Why experts are worried about senior health statistics

The stats on aging-related diseases and care costs continue to rise, and the healthcare system can hardly keep up. We’re dealing with rampant chronic diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Why does it seem like the illnesses are out of control? We’re talking about it everywhere, especially on television and on the web. The sicker our population becomes, the more expensive medical care will become.

The chronic conditions are not the only elephant in the room. People rarely discuss the other elephants — things like ageism. Our culture may believe the older group won’t be here much longer anyway, so why bother?

SeniorCare.com worries older people aren’t getting their fair consideration on factors like physical and emotional well-being, so they asked aging experts for help. What facts and data should seniors and family caregivers pay closer attention to when helping an older loved one in the family?

Experts share their top aging concerns:

• 28 percent of older adults (65+) lived alone in 2010
• Over 9 million aging adults are threatened by hunger
• 1 million homebound seniors are malnourished
• Over 1.6 million seniors land in emergency rooms due to falls
• From 2010 to 2050, the global population of 65+ will triple
• Sixty percent of people who are diagnosed with dementia will wander at some point
• Eighty-seven percent of Americans receiving long-term care at home get care from unpaid family and friends
• Medicare spends more than $17 billion annually on avoidable readmissions
• They have high suicide rates
• 100,000 seniors per year are hospitalized due to medications
• Of the people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s: 31.9 percent are in adult day services centers, 39.6 percent are in residential care communities, 30.1 percent are home health agency patients, 44.3 percent are hospice patients and 48.5 percent are nursing home residents
• There is a rise of diabetes

Know your loved one’s risk of falling prey to the senior health care risks. If you don’t know how to prepare for long-term care and its associated costs and risks, please contact me here.