919-442-5252

One in 10 of us has a physical handicap, one in 5 of us will contract some form of cancer, 8 of 10 will experience a major surgery, 1 in 15 will spend time in a nursing or rehabilitation facility, half of us will have a traumatic motor vehicle accident, by the time we reach the age of 65, 50% of us will live alone, 80% percent of us over 85 have trouble with at least one (ADL) Activity of Daily Living, 1 in 20 of us will experience depression requiring medication and/or therapy. While all this seems overwhelming and depressing . . . there is good news as well.

We are aging as a country. Those over 70 years of age are the most rapidly growing segment of our population. And despite the gloomy statistics we mentioned above, most people are relatively healthy and active. Volunteerism by the elderly in churches, schools and hospitals is at an all time high. The early Baby Boomers are traveling to watch their kids and grandkids blossom. The number experiencing debilitating heart disease is falling. New medical technologies and pharmaceuticals are successfully treating cancer. New Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) are popping up all over the country that offer lifetime services for retirees that will guarantee any level of care needed. Many of the homes being built today are incorporating “zero entry” ideas that make staying at home longer easier. Handicap accessible doorways, bathrooms and kitchens are now commonplace. Sixty-five is no longer the beginning of the end...it is a rejuvenation time and a time to enjoy independence.

Options like CCRCs, Assisted Living Facilities, Independent Residential Homes, Co-Habitation Homes, Home Health and Home Care are all designed to allow those who want to maintain their autonomy and independence as long as possible to do so. “Aging in Place” has become a common buzz term for many services that aim to help those elderly maintain the stable environment of home.

Simple assistance with a few daily needs is sometimes all that is needed to avoid a traumatic move or disruption in a life. The things that seem daunting or even impossible like bathing, getting dressed or making a meal are completely doable with an extra pair of trained and caring hands.

Other forces are at play as well to increase the need for non-institutional care. Cost reduction efforts by insurance companies and health care facilities such as decreasing lengths of stay and shifting care to ambulatory settings have contributed to the substantial growth of home care in the past decade. In the United States today, over 10,000 agencies provide home care.

Home care has also broadened in type and scope in the past decade. Many elderly have chronic conditions requiring skilled nurses and aides. Home Care is also becoming more hi-tech and may include home infusion therapy, tracheotomy care and ventilator support, dialysis, and other highly invasive procedures. In addition, home-care nurses and aides provide assessment, education, and support to post-acute-care patients who might have spent several additional days in the hospital but are now discharged to cut costs. This category of patient may include postoperative patients, mothers and their newborns, and patients with acute medical conditions such as newly diagnosed diabetes and recent strokes.

As life expectancy in the U.S. population continues to increase and those with chronic illnesses live longer, home care will continue to expand. Our challenge as a home care provider will be to continue to provide high quality, client-centered care as the demand for these services grows.