Today in Washington, President Obama will hear the voices of doctors, patients, business owners, and insurers [why aren't nurses mentioned? Don't they have a say in this too?] in order to formulate a plan to revamp our health care delivery system. Reportedly, our country spends $2.4 trillion a year on health care. Yet, I understand that an estimated 48 million [that's million] Americans still don't have basic coverage. The goal is for coverage for everyone in some form.
A lofty goal, indeed, but one whose time has come.
Showing posts with label aging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aging. Show all posts
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Thank you, President Obama
Like many Americans last night, I tuned in to President Obama's address to both houses of Congress. I had high hopes for that speech and I wasn't disappointed.
As I expected it would be, the speech was filled with hope and promise, encouragement and comfort, but also a call to our better selves. The President not only laid out a plan for him and our leaders but called to each American to do their part. When was the last time you heard your President ask parents to pay attention to their children? It's been a long time coming.
I was also interested, as a nurse and as a consumer, to hear what plans he had for the health care industry. I think his plans are good [streamlining health records by taking them into the digital age, curing cancer, etc].
Addressing education will also help healthcare because some of our problem lies not with a lack of health care students but with a lack of health care teachers.
Targeting the high cost of health care will also be a big boon to the economy because that is something that is going to get worse fast if we are not proactive. The Boomers are going to need lots of care very soon and it's not free. Whether it's private insurance, Medicare, or out of pocket, someone is going to have to pay for it.
All in all, the President nailed it with his Address.
As for the Republicans, what can I say? Same old, same old. They really need to buy a clue.
As I expected it would be, the speech was filled with hope and promise, encouragement and comfort, but also a call to our better selves. The President not only laid out a plan for him and our leaders but called to each American to do their part. When was the last time you heard your President ask parents to pay attention to their children? It's been a long time coming.
I was also interested, as a nurse and as a consumer, to hear what plans he had for the health care industry. I think his plans are good [streamlining health records by taking them into the digital age, curing cancer, etc].
Addressing education will also help healthcare because some of our problem lies not with a lack of health care students but with a lack of health care teachers.
Targeting the high cost of health care will also be a big boon to the economy because that is something that is going to get worse fast if we are not proactive. The Boomers are going to need lots of care very soon and it's not free. Whether it's private insurance, Medicare, or out of pocket, someone is going to have to pay for it.
All in all, the President nailed it with his Address.
As for the Republicans, what can I say? Same old, same old. They really need to buy a clue.
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Aging Boomers and Health Trends
Health care has been in the news a lot lately. President Obama had made it one of the rallying cries during his campaign and we are poised, it seems, to tackle that issue very soon now that the stimulus bill has passed. Tomorrow, he will address both houses of Congress and I will bet you that health care will be high on the list of the things he talks about.
Why is health care such a hot potato? Because it is a large part of the nation's budget and it's a large part of every household budget. And it promises to get bigger. Not only are we faced with dealing with people who currently have no insurance because of the job market, but the health demographics of this nation are about to change in ways we have never seen before.
Like it or not [and they don't], the Baby Boomers are aging. They are approaching retirement and that phase of life when health costs increase. Couple that with a system that no longer works and we have a problem that definitely needs to be addressed.
President Obama wants to computerize medical records in an effort to drive down costs and make health information more useable, decrease errors, and improve care.
That's a good start but I think we need to do more. Life expectancy is going to go up. The looming nursing shortage has to be tackled - now, before we're in trouble, not after. We need to encourage doctors to specialize in the field of geriatrics [The Gerontological Society of America (2008, April 25). Baby Boomer Health Care Crisis ]. But the need goes beyond that - nursing assistants, social workers, nursing homes, assisted living centers, agencies that offer oversight for meals and care - all of this needs to be revamped as the largest generation ever seen marches slowly into older life. It might seem to be an overwhelming problem but not if we start now.
Why is health care such a hot potato? Because it is a large part of the nation's budget and it's a large part of every household budget. And it promises to get bigger. Not only are we faced with dealing with people who currently have no insurance because of the job market, but the health demographics of this nation are about to change in ways we have never seen before.
Like it or not [and they don't], the Baby Boomers are aging. They are approaching retirement and that phase of life when health costs increase. Couple that with a system that no longer works and we have a problem that definitely needs to be addressed.
President Obama wants to computerize medical records in an effort to drive down costs and make health information more useable, decrease errors, and improve care.
That's a good start but I think we need to do more. Life expectancy is going to go up. The looming nursing shortage has to be tackled - now, before we're in trouble, not after. We need to encourage doctors to specialize in the field of geriatrics [The Gerontological Society of America (2008, April 25). Baby Boomer Health Care Crisis ]. But the need goes beyond that - nursing assistants, social workers, nursing homes, assisted living centers, agencies that offer oversight for meals and care - all of this needs to be revamped as the largest generation ever seen marches slowly into older life. It might seem to be an overwhelming problem but not if we start now.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Some marketing advice from a Boomer
Do NOT call me a Senior.
