[brian]

The U.S. health care workforce is drastically unprepared for the coming surge in the number of elderly people, and urgent steps are needed to ensure they get the care they will need, experts said on Monday.

An Institute of Medicine report recommended a series of steps to bolster the number and training of health care workers who care for the elderly amid concern they will be swamped as the 78 million baby boomers begin hitting age 65 in 2011.

"The impending crisis, which has been foreseen for decades, is now upon us," an institute panel headed by John Rowe, a professor of health policy and management at Columbia University in New York, wrote in the report.


Read Full Story:
http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...3-healthNews-3

[VivaLasViejas]

Yep..........as a member of the Boomer contingent, I'm just hoping that whatever gets me, does so quickly---without bankrupting my children or the government. I SO do not want to be old and sick in this country.

[oramar]

I would like to know where the candidates stand on this subject.

[traumaRUs]

I too wish to go quickly! At the moment (knock on wood), dh and I are very healthy. However, we are boomers who will take up some of the healthcare dollars over the next 20-30 years.

[Mijourney]

It seems our country's mentality has not advanced past the early 1900's when people did not typically live long lives and died of acute illnesses. Many of us in health care do not understand aging or have respect for the process of aging and therefore, do not know how to prepare for and deal with aging people. We tend to quarantine or incarcerate anything that we don't understand. That includes old people. Financially, spiritually, physically, and emotionally, we are not ready to deal with our aging society. That's tragic. Unless we change how we view aging, death and dying, things will only get worse.

[CHATSDALE]

we have only had 61 years to prepare for this, give us a little more time

[ingelein]

I am already one of the boomers that are overwhelming the system, it has taken almost two years for me to get a hearing date to have my case heard for SSDI. 700,000 nation wide have cases in a waiting list for an ALJ hearing for SSDI or SSI.Too few SSA workers because of budget cuts by the Bush administration, too many people applying, many of whom are baby boomer age, we are starting to break down physically, some such as myself at an age younger than 65.

[Olli]

I truly believe that everything will switch around and have the best outcome for us, the RNs. How many years the RNs had to work mandatory overtime or according to the mandated RN-to-pt ratios that do not account for anything at all (like CA). We don't have the best shifts ever, have to work weekends and holidays... How many were lectured by the MD or the family? How many of us quit, left the inpatient setting, switched to part-time position, and did not advise someone else to enter nursing. THIS WILL STOP. IF WE ARE UNHAPPY, EVERYONE WILL BE UNHAPPY. They already banned mandatory overtime in 14 states, in Illinois ratios account for the acuity etc, in many hospitals RNs make own schedules... I believe that finally everything possible will be done to promote RNs satisfaction and retention because they do not have any choices left...