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Demographic Paper
HCS490

Demographic Paper
The Tri-state area is rapidly growing and is only going to continue. Not only because our community is nestled along the beautiful blue waters of the Colorado River where California, Arizona, and Nevada meet but also because we are across the river from one of the nation’s most popular gaming communities. With year round sunshine that attracts not only vacationers but also retirees. The aging population in our community is substantially large and is about to explode. Those born in the baby boom era following the end of World War II, between the years of 1946 and 1964 are just hitting the retirement age. We can expect to see our aging population grow and challenge our local health care facilities and the health care market in general over the next few years.
Although the U.S. Census Bureau population estimates are not available for 2011 as of yet for our community, we can see on the quick facts chart below where we stood in 2010. People Quick Facts | Bullhead City, Arizona | Population, 2011 estimate | NA | Population, 2010 | 39,540 | Population, percent change, 2000 to 2010 | 17.1% | Population, 2000 | 33,769 | Persons under 5 years, percent, 2010 | 5.4% | Persons under 18 years, percent, 2010 | 19.6% | Persons 65 years and over, percent, 2010 | 23.9% | Female persons, percent, 2010 | 50.6% | (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012).
As shown above, our small community grew by 17.1% over 10 years between 2000 and 2010. It is unknown how much that percentage could change between 2010 and 2020 based on the aging Baby Boomer population, but it is likely that it could double or even triple. Based on this information and that the cost of living is lower here than the national average our community is becoming a popular retirement destination.
According to an article in Healthcare Financial Management (2008) they state:
The U.S. healthcare system is fast approaching a time when having a post-acute care strategy will not be simply a matter of choice for the nation's hospitals and health systems. Demand for post-acute services will increase as baby boomers in increasing numbers enter their retirement years (Cameron, 2008, p. 1).
This aging population demographic will have a substantial impact on the health care market.
When compared with people born between 1938 and 1948: Boomers were significantly less likely to report their health as "excellent" or even "good." Boomers were more likely to say they had trouble with everyday activities, such as walking up the street or carrying a load equivalent to two bags of groceries. Boomers are more likely to be dealing with chronic pain, alcoholism, mental illness, and chronic medical conditions” (Thompson, 2007, p. 1). It is imperative that our community and local medical facilities prepare for the potential needs of these individuals. Healthcare Financial Management also states, “Government officials have advised health programs to brace themselves for increased demands on the healthcare system. Hospitals and health systems need to start focusing on promoting health in older adults, preventing disabilities, and maintaining quality of life” (Cameron, 2008, p. 2). These changes in the demographics of the aging population will affect health care. Already burdened local facilities can expect to have even more pressure put on them because of more patients living with chronic illnesses. Local assisted living and nursing facilities may not be able to handle the demand or amount of aging patients requiring health care. As well, this nation already has a shortage of health care providers, nurses, and clinicians specifically those trained in geriatrics. In our rural area this will become a concern, especially because a majority of our local nurses and physicians are Baby Boomers themselves and will be looking into retirement. The health care industry is not the only area that will see challenges with the aging population. The Baby Boomers too will be subject to the effects with a strain on social security and the possibility of fewer benefits and higher out-of-pocket costs for their health care. Low-income Baby Boomers will find themselves at the most risk.
Some experts say that with a national debt of $9 trillion and 78 million baby boomers retiring, there will be a strain on the Social Security and Medicare systems that will put our country into a financial ‘crisis’. They believe that with an increase in retirees and fewer workers, the Social Security fund will be paying out more than it receives and there will be fewer benefits for retirees (Cole, 2008).
If fewer benefits are available, for an overload of baby boomers, health care would change critically in our community and the possibility of practices having to cease taking new patients or turn away patients for lack of staff is a frightening reality. One thing we should implement as a community hospital along with local facilities is a health and wellness program to help this aging population understand chronic illnesses and what they can do to live a healthier lifestyle. We could offer them self-help wellness tools that ultimately could ease the strain on our local facilities with a focus on managing Cholesterol, Diabetes, and Hypertension via diet and exercise. We could also offer information on heart health as well as bone and joint health. Offering the aging Baby Boomers the tools necessary to take control of their health care will help them alleviate what could be costly and lengthy medical services as their age progresses. This could also include the benefits of not having to use costly medication to control a condition that could see significant improvement with a correct diet and fitness regimen. Our small community demographic needs this type of service implemented as soon as possible. We must act swiftly in preparing our facilities and our aging population while it is still manageable to do so. An increasing incidence of chronic disease in this population, growing financial burdens on these federal programs, the declining number of primary care physicians and geriatric specialists in America, and the disappearance of pensions for many as a result of the economic crisis threaten this generation's "golden" years (Blumenthal. 2012, p. 1)
We cannot afford to wait and must prepare for what is the inevitable. It is our duty as a community health care facility to work together with aging members of our community and other local facilities. We must seek help and advice from facilities in larger cities to come up with a plan that we can implement locally that will ease the strain on our local health care resources. We must secure future health care workers by offering incentives and sign on bonuses. We must teach our senior community healthy habits and offer self-help tools or possibly men’s and women’s health classes. These implementations will help us from the threat of shortages in every area of health care locally At present, our scenic little vacation destination is becoming a retirement destination as well. Our health care resources are minimal and if not prepared for correctly could become overwhelmed over the course of the next 10 years. We must act immediately to prepare for the needs of our aging population and help teach them good habits not only to save them money but also to save the strain and draining of our health care resources. Our community hospital commits to a quality of care that emphasizes the patient first. Starting to plan for the aging Baby Boomers promptly is a necessary action we must take.

References
Blumenthal M.D., S. (2012). Baby Boomers: Public Health's Biggest Challenge. The Huffington Post. Retreived from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-blumenthal/baby-boomers-health_b_843207.html
Cameron, D. J. (2008). postacute strategic planning: preparing for an aging population. Hfm (Healthcare Financial Management), 62(2), 104.
Cole, P. B. (2008). Social Security: Will it be here when you need it?. Fort Worth Business Press. p. 11.
Thompson, H. (2007). Tomorrow's Care, Today's Needs. Advisor Today, 102(8), 28-33.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). State and County QuickFacts. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/04/0408220.html

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