Is the Baby Boomer Generation not going to get good care?

[Cola89]

You know, when all these Baby Boomer aged health care professionals finally retire, do you believe the next generations will be enough, to 'care' for the Baby Boomers, such a huge generation of people?

Also, do you think that the percentages of young students going into and sticking with nursing is as high as in earlier days?

There are so many other ways to make money, and with all of the cut backs and the unforgiving nature of nursing, do you forsee a big problem with getting adequate numbers of nurses to staff facilities?

[gettingbsn2msn, MSN, RN]

I have left the hospital employment game due to all the ridiculous demands of patients. Honestly, it is not the fault of the patient. It is when hospital administration brings in Disney Corporation to ensure that they receive an amazing experience. I was a traveler for years and it was just getting worse and worse.

I went to see my primary care doc yesterday who is now owned by a large hospital corporation here in Georgia. He told me it is "misery". I already knew this. They have to see a patient every 5 to 10 minutes. The demands are getting greater and people think that since medical care is so expensive they are entitled to an almost vacation experience. When I get older (I am already old!) I will have to leave the USA or check out permanently.

[gettingbsn2msn, MSN, RN]

I also have noticed new dialysis centers opening in my neighborhood (Atlanta). Also a physical therapy center in every strip mall!!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I just wonder if working in hospitals and nursing homes you only see the worst of the generation? I hope so.

You have a very salient point...

Nonetheless, a sizable number of Boomers in my personal life are now deceased, including my mother (age 58, died of ESRD), a female stepcousin (age 62, died Dec. '16 of colon CA), my father's friend (mid-50s, died of liver cirrhosis), my cousin's best friend (age 52, died in 2013 of CA), and a former coworker (age 52, died of a cardiac event). There are more Boomers whom I'd known that are now deceased, but there are too many to mention.

To be fair, my numbers might be skewed because I come from an environment where preventive care and healthy living were basically blown off. Most of my family members, their friends, and many of my former coworkers ate whatever they wanted, smoked excessively, eschewed exercise, and didn't manage chronic conditions whenever they finally arose.

For example, my 60-year-old Boomer father's hemoglobin A1C is 12.9% and he continues to eat cookies, cake, white bread, and processed frozen foods daily. He is also a pack-a-day smoker. If he continues his unhealthy lifestyle, I do not foresee him living into old age.

Again, this is just a glimpse into my world and the unhealthy Boomers I know (or knew).

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

I'm also on the tail end of the Boomer generation. A lot of this also has to do with education levels and SES. I don't know anyone my age who is in seriously poor health, much less needing SNF or terminal care. The only friends I've had who died went in accidents, one had leukemia, another died of a rare cancer (took her at age 21), and one died in her 30s from MS she got in her 20s. Most of my friends and acquaintances exercise frequently and try to eat healthily. But the key is we are all college educated, gainfully employed and relatively affluent, so access to good, preventive health care is not a barrier. It's easier to stay healthy when you have good insurance and ability to afford the best in health care.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I'm also on the tail end of the Boomer generation. A lot of this also has to do with education levels and SES.

You also have a really salient point.

A large number of the unhealthy, chronically sick Baby Boomer nursing home residents and personal care group home residents in my area do come from lower SES backgrounds with limited educational attainment (high school diploma/GED or less) and worked unskilled or semiskilled jobs for decades.

Also, the majority of my Baby Boomer-aged family members and their friends who are chronically ill and/or already deceased come from lower SES backgrounds, attained a limited amount of education, and held mostly entry-level jobs throughout their working years.

Thank you for commenting. Your post was eye-opening and helped me see the situation of sick Boomers from another valid angle.

[Daisy4RN]

I have left the hospital employment game due to all the ridiculous demands of patients. Honestly, it is not the fault of the patient. It is when hospital administration brings in Disney Corporation to ensure that they receive an amazing experience. I was a traveler for years and it was just getting worse and worse.

I went to see my primary care doc yesterday who is now owned by a large hospital corporation here in Georgia. He told me it is "misery". I already knew this. They have to see a patient every 5 to 10 minutes. The demands are getting greater and people think that since medical care is so expensive they are entitled to an almost vacation experience. When I get older (I am already old!) I will have to leave the USA or check out permanently.

I have also left the hospital for the same reasons you did. I disagree with you though that is not the patients fault. While I see your point for some patients, there are also those who go way above and beyond what they should expect and the hospital environment is way out of control. As an older nurse I have seen the horrible changes. I think that newer nurses will not stay because of these changes. Even though they haven't been around long enough to see the changes they still realize it is just bad. This will affect the quality of care for everyone. Bad environment and more inexperienced nurses equals accidents waiting to happen.

[Natasha A., CNA, LVN]

You have a very salient point...

Nonetheless, a sizable number of Boomers in my personal life are now deceased, including my mother (age 58, died of ESRD), a female stepcousin (age 62, died Dec. '16 of colon CA), my father's friend (mid-50s, died of liver cirrhosis), my cousin's best friend (age 52, died in 2013 of CA), and a former coworker (age 52, died of a cardiac event). There are more Boomers whom I'd known that are now deceased, but there are too many to mention.

