Baby
Boomers to challenge and change tomorrow's
health care system...More
than six out of 10 Baby Boomers will be managing
multiple chronic illnesses by 2030
WASHINGTON, May 2007 /PRNewswire/ -- The over-65
population will nearly triple between 1980 and
2030 as a result of the aging Baby Boomers,
adding new demands and challenges on an already
stressed-out health system, according to a new
report released today by First Consulting Group
of Long Beach, Calif. With new projections on
Boomer health into 2030, the report details how
this powerful population will impact health care
for decades to come.
"Today's report outlines a tidal wave of health
needs -- Boomers are just the beginning," said
Rich Umbdenstock, president of the American
Hospital Association (AHA). "The good news is
more of us will be active and enjoying our later
years. But to meet the health challenges that
come with that, we will need a greater focus on
wellness and prevention, new approaches to care
delivery, and a new look at the American health
care system."
The first Boomers will turn 65 in 2011 and,
according to today's report, more than 37
million of them -- six out of 10 -- will be
managing more than one chronic condition by
2030. Also by 2030:
-- 14 million Boomers will be living with
diabetes -- that's one out of
every four Boomers.
-- Almost half of the Boomers will live with
arthritis and that number
peaks to just over 26 million in 2020.
-- More than one out of three Boomers -- over
21 million -- will be
considered obese.
As patients live with multiple chronic diseases,
demand for services will increase. The number of
physician visits has been increasing for all
adults, up 34 percent over the last decade, and
this trend is expected to continue. By 2020,
Boomers will account for four in 10 office
visits to physicians. Over the next 20 years,
Boomers will make up a greater proportion of
hospitalizations as they live longer but with
multiple complex conditions. At the same time,
the number of registered nurses, primary care
and specialty physicians will not keep pace with
demand. As the Boomer generation is more
racially and ethnically diverse, there will also
be a greater need for caregivers who reflect the
diversity of this population.
With changing demands, expectations and new
technology, care delivery will also change.
Boomers have lived through an amazing array of
medical advances, from polio vaccine to radical
heart surgery, and that trend will continue over
the next two decades. Procedures like minimally
invasive surgery, new imaging techniques that
"see" through the skin, and remote care
technologies will improve the quality of many
Boomers' lives allowing them new opportunities.
Today's study was prepared by First Consulting
Group at the request of the AHA to help
hospitals better prepare for the impending tidal
wave of Baby Boomers and their care needs. The
full report is available online at
http://www.aha.org/.
About the AHA
The AHA is a not-for-profit association of
health care provider organizations that are
committed to health improvement in their
communities. The AHA is the national advocate
for its members, w hich include almost 5,000
hospitals, health care systems, networks and
other providers of care. Founded in 1898, AHA
provides education for health care leaders and
is a source of information on health care issues
and trends. For more information, visit the AHA
Web site at
http://www.aha.org/.
