g-term care fraught with uncertainties for elderly baby boomers

The continued decline of the nursing home — once the mainstay care for the frail elderly — and an upsurge in popularity of assisted living will lead to many dramatic changes in long-term care, according to a University of Florida expert and editor of a new book on the subject. “The American public has expressed a strong distaste for going to a nursing home because it smacks of a hospital-like, institutional way of living and receiving care,” said Stephen Golant, a UF geography professor and expert on elderly housing. “Assisted living has emerged as a highly attractive option for older persons who have experienced some physical or cognitive decline and feel less secure about receiving care in their own home.” Comment: Having visited many Nursing Homes while a State Health Commissioner I and my wife have decoded we will never be placed in a nursing hmne and have so noted in our living will. However we cannot affoird the vast majority of assisted living centers, nor can the majority of elderly Americans. We are moving into a two tiered elder care system as the population ages, just as we have with medical care. While 16% of Americans cannot afford medical care we are looking at 80-90% who will be unable to afford assisted living. It is important to stay healthy as one ages. Staying healthy starts in adolescence. It is too late once you are diagnosed with a chronic disabling disease.