Researchers from the University of Georgia recently published a prize-winning study where they contemplated how to improve senior care within the United States. In the study, it was stated that one of the best ways to reduce the strain that the growing need for senior care has placed on the U.S. economy would be to create a series of worker-owned cooperatives. Here, both the health of those in need of care and those providing care would be equally accounted for in mutually shared environments. Systems like this are often used for childcare in other parts of the world.
Worker-owned co-ops are not a popular business model right now, and in the past they have come under a lot of criticism in the U.S. However, the proposed solution here does point to several benefits, and if things were to work the way that they would like, much of the need for low level senior care, such as what family caregivers and in-home care professionals currently provide, would be compensated for. Is this a perfect solution? Absolutely not. But it does give all of us some food for thought as the state of senior care continues to improve.
As you might be aware, there is a growing crisis when it comes to caring for our elderly loved ones. The number of senior citizens in the U.S. is growing at a faster than ever rate as Baby Boomers age. With the current number of senior care professionals employed, the anticipated number of people that will be in need of care in the coming decade will be too much. In other words, there will not be enough senior caregivers to help all of the people that are in need of help. The study above is by no means a perfect solution, but it is a reflection of this urgent need. The fact that academia is paying attention to the issue and proposing “out of the box” solutions is a good thing. Even if a model like the one outlined above is never used, it raises awareness of the need for better care for the people that we love.
If you already have a loved one that is receiving care, there is still benefit to this. Maybe your parent is receiving care, but it’s not the best type for them. This happens often when it comes to nursing homes. Many of the people that reside in a nursing home don’t want to be there, and don’t actually need to be there. Nursing homes fulfill a very important function when it comes to senior care, but they are often the first choice for care when they should rather be used as a last resort. There are a lot of reasons behind this, and the way that Medicare and Medi-Cal currently function only contributes to this. However, care like in-home care and assisted living both can be just as helpful or even more so in many cases. Plus, they are a fraction of the cost of a nursing home. If your mom or dad is receiving care, it could be worth taking a second look at the services they are getting to ensure that they are receiving the optimum amount of help for their happiness and their needs.
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