had 674 office-based physician visits per 1,000 (age adjusted), compared with 679 visits per 1,000 for men (11). But in 2004, men aged 65 years and over had higher hospital discharge rates (4,820 per 10,000) (age adjusted) than women (4,036 per 10,000) (11).

OLDER MEN AND WOMEN RELY ON DIFFERENT SOURCES OF PAYMENT FOR THEIR HEALTH CARE.
Although most older people are covered by Medicare, that program pays for only slightly over one-half (53 percent) (23) of the health care costs incurred by older Americans. The remaining costs are paid for by other sources.

 In 2003, out of pocket payments (payments are for coinsurance amounts, co-payments, deductibles, balance billings and charges for non-Medicare covered services not paid for by public or private insurance plans) for personal health care were $2,445 and Medicaid payments were $1,272 for women aged 65 years and over (age adjusted), compared with $1,953 and $722 for men (11).

OLDER WOMEN UTILIZE MORE HOME HEALTH CARE AND LONG-TERM CARE THAN OLDER MEN
Older women have higher average expenditures for home health care services and long-term care than men because they make up a higher proportion of the older and frailer population, need more help with both personal care needs and routine needs, and are less likely to have a spouse available to help them.

Conclusion
Because women live longer and experience more functional limitations than men, the financing and provision of their health care, and specifically long-term care, is a particularly important issue for older women. With fewer older women than men having a spouse they can rely on as a primary caregiver, older women are more dependent upon other

Conclusion
informal (unpaid) caregivers (i.e., adult children, other family members, and friends); have a stronger need for community-based services (i.e., senior centers and convenient transportation); and a greater reliance on formal (paid) care services (i.e., home health care and nursing home care).

Top Trends in Elderly Care That Nurse Gina is Watching by FirstLight HomeCare

Seniors will have to rethink the longevity of their assets

Modern medical advances have allowed us to live longer, healthier lives than ever before. However, as we begin to live longer, it becomes more difficult to sustain our assets. These assets are not just monetary, but physical assets as well.

Increased integration of technology

New life-saving devices are being integrated into homes throughout the country that help monitor patients and send alerts to medical professionals when needed. This technology allows for nurses to monitor the health and medications of an individual without actually being present at the home.

Shift from traditional nursing homes to community-based care

Rather than reside in a nursing home, seniors desire a more personalized approach to care that allows them to remain in their homes and communities.

Senior Citizen Housing: A Growing Trend in The Society By Thilo Best

 It has been found that many seniors are technology freaks and want it to be part of their old age.
This new need has resulted in the formation of unique senior living facilities which offer state-of-the-art systems for the computer savvy senior people.

Health Care Services for Elders in New York City By Regina Sass

 There is also a trend toward day care centers where the patient spends time in a structured setting, with his/hers peers. The patients get to go on trips, get meals and health care and their family members/care givers get a break.

5 Elder Care Trends You Can Watch For Personal Support Worker Course
Filed under Medical & Healthcare Jobs

1. Ethnic-focused Old Age Homes Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care in Ontario It is one of the few old age homes in the Greater Toronto Area that caters specifically to Chinese Canadians. A recent job posting states that the Centre is seeking a graduate of an approved Personal Support Worker course with a knowledge of Chinese.

2. Chair Yoga Many assisted living facilities offer this gentle form of yoga, which is practiced while seated in a chair.

It is a way for seniors with limited mobility to experiment with yogic breathing and relaxation in a safe, supported setting.

3. Local Food in Institutional Food Services According to Foodservice and Hospitality, a Canadian hospitality business magazine, a company called the 100 Mile Market in Kitchener, Ontario helps large institutional food services in hospitals and other healthcare facilities access locally grown food. Perhaps in the future, graduates of PSW courses will choose their employer based on the provenance of its veggies!

4. Pet Therapy It is meant to encourage bonds, promote healing and activate pleasant memories: all goals that are in line with what you will learn in your PSW courses.

5. Kindergarten Classes in Nursing Homes In these programs, children typically spend one to two days a week at the nursing home, where the residents help them learn their letters, etc.

Trends in Senior Care Leading Back to Their Homes

 Remote monitoring is a new development which can take the need for a sitter or even a nurse to provide daily monitoring out of the equation. This could dramatically cut the cost of inhome care making it more feasible for the aging generation.

 REMOTE MONITORING SCALES

daily weight monitoring; if a patient needs to have their eating patterns monitored, a device can be attached to their refrigerator in order to record the amount of times the patient visited it during the day. There are even monitors available to be able to record whether or not a patient is taking their medication daily.

 Another service available is the ability to have a senior citizens home tested to be sure that it is fall proof. This is done by a certified home-care service provider who will come and survey the house to be sure that there are not areas that are accident prone for an aging adult

 MEALS ON WHEELS is a great service

that is offered in some communities in order to take away the risk of having senior citizens to drive. Some communities have a transportation service for the elderly in order to get them to and from the store safely. Other senior adults opt for a home care worker to shop for them.

 Finally, some states are beginning to pay family members to care for senior citizens in their homes; however, this person cannot be the seniors spouse.

10 Hot Trends in Senior Care Services

 Over 1.4 million seniors are currently receive in-home care, and those numbers will double by 2030.
1. For Profit Social Workers Typically costing $80 to $100 per hour, they provide senior assistance for doctor appointments, supervise medication and research various care options for you.

2. Peer Care Seniors volunteer and are matched to provide elderly assistance through a nonprofit organization. Senior care services include everything from companionship to overnight stays, housekeeping to transportation.

3. Luxury Care Products From gold-plated canes to leather lift chairs, in-home care products are getting a makeover. 4. Senior Fitness Programs According to the American College of Sports Medicines (ACSMs) worldwide fitness trend survey published in 2008, Senior Fitness ranks #6 in the top 10 trends.

5. ElderGadgets From infrared blood circulation food massagers to disposable hearing aids and bionic gloves, you can find a gadget sure to occupy (or befuddle) your elderly parent. 6. Parent Sitters Nurses by day frequently take jobs by night to provide in home care for elderly patients.

7. Elderlaw With an aging population that is expected to double over the next 20 years, you can bet that the legal world is preparing. According to SimpyHired.com elderlaw jobs have increased by 121% since July of 2007. 8. Electronic Alert Devices From GPS-enabled devices to necklaces that can be pressed in case of emergency, senior assistance is getting a big boost in remote applications that allow you to regain freedom in home care for the elderly

9. Senior Transportation The National Center on Senior Transportation was formed for the express purpose of increasing senior assistance with transportation, enhancing their ability to live more independently within their communities. 10. Big Brother Granny cams, monitors and motion detectors that first entered the market for childcare are being

.in the PHILIPPINES

Social dynamics demonstrate that even if a health center is accessible, a Filipino elderly rarely go to these facilities because they feel powerless with the long queue of younger people.

.in the PHILIPPINES

Oftentimes, they would ignore mild signs and symptoms like cough because they do not want to disturb their children from their work to tag along with them to the center. Especially in a working city, elderly are left alone in their homes because the family members need to go to school or work.

.in the PHILIPPINES

How can we address this issue? The use of TELEHEALTH is a cost-effective intervention that has increased the access of the population to health, developed educational opportunities, improved the quality and equity of care and enhanced the quality of life and social support (Legare et al, 2010).

.in the PHILIPPINES

Philippine Plan of Action for Older Persons (PPAOP, 19992004) was formulated to ensure the development of a milieu that would meet the present and future needs of the growing number of older persons.

THANK YOU!!!!!