Providing Better Health Care for the Elderly

The lifespan of US citizens has increased exponentially over the past century. With people living longer lives and elderly populations growing at a more rapid pace, finding ways to provide quality healthcare for these individuals has become the most important. Since there are thousands and millions of more people, living longer than ever before, now more than ever, it’s important to begin to address problems present in senior care before patients and their families suffer from an overburdened and unprepared system. Mark Berger, a healthcare executive from Chicago, expects that by 2030, more people than ever will be at risk of developing chronic diseases, ill-health and dependence that often accompany advanced old age, which will lead to increasing demands by this growing segment of the population.

Healthcare providers report about and health plans serving the senior population currently face challenges in engaging and activating patients with behaviors that promote well-being and sustainable positive health outcomes and in prospectively identifying patients that are at risk of becoming seriously ill and who will benefit most from some kind of special assistance.

Since an increasing life expectancy also means that the number of patients suffering from geriatric diseases rises and consequently more and more people need daily life assistance, it is important to find solutions to face these challenges. In a society where children usually leave their parents’ home when they are adults, nursing within the family is not very common. For that reason, care homes are becoming more and more important taking over the task of fostering people who are not able to care for themselves anymore. In order to prevent health problems of the older population, a multifaceted approach is important.

In an article published on Patch Media, Mark Berger, Chief Executive Officer at Villa Healthcare, calls for continuous improvement in short-term care in order to improve the health of the nation's most costly patients, older adults with multiple chronic conditions.

Furthermore, as Mark Berger notes, today the management of health services is under a constant pressure due to an intense demanding of quality in the area of health services. As the number of elderly people related to the adult population is increasing and it has become very clear that the services that are provided to those persons have the necessity to expend in different areas.