World’s Senior Population Explodes in Coming Years - Approved Home Health

World’s Senior Population Explodes in Coming Years

The newly released U.S. Census report predicts the senior population worldwide will reach 1.6 billion by the year 2050. In the U.S. alone, the current senior population is 48 million and is estimated to top 88 million by 2050.

In addition to the increasing number,  life expectancy is also expected to rise from 68.6 years to 76.2 years. But just because people are living longer, doesn’t mean that they are leading healthy lives.  image001

The rise of the aging population is global, but the United States is far behind other countries in preparing for this shift in an older population.

According to the National Institute on Aging, many European and Asian countries are better prepared than we are in the United States. Since population aging affects so many aspects of public life — acute and long-term health care needs; pensions, work and retirement; transportation; housing — there is a  huge potential for learning from each other’s experience.

The census report gives the U.S. a chance to prepare for the challenges ahead: Our policy makers have a chance to put things into place to help accommodate for this growth and today’s workforce can be better trained for the future. It allows us time to become better prepared for caring for an aging population.

When caregiving for an aging family member becomes overwhelming, it may be time to contact a geriatric care manager. To learn more about all Approved Home Health’s programs, please call 941-870-8740