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