Long-term care a looming crisis, but Colorado takes an important step

Solutions
June 10, 2013

Both Colorado and the United States face a crisis over long-term care for our aging population. (Baby boomers, this means you.)

In a few years, an unparalleled demographic shift will begin to place unprecedented demands on both our health care and long-term-care systems. When this shift reaches its peak in 2030, 61 million Americans will be between 66 and 84 years old. In that same year, 9 million people will be older than age 84.

As for Colorado, the number of households aged 65+ will increase by 123 percent between 2010 and 2030.

If we are to successfully manage the health care needs of our aging population, we need to pursue options that will cost less, protect people’s assets and life savings, keep people in their homes for as long as possible, and help to reduce the financial and emotional stress on family caregivers. The longer we wait to develop a strategy, the more costly those options will be and the more difficult they will be to implement.To read the full article click here.