The FAMCare Blog

According to the most recent estimates, the United States has over 56 million people over the age of 65. This figure is expected to more than double by 2060, when senior citizens will account for more than 19% of the population.

So, if your human service agency is interested in determining a strategy for senior services case management, we believe the time has come. Because, in the near future, your case managers will face a massive workload, numerous new challenges, and a large number of new clients desperate for their assistance.

Are you curious about how you can evolve and improve your senior care agency in the future? Let's explore the way forward.

Our senior population continues to grow, with the aging of the baby boomers. And with the glut of older citizens comes a glut of issues that elder care workers must deal with. There are health issues – both physical and mental. Muscles and bones get weaker, senses start to fail – hearing, eyesight, even touch, taste and smell, in some cases. And then there’s the loss of mental facilities. About 10% of people over 65 suffer from some form of dementia and it goes up to 32% for those over 85.

The word hospice derives from the Latin, hospitum, meaning hospitality or place of rest and protection for the ill and weary. When people think about hospice care, they usually think of services being delivered in a patient's home or a freestanding hospice facility. Many are surprised to learn that the Hospice Medicare Benefit, a primary payer of hospice services, allows for hospice care in assisted living facilities (ALFs) and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), the latter of which are commonly referred to as nursing homes.

Many people look forward to retiring in order to completely rest, settle down, and enjoy life in peace. It is widely acknowledged that we must plan for the future in order to be comfortable. While living to an old age is something to be proud of, the elderly face a number of challenges. Seniors face unique challenges due to their age and living situations, necessitating proper attention and senior services from nonprofit organizations.

Here are some of the most common problems that the elderly face.

Senior citizens are easily overlooked members of society.

Because they no longer have family members to care for them, many elderly people in America end up in senior centers and nursing homes. Those who don’t are frequently neglected in their own homes. As a result, their quality of life rapidly deteriorates. Given that the country has over 50 million senior citizens, it is critical to take the necessary steps to improve their quality of life. Our seniors deserve better. Here are a few simple ways to help us better care for our seniors.

Today's blog is written by guest blogger, Sharon Wagner, from Senior Friendly.  We truly appreciate her for sharing these helpful insights for seniors and their families.  

If you have loved ones who are getting on in years, they might have reached a point where they need more help than they will admit. Perhaps you noticed on your last visit they were having trouble keeping up with the house or they needed more assistance than usual. Discover how you can help your family member or loved one by being there in the ways they need.

When most people think of technology, they think of smartphones and laptops. While those are definitely examples of technology, the term can be applied to a wider range of objects and phenomena. In general, anything that makes our lives easier or more efficient can be considered technology. And over the years, technology has certainly come a long way. It has improved our lives in countless ways, from making it easier to communicate with others to help save time and energy.

Ever since we published The Aging Tidal Wave, this blog has been tracking how the long-term care industry is accommodating the 3 million baby boomers swamping it every year. This week we're taking a closer look at how the nursing home component of long-term care is holding up.

In the 2004 film, The Notebook, James Garner watches Gina Rowlands, the love of his life, slip away into the isolation of Alzheimer's disease. Garner's character reflects as Gina Rowlands stares off into the space of her isolated mind:

"The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected. Maybe they always have been and will be. Maybe we've lived a thousand lives before this one and in each of them we've found each other. And maybe each time, we've been forced apart for the same reasons. That means that this goodbye is both a goodbye for the past ten thousand years and a prelude to what will come."

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused social workers to take a closer look at their ingrained prejudices when dealing with the aged. Robert N. Butler coined the term “ageism" in 1969 to describe attitudes, practices, and policies that discriminate against older people. Ageism occurs when people face stereotypes, prejudice, or discrimination because of their age. The assumption that all older people are frail and helpless is a common, incorrect stereotype. Prejudice can consist of feelings such as “older people are unpleasant and difficult to deal with.” Discrimination is evident when older adults’ needs aren’t recognized and respected or when they’re treated less favorably than younger people. Social workers who work with the elderly are realizing that even in their minds age is “a category of difference” like race and gender, but unlike race and gender, age positions older adults as a homogenous group with similar needs.