Older adults are facing worsening health as a result of limited incomes, challenges getting medical care, and the need to move into nursing and assisted living facilities as they age, reports Paige Minemyer for Fierce HealthCare.
A recent survey finds that it’s costing older adults too much to continue to live in their homes as they age. But, moving out and paying for new housing can not only mean unsettling dislocation but high costs. More than half of older adults reported economic insecurity, nearly two thirds of them said they were likely not able to continue to live in their homes and six in ten of them struggle to access care.
Most older adults would prefer to grow old in their own homes. But, in addition to full or part-time caregivers, many of them need safety rails, help with basic needs and medical alert systems to do so.
What’s more, nearly three in ten older adults are lonely. Loneliness causes depression, anxiety, loss of sleep and less physical activity. All of these conditions, in turn, cause deteriorating health.
More than four in ten older adults report having medical debt. A quarter of them are carrying significant medical debt. Their debt represents four months of their living costs or more. What’s especially worrisome is that there was an eight percent jump in the number of older people with significant medical debt in just one year.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Aging in place: Safety at home
- Roundup: Housing options for older adults
- Cool tech for the older set
- Sensors offer peace of mind to caregivers
- Five steps to get your affairs in order in case of emergency
