| Baby boomers are quickly approaching retirement age, | | | | nurses did not become nurses to sit behind a |
| and as they do, there are a number of concerns that | | | | computer and to talk on the phone for hours. |
| need to be addressed, particularly in the area of | | | | How This Will Affect Baby Boomers? |
| healthcare. Unfortunately, there appears to be no easy | | | | Advancements in medical technology and science |
| answers to the healthcare problems that baby | | | | means that people are living longer. This does not |
| boomers, and the population in general, will face in the | | | | always mean that there is a high quality of life for |
| very near future. | | | | those that are living longer though. Many of these |
| Baby Boomers are people who were born between | | | | people who would have died from a medical condition |
| 1946 and 1964. During this period of time the United | | | | two decades ago can now live for a long time to |
| States of America saw an explosion in birthrates that | | | | come. These people often require a great deal of |
| had never been seen before and nothing like it has | | | | long-term care, whether it is at home or in a long-term |
| been seen since. Today, baby boomers make up | | | | care facility. |
| approximately 28% of the total United States of | | | | Those receiving long-term care at home require |
| America population. | | | | nurses to help them with their day-to-day tasks. The |
| With this group of people occupying such a large | | | | following is a quote taken directly from the Medicare |
| segment of the population, it is predicted that there will | | | | website ( |
| be a major financial strain on the healthcare industry | | | | "Generally, Medicare doesn't pay for long-term care. |
| as a whole, as baby boomers reach retirement age. | | | | Medicare pays only for medically necessary skilled |
| There are many reasons why the healthcare industry | | | | nursing facility or home health care. However, you |
| will face problems as baby boomers begin to retire | | | | must meet certain conditions for Medicare to pay for |
| and begin to need long-term care services. | | | | these types of care. Most long-term care is to assist |
| Baby Boomers Are The Nurses | | | | people with support services such as activities of daily |
| Go to any healthcare facility today and look around at | | | | living like dressing, bathing, and using the bathroom. |
| the nurses who are working there. One thing will | | | | Medicare doesn't pay for this type of care called |
| become abundantly clear to you; the vast majority of | | | | "custodial care". Custodial care (non-skilled care) is |
| nurses working in healthcare are in fact baby boomers | | | | care that helps you with activities of daily living. It may |
| themselves. We have heard for the past few years | | | | also include care that most people do for themselves, |
| about nursing shortages and predictions that these | | | | for example, diabetes monitoring." |
| nursing shortages will only get worse. | | | | There is also a great deal of talk about whether or not |
| There are many reasons why the United States of | | | | Medicare will even be around in the coming decades. |
| America currently faces nursing shortages. | | | | Consider the fact that 28% of the population will no |
| Traditionally, nursing has been a career dominated by | | | | longer be contributing to Medicare via taxes, while at |
| women. Women have made great strides in efforts to | | | | the same time that 28% will be using more of the |
| gain equality over the past few decades; much of this | | | | resources. |
| progress is attributed to women who are from the | | | | Is It All Really That Bleak? |
| baby boomer generation. With these strides in equality, | | | | Yes and no. It is true that there are no easy solutions |
| women have realized that they have many more | | | | in the foreseeable future to help deal with the nursing |
| career choices other than being a nurse, a | | | | shortage, while the need for nurses will increase |
| schoolteacher, or a homemaker. Today women are | | | | dramatically. It is also true that the economics of supply |
| running the largest corporations in America, making | | | | and demand will create a situation where healthcare |
| great salaries, and receiving high levels of prestige. | | | | will become even more expensive, while healthcare |
| A Two-Fold Problem | | | | providers continue to raise salaries in hopes of |
| As baby boomers retire a two-fold problem is created. | | | | attracting nurses. |
| First, there will be even fewer nurses, because baby | | | | So where is the good news you ask? The good news |
| boomers make up such a large part of the current | | | | is that nurse recruitments are showing "some" |
| nursing workforce. The second part of the problem is | | | | success. Young people are showing a renewed |
| that as baby boomers, 28% of our population, retire | | | | interest in nursing, due in large part to huge marketing |
| they will require more healthcare as a part of the aging | | | | campaigns put out by nursing schools and healthcare |
| process. | | | | organizations. The flip side of this is that these young |
| As you can see, there are some serious healthcare | | | | people are going for the high level nursing degrees |
| problems that need to be addressed. Leaders in the | | | | such as Registered Nurse (R.N.) and Nurse |
| healthcare industry have been working extremely hard | | | | Practitioners (N.P.), but the lower level (lower paying) |
| in trying to find a solution. Sadly their efforts are only | | | | jobs such as Certified Nursing Assistants (C.N.A.'s) and |
| making minimal impacts in increasing the nursing | | | | Certified Medical Assistants (C.M.A.'s) remain |
| workforce. | | | | understaffed. These are the ones usually providing |
| Healthcare companies have tried everything from | | | | direct care while the RN's and Licensed Practical |
| raising salaries to offering outrageous sign on bonuses. | | | | Nurses (L.P.N.'s) are meeting accreditation requirements |
| Money does not seem to be the key to get people | | | | by doing all of the charting and talking to insurance |
| interested in nursing. Survey a group of nurses and | | | | companies. |
| most will not complain about their salary. What they will | | | | The other good news is that insurance companies are |
| complain about is the day-to-day workloads that they | | | | planning ahead and offering long-term care insurance |
| face. Nurses are overworked and carry larger and | | | | plans that will allow you or your loved ones the ability |
| larger patient loads as a result of shortages. | | | | to be able to pay nurses for long-term care services. |
| Combine this with the fact that nurses, who typically | | | | Many baby boomers are taking their future into their |
| get into healthcare to provide direct patient care, are | | | | own hands by taking out these long-term care |
| being forced to do more administrative type tasks. | | | | insurance policies. |
| Some of these tasks include excessive charting to | | | | Finally, leaders in government and the healthcare |
| meet requirements set forth by Medicare and | | | | industry are working diligently to address what is a |
| insurance companies, and trying to get patients care | | | | predictable issue. Since these are predictable events, |
| certified, or paid for, by insurance companies. Most | | | | they can be planned for as much as possible. |