Growing Elder Population Will Increase Need for Caregivers

In the United States, more people are living longer, and as they do the need for caregivers will continue to grow. These forecasts from the U.S. Census show the trend clearly:

• By 2030, one American in five will be 65 or older (that adds up to 72 million people!)
• By 2045, the number of Americans 65 or older will reach nearly 90 million (twice what it is today
• By 2050, the “older old”--those 85 and up—will number nearly 21 million
• By age 65, nearly nine out of ten Americans cope with at least one chronic health condition.

What this boils down to is that for the foreseeable future seniors will constitute an ever-increasing percentage of the population. Forty years from now, there will be more than 80 million Americans age 65 or older who suffer from chronic health problems and who need care. Many, if not most, of these people will be cared for by family members, typically their adult children. As a result, more people than ever will be involved in eldercare.

The overall impact on society will be both broad and deep. The medical needs of seniors, for example, will claim more and more of the resources of the healthcare system. In addition, as more people become caregivers, their absence from the workplace will affect employers and the economy generally. By the end of this century, nearly every aspect of society will have been changed in some way by the graying of the population.