The Fading Possibility of Aging At Home

We have blogged several times in the past about the desire of folks to age in place, and separately, the declining availability of home care workers.  Those two issues have now merged in a recent guest essay in the New York Times,  Many of Us Want to Age at Home. But That Option Is Fading Fast. "By 2040, the population of American adults aged 65 and older will nearly double, and that of adults aged 85 and older is expected to quadruple over the same period. As our aging population grows, the need for home care is increasing. Yet in New York, as in much of the rest of the country, there are too few workers."  The article looks at various reasons for the lack of home care workers, various reports on the issue, and proposed legislative solutions.  The essay concludes with this reminder: "[w]hether we are growing older, recovering from surgery or living with a disability and need help with things like making meals, transportation to and from appointments and running errands, most Americans will need home care at some point. Let’s make sure when the time comes, the work force is ready."

Thanks to my friend and colleague, Professor Mark Bauer, for sending me the link to this essay.