Let me rephrase that - DO NOT CALL ME A SENIOR!
I know I am a Baby Boomer. I know I am at the forefront of the Baby Boomers in terms of age. I get that and I am trying to deal with that in my own way [denial is helping a lot].
I get that marketing groups see my generation and they get dollar signs where their pupils used to be. Here we are 73 million strong marching forward to that final finishing line and we all need hormone pills, and antacids, and larger print, and scooter chairs, and lower cholesterol, and heart pills, and on and on.
But if you are going to get my attention, don't do it by addressing me as a Senior. I will put my fingers in my ears, sing "La La La, I can't hear you!" and move on.
Case in point - I got a robo call today. First clue, caller ID said "Name Unavailable". I shouldn't have picked up but curiosity got me and I did and said "Hello". There was a moment's hesitation [a sure sign it was a recording] and then the dreaded words "Hello, Senior".
Click.
I didn't hear any more and I don't care to.
Ever.
If you didn't get the memo - we Baby Boomers are not our parents. We are the same as we were in the 60's, with only slight changes, barely noticeable. If you want to sell to us, show us how it will make our lives better and more fun, how it will let us keep doing what we are still thinking we are capable of doing but don't imply it's because we can't. Tricky? Maybe. But that's your job to figure out. You're the marketing gurus.
And so far you are way off mark.
Let me rephrase that - DO NOT CALL ME A SENIOR!
I know I am a Baby Boomer. I know I am at the forefront of the Baby Boomers in terms of age. I get that and I am trying to deal with that in my own way [denial is helping a lot].
I get that marketing groups see my generation and they get dollar signs where their pupils used to be. Here we are 73 million strong marching forward to that final finishing line and we all need hormone pills, and antacids, and larger print, and scooter chairs, and lower cholesterol, and heart pills, and on and on.
But if you are going to get my attention, don't do it by addressing me as a Senior. I will put my fingers in my ears, sing "La La La, I can't hear you!" and move on.
Case in point - I got a robo call today. First clue, caller ID said "Name Unavailable". I shouldn't have picked up but curiosity got me and I did and said "Hello". There was a moment's hesitation [a sure sign it was a recording] and then the dreaded words "Hello, Senior".
Click.
I didn't hear any more and I don't care to.
Ever.
If you didn't get the memo - we Baby Boomers are not our parents. We are the same as we were in the 60's, with only slight changes, barely noticeable. If you want to sell to us, show us how it will make our lives better and more fun, how it will let us keep doing what we are still thinking we are capable of doing but don't imply it's because we can't. Tricky? Maybe. But that's your job to figure out. You're the marketing gurus.
And so far you are way off mark.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
I'm not old
Just older. But I'm also younger than I'll ever be. There. How's that for distorting the truth? I seem to be channeling my Grandmother these days. I make noises when I sit down, little grunts as I ease into a squatting position on the floor to brush the dogs or look under the furniture for lost cat toys. I didn't used to do that. Does it somehow help to get into a better position? I must be saying those noises wrong then 'cause they don't seem to help. And after staying in a position like that for a while, it's hard to straighten up again - at least not very quickly and not without some discomfort. Maybe I just need to drink more water. And if that doesn't work, I'll try wine.
Friday, December 7, 2007
"The Savages"
I came across an ad for a new movie that was just released called The Savages. It isn't playing locally heremin Phoenix and I'm sorry to see that. With only a limited engagement it's not going to reach a wide audience and it seems like a film that needs to be seen. It's about two adult children facing their father's poor health and having to place him in a nursing home.
This is something that my generation is going to be facing over and over and over again.
In fact, I'm giving a talk about this next month. My current book Second Chance [www.secondchancenovel.com] has this topic as its subplot and my new book [still under construction] is partly about that, too.
Calling us the sandwich generation is trite because the phrase has been used so much but it's true. We're being squeezed from both sides and it's tough.
We have no point of reference. We've never encountered these issues before. And, let's face it, seeing our parents grow old and feeble makes us face something we have never, ever wanted to acknowledge before - we are getting older.
This is something that my generation is going to be facing over and over and over again.
In fact, I'm giving a talk about this next month. My current book Second Chance [www.secondchancenovel.com] has this topic as its subplot and my new book [still under construction] is partly about that, too.
Calling us the sandwich generation is trite because the phrase has been used so much but it's true. We're being squeezed from both sides and it's tough.
We have no point of reference. We've never encountered these issues before. And, let's face it, seeing our parents grow old and feeble makes us face something we have never, ever wanted to acknowledge before - we are getting older.
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