Chapter 11

Chapter 11 discusses the older generations and the problems that they are encountering as they reach theses ages, with healthcare and living situations. As we have learned in previous chapters, with health care advances in the last thirty years, individuals are living longer and healthier lives. However, this does not mean that as they age they are not going to need assistance in their everyday lives. “Although the numbers vary depending on definitions, at least 20 percent of all non-institutionalized elders are in need of help. This percentage more than doubles for the age 85 and over”( Hiller and Barrow, 2011). 

Many elderly people prefer to live in the comfort of their own homes, but in order to this, they must receive some kind of outside care or assistance. One example given in this chapter is an individual who has arthritis in their knees and needs assistance with household chores and grocery shopping, even though pain killers are required and it is a health issue, medcaid does not cover this kind of home care (Hiller and Barrow, 2011).  At this age many individuals have retired and are living on social security and Medicaid, so they must try and find a way to pay for this assistance.

This chapter also talks about how many family members are participating in the caregiving of their parents. The stress of the elderly parent’s health deteriorating, along with all of the everyday things that their normal lives require,  can cause this to become a burden.

In order to make things easier on the elderly and their families we must focus on creating more home health care jobs and offer sufficient pay, so more individuals will be interested. According to Hiller and Barrow, “For the oldest of the old, the most critical need in the future will be for programs and policies that reduce the risk of dependence and promote self-determination” (2011).