As Boomers Age the Need for Trained Care Providers Becomes Urgent

The Current Challenge

The age wave we hear so much about today has been building for a century. The number of people over 65 rose from 3 million to 33 million between 1900 and 2000. In the next 30 years the number of people over 65 is expected to double.

It's true that "old simply isn't what it used to be" as gerontologist Ken Dychtwald says. People are living longer; many remain healthy longer, eating a good diet, getting plenty of exercise and remaining involved in their communities. The time of life when people become frail has been pushed back, but eventually people move from young-old to old-old. This group, 85 and older, is expected to reach at least 7 million in 2020. It is at these advanced ages that many people require help with activities of daily living. The 85+ group will double yet again in 2040, when the first baby boomers reach age 85.

Currently, family caregivers and friends provide 80% of all elder care in the home, but that will change as baby boomers age. Not as many family caregivers will be available to care for baby boomers because boomers had fewer children and 12% had no children. Boomers are also more likely to be divorced and to live alone as they become elderly. With their interest in social change, boomers are likely to come up with some creative solutions, such as sharing the care with groups of friends to help replace the missing family members.

But the dwindling source of family caregivers does indicate that the demand for paraprofessional caregivers such as home health aides and personal home care aides will become even more urgent in coming decades. According to Department of Labor statistics, by 2020, the number of trained in-home caregivers needed will nearly double.

The current approach to health care education, which focuses primarily on training individuals with CNA, LPN, and RN credentials, is destined to come up short. Although professional health care practitioners are greatly needed, they will not be providing the bulk of home care. That responsibility will fall mainly on family, friends and untrained care providers.

The current nursing education model excludes many potential in-home support providers who would make excellent caregivers but who would not succeed in a CNA course because of educational, social or language barriers. These include dislocated workers, public assistance recipients and those who speak English as a second language.

If we don't act soon to offer appropriate standardized training for all home care providers, we will undoubtedly see greater incidence of elder abuse, neglect and a general decline in the quality of life and conditions of the elderly, while we grasp at straws to solve this health care crisis.

At Medifecta Healthcare Training, Change Starts Now

At Medifecta Healthcare Training, we take this situation seriously. We want to see that the hundreds of thousands of untrained care providers doing in-home care receive the education and training they so critically need. That's why we developed the 40-hour Personal Care Attendant Training Program. It delivers effective standardized training for in-home care providers. Organizations can use it repeatedly to train and graduate a steady stream of well-qualified, confident caregivers. Developed according to principles of adult learning theory, written at a 5th grade literacy level and requiring no pre-requisites, the program is appropriate for a wide range of educational levels.

Our training programs for paraprofessional and family caregivers are used by hundreds of organizations across the country. We are proud to be part of the solution in meeting the urgent need for well-trained home care providers that can serve those with disabilities or chronic illness in the years to come.