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