To be fair, my numbers might be skewed because I come from an environment where preventive care and healthy living were basically blown off. Most of my family members, their friends, and many of my former coworkers ate whatever they wanted, smoked excessively, eschewed exercise, and didn't manage chronic conditions whenever they finally arose.

For example, my 60-year-old Boomer father's hemoglobin A1C is 12.9% and he continues to eat cookies, cake, white bread, and processed frozen foods daily. He is also a pack-a-day smoker. If he continues his unhealthy lifestyle, I do not foresee him living into old age.

Again, this is just a glimpse into my world and the unhealthy Boomers I know (or knew).

Wow, that is interesting TheCommuter. I agree. Simple life changes can save lives and you must take control of your health such as eating smart, dental checkups and controlling your stress. Yes, stress management is HIGHLY important. And do not forget sleep. Sleep gets overlooked but it just as important as an adult as well. I also know many that do not practice disease prevention. Why the lack of motivation? If many only knew that they must take control of their health. We have many home tests. Do doctors provide that information in patient teaching? Another is routine blood tests. Blood tests have benefits that go far beyond disease prevention and you can catch changes in your body before they flare up to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or worse. I'm in my early 30's and I get my CBC done every 3-6 months.

I suppose this is the lane for health and wellness coaches.

[Feelgood RN]

They want to live the way they were in their thirties - while applying as little efforts as physically possible and think that popping ma' pills for this, that and every single little thing is enough trouble to "take care of myself" after years and years of abusing their bodies in every imaginable way. Who in the right mind would even think about fully staffed dialysis, tele-equipped and memory care "cabins" on a cruise ship 30 years ago??

This has less to do with wanting to "Live like my thirties and pop ma' pills" and more about cost.

Assisted living/month: National average ~3500

LTC living/month: Semi Private 6400, Private 7000

Costs vary greatly by state:

Assisted Living Costs: Facts and Figures

30 day cruises can be had for ~3500/month depending on destination

Those fully staffed dialysis cruises run about 1000-2000/wk so 4000-8000 per month

If you're an "old timer" would you rather be in an assisted living facility or taking a cruise? would you rather be sharing a room with some dude you don't know or bathing in the sun while having dialysis.

Healthcare costs are the reason these things have become a reality, NOT because "they want to live the way they were in their thirties"

[Jules A, MSN]

I'm fairly certain none of us are guaranteed anything and it never ceases to amaze me that the usually affluent people I encounter who seem to expect to live until they are 90 and are horrified when their health or their parent's health goes south. They have made no plans, refuse to acknowledge that Mama has dementia and can't be left alone and also are very reluctant to spend her money on her care. How many old folks do we see admitted s/p fall that you know isn't the first indication the elder shouldn't be living alone?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

This has less to do with wanting to "Live like my thirties and pop ma' pills" and more about cost.

Assisted living/month: National average ~3500

LTC living/month: Semi Private 6400, Private 7000

Here's the main caveat...none of the indigent Boomer LTC/assisted living residents are paying a dime for their residences. Medicaid (a.k.a. the taxpayer) covers the full cost of an assisted living unit or semiprivate LTC room in the state where I reside.

I'm sure the sick Boomer would rather take a Bahamian cruise than spend the rest of his days with a demented roommate who smears feces on the wall, but he'd have to pay out of pocket for the cruise. Meanwhile, the LTC/ALF is free to him.

Since the healthcare and medications are 100 percent covered, many of the Boomers in LTC/ALF settings still have the opportunity to pop MS Contin and Percocet pills every few hours around the clock.

[amoLucia]

I first posted here as "Dang". Reading on, I now post as double "Dang". The more I read here, the more I'm concerned about the future.

It's not like I have lived in denial or failed to take remedial action when nec for health problems as they arose. I will admit to NOT being as healthy-lifestyle proactive as I would have liked. Although I have always carried healthcare insurance (from employer, COBRA or private-pay), my health insurances have never been too generous for preventative or COVERED services. I've selectively 'prioritorized' when I needed services. I cringe when I think there are those consumers out there with even more limited resources, if any.

As I see it, the future poses a two-sided dilemma. Sicker pts needing healthcare services that are unreasonably costly. Unless one is so financially secure that access to top-shelf 'platinum' healthcare services are available, one will have to opt out for conservative or minimal services. Or none at all.

Yes, many boomers fall into this cauldron. But the X'ers aren't far behind, or the Y'ers, and then ?

I see future problems with the actual future healthcare providers, be they nursing or medical providers. The professions are changing as the healthcare industry grows bigger and more profit driven. (I also think Big Pharm is bedfellow to Healthcare.)

[Natasha A., CNA, LVN]

Absolutely amoaLucia. I also cringe to consumers with limited health care resources. I suppose working in a nursing home for a while has opened my eyes in many ways than you can imagine. I also remember one of my clinical instructors in nursing school who was 72 years old at the time gave us the ins-out of nursing homes and refused to stay in one when she gets older. She would tell us all the time to get long term care insurance to have care at home and pass away instead. I honestly never knew why should would say that then once i started working at home i realized what she was talking about. It is not the fault of the nurses but the health care system. And like you said amoLucia, i also agree its black or white when it comes to resources. Either you are financial stable and will get top notch care or vice versa.