The Current Outlook for Senior Care in 2019
2018 was another great year for seniors. With advances in the long term care industry ranging from new wound care protocols to breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s and dementia research. Quality of life continued a steady upward climb and 2019 promises to be even better. A substantial shift towards younger seniors in care communities and a major migration towards at-home care could spell huge changes this year. Additions to Medicare and Medicaid could also potentially lead to long-term care becoming significantly more affordable for the growing senior market.
Shifts in the Long Term Care Market
Ten thousand baby boomers turn 65 every single day in America, that’s 3.65 million per year. What are long-term care providers doing to prepare for and accommodate our growing senior population? In the past, the answer has been to build more cookie-cutter facilities. In 2019 the answer has been to shift to completely non-traditional means of providing care mostly.
Younger seniors are flocking to new independent living options that don’t limit their freedom or feel like a medical ward. Typically these options involve living amongst like-minded seniors in independently owned homes that are part of a greater community. Residents that have health needs are provided for by in-home care professionals; the community is only responsible for providing events and a sense of independence.
Communities like the ones described above are bridging the gap between round-the-cloud care in a medical environment and maintaining independence with the support of at-home care. All early results point towards a significantly better quality of life and overall health when compared to nursing homes.
Older Seniors Move Towards At Home Care
Communities aren’t for everyone; some seniors want to stay in their homes rather than pack up and move to a large neighborhood. This is most true for older seniors, who choose to stay at home in nearly every case that money allows for. With the major health benefits of independence, and several issues arising from nursing homes in the past several years; at-home care has become the choice of many.
Most nursing homes nationwide are reporting overall shrinking resident counts even with the senior population growing every year. While modern format communities are contributing to these declining numbers, the largest contributor is a shift to in-home care. Affordability and Accessibility are the two key words surrounding this mass migration. Receiving care in the care of your own home is more affordable than ever, with provider options expanding to include everything from assistance cleaning around the home, to major in-home wound care. American In-Home Care even offers round-the-cloud care for seniors with, particularly serious impairments.
Medicare Coverage Changes
Beginning in 2019, Medicare Advantage will cover non-skilled in-home care. So seniors that require assistance with daily tasks, or making sure their homes are as prepared for their golden years as possible can receive assistance at a fraction of the cost. These Medicare Advantage changes could realistically extend to other paid medical services shortly, as this expansion looks only to be the beginning.
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