I was reading a story on NPR this morning about the plight of many baby-boomers that are caring for their elderly parents–parents that are living longer than ever. The thrust of the story encourages the reader to prepare now for a future that very well could include providing for your elderly parents. The article quotes a study by MetLife Mature Market Institute: “the percentage of adult children providing personal care and/or financial assistance to a parent has more than tripled over the past 15 years,” “nearly 10 million adult children are caring for aging parents.”
This from the Pew Research Center:
“As the year 2011 began on Jan. 1, the oldest members of the Baby Boom generation celebrated their 65th birthday. In fact, on that day, today, and for every day for the next 19 years, 10,000 baby boomers will reach age 65. The aging of this huge cohort of Americans (26% of the total U.S. population are Baby Boomers) will dramatically change the composition of the country. Currently, just 13% of Americans are ages 65 and older. By 2030, when all members of the Baby Boom generation have reached that age, fully 18% of the nation will be at least that age, according to Pew Research Center population projections.”
https://pewresearch.org/databank/dailynumber/?NumberID=1150
10,000 people reaching 65 EVERY DAY, for the next 18 years, 18% of the population?! Wow. We know that practically every one one of these people will have some type of eye care related need. So, are we ready for this…the eye care industry I mean? Are we unlike those baby-boomers ill-prepared to care for their elderly parents?
New Optometry schools are popping up in the US and around the world, but some say there is no shortage of ODs (in Chicago or LA maybe….how’s that job opening in Small-Town, USA working out for you?). We know there is a shortage of ODs and skilled Technicians, for example, because of the phone calls and emails we get practically every day at LES. We already have bandwidth issues with the ability to provide optimal care in rural markets. It’s not going to get easier; we’re adding 10,000 retirees a day, and they don’t all live in metro markets.
Finally, what about the roles and coordination of efforts in eye care necessary to meet the needs in this changing health care environment? Moving forward, how will Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Opticians, and Technicians all work together to make sure the needs are met, and the patients are best served? How can we incentivize more providers to serve in rural communities? How can we increase the sophistication of education and training, as well as number of providers at every level of eye care? What role can technology play in all of this?
We don’t have all of the answers, but we do observe from a unique vantage point the growing challenges associated with providers in eye care, and more broadly across all of health care. This is simply a call for excellence in communication, coordination, training, education and innovation. Let’s do it for our parents, ourselves and our children.
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