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Risks for Good and Bad Days

167926376Senior care needs are growing at a rapid pace. There are only 9,000 U.S. Geriatric physicians. The problem? Actually 20,000 are required to support current senior care needs and 36,000 are projected to be in demand over the next ten years. At the present time, only three medical schools out of 145 throughout the U.S have dedicated departments for senior care. Merely 14 require a geriatric course. With unique and growing senior care needs, how can we, as a nation, manage the coming aging problem in our population? To consider senior needs, let’s evaluate the considerations which will signify the grave need for loved ones to be active participants in care or in preplanned care arrangements. First, there is the number of care hours per day that a senior person may require care which we may enlighten you on.  Then, there are special medical considerations, including:

Evaluating Care Needs

70 and Over- Among people age 70- and older, those with no dementia receive an average of 4.5 hours per week of care from family or friends, while those with mild dementia receive roughly 13 hours of care weekly.

Dementia Patients- For persons with severe dementia, hours of informal care received rises to over 46 hours per week typically. Similarly, nearly one-quarter (23%) of caregivers for people age 50 or over with some type of dementia provide 40-plus hours of care per week compared to 16% of those helping someone 50+ without dementia.

Your Health Access Considerations

1. Seniors may minimize how they feel. Parents may tell their children/caregivers and doctors that they feel “fine,” when they are not.

2. For those requiring assisting living or long term care, hospital discharge notice time is usually within hours after the hospital has identified that the individual does not qualify for treatment there any longer. This may be particularly true for stroke victims and the terminally ill. Social workers may assist with arrangements for necessary care. In this case, there is little time to assess the type of care that best applies in each situation or to screen facilities.

3. People recovering from neurological damage, those that have neurological damage, and seniors may have some very good, normal and bad days. This means they may be able to perform better and  compensate for disabilities on some days, but may not necessarily be able to perform or compensate as well on other days. Add to this the fact that seniors may have an ever-changing biological time clock – this may make it difficult for people in this demographic to manage and monitor bodily functions independently.

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It is important to recognize that all information contained on this website cannot be considered to be specific medical diagnosis, medical treatment, or medical advice. As always, you should consult with a physician regarding any medical condition.Your Health Access disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.