Recently, we read an article about seniors that said in 2010, there were 7.2 potential caregivers for every senior over the age of 80 in the U.S. However, this number will drop dramatically by 2030 to 4.1 to every senior. This got us thinking; what will assisted living and other senior care facilities be like in the next 15, 20, 50 years?
Population
It is said that the population is expected to grow 42 percent from 2010 to 2050 but the population of those who are older than 85 is expected to grow 328 percent in that amount of time, from 5.2 million to 19 million. This makes sense if you take into account the aging Baby Boomers and the life expectancy continuing to grow.
Dependency
As we stated before, the number of caregivers will decrease as the senior population increases. Most people in the country believe that they can rely on family to help them when that time comes but the truth is, many children will not be able to care for their aging parents.
Social Security
In 2012, 61.9 million people received benefits from Social Security. Most of us have heard about Social Security becoming almost non-existent in the coming years. According to USAToday, the numbers show that the Social Security trust fund will run out in the year 2033. But that give us nearly 20 years to improve the system.
In the next 35 years, we as a nation will need to build more senior living facilities, and work on changing Social Security to help pay for these facilities so that our loved ones can be safe and happy. To find the best assisted living facility near you, call Senior Living Placement today.