Senior Boomers to have huge impact

from Senior Helpers

Between 1946 and 1964, more than 76 million children were born in the United States who would become the most influential generation of our time – the Baby Boomers.
The Boomers have blazed a social trail and left a lasting mark on the American economy and this January, the first of the Baby Boomers are turning 65 – officially hitting senior status.  
As this happens, the United States is bracing for an extraordinary population shift. Experts predict this mass aging trend to significantly affect economic and social dynamics for decades to come, providing both major challenges for families and big opportunities for businesses in the senior care industry.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are now about 37 million seniors in the United States (12 percent of the population).
As Boomers age over the next two decades, there will be more than 70 million seniors in the United States.
Seniors will account for more than 20 percent of the population by 2030. At that point, one in five Americans will be a senior.
Starting this month:
• About 10,000 Boomers will turn 65 every day.
• The U.S population will add one new senior every 13 seconds.
• This phenomenon will continue, every second and every day, for the next 18 years.
“The demand for trained caregivers to shoulder some of the burden of caring for aging loved ones is already the highest it has ever been,” said Peter Ross, founder and CEO of Senior Helpers, a national in-home senior care provider. “Lots of families simply don’t have the time, ability or training to provide the kind of care elderly individuals often require on their own.”
“In order to meet the growing demand for in-home care for seniors, our organization (Senior Helpers serving Lancaster, York and Chester counties) has doubled the size of our employed caregiver workforce from 30 to 60 employees during the past 18 months,”  said Seth Zamek, owner of the local Senior Helpers franchise.
“We have also found that the children of seniors are Baby Boomers and many of them are either providing direct care or coordinating care for their elderly parents now. They are living busy lives and often don’t know where to turn when their elderly parent needs help.
“We get calls from Boomers who aren’t sure exactly what their parent needs or where to find it. As a result, we end up referring a lot of folks to adult day care centers, senior centers, assisted or independent living centers, hospice, rehab centers, physicians, therapists, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Veterans Administration, attorneys and other resources,” Zamek said.
Growing older, living longer  
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the continuing rise in life expectancy seen throughout the 20th century is due to a number of great medical and public health achievements – more prevalent vaccinations against diseases, improved work place safety, improvements in highway safety and the declining mortality rate from traditionally life-threatening diseases.
“People today are simply living longer than previous generations, and the longer seniors live, the more likely it is that they will need some help to stay independent,” Ross said. “When this happens, it’s often difficult for families to deal with on their own, which is why senior care businesses will continue to grow as a vital resource for families who just can’t do it all themselves.”

To reach Senior Helpers, call (803) 548-6766 or (888) 457-1293, e-mail szamek@seniorhelpers.com or visit www.seniorhelperssc.net.