There are some interesting things happening in the senior care industry, and being aware of them can help you to better plan for a loved one’s care. Whatever you do decide, though, remember that going with what’s trendy is not nearly as helpful as doing what is best for an elderly loved one. Everyone has different needs and these need to be accounted for when planning out senior living of any sort.
First, aging in place is getting big, and that means that the in-home care industry is growing. It has already gotten bigger, but it is likely that this trend will not be stopping any time soon. If this is the right path for your family, this is actually a slight cause of concern. Depending upon where you live, you will need to act sooner rather than later. Big cities like San Francisco will be able to keep up with the growing demand. Smaller areas, however, might not be able to. Planning ahead is your best option.
Another thing to be aware of is that the U.S. is finally moving away from the nursing home model of care. The trend is starting to move towards other things. In-home care is popular, but so are things like multi-generational housing, assisted living, eco-living, and senior co-op housing. These are likely to become buzzwords in the future, but for now it is enough to know that a nursing home might not be the best choice for your mom or dad. Other types of care are better and cheaper. They do provide a valuable service, but it isn’t right for all. Nursing homes are still the most commonly used form of care for those that use Medi-Cal, but this ends up being a costly tax burden for the state government and will likely change in the future.
One other change in care that you will see is a heavier reliance on technology. This is already starting to happen, actually. Physicals can be performed remotely with a combination of video chat and home medical equipment, something that is a perfect solution to helping housebound seniors. And while it’s impossible to say just what shape future technology will look like when it comes to senior care, you can be assured that this is something that will become more and more prominent, especially as those that are more familiar with computers become senior citizens. There is a lot of room for error when misuse of technology comes into play, and having fewer mistakes in reporting will make technology become even more helpful as this becomes even more of a part of the norm for senior care.
Finally, be prepared to see that housing will be more heavily geared toward senior living in the future. Civic planning will take on a more age-focused approach, and families will make adjustments to make sure that elderly loved ones are able to function more completely within their own homes. These are all good things, but they will take some time to fully manifest. Regardless, communities will become more aware of the needs of the elderly.
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