Caring for the elderly
Training in geriatric care
In a recent report, the Institute of Medicine says that healthcare institutions must rapidly increase training in geriatric care to ward off an impending crisis as a large number of baby boomers head towards old age. Appears the US healthcare work-force is too small and "woefully unprepared" for the growing elderly population, and the increased demand for healthcare workers is not being met by the stagnant or dwindling supply of those trained to treat the elderly.
Some nursing homes and other institutions are pairing with medical, dental and nursing schools to provide geriatric training. But such efforts are rare due to the time and expense of implementing them. In this context, the report's recommendation to train those taking care of elderly people is appropriate. After all, almost 90 % of those receiving care at home, get help from family and friends, and 80 % rely solely on them.
In coming years, a huge chunk of all medical care with go to people over 65 years of age, who account for a quarter of doctors' office visits and a third of hospital stays and prescriptions. Currently very few doctors specialise in geriatrics, probably because there is more money to be made in other specialties like surgery and radiology. Apparently the availability of physicians trained in geriatric care in the US is only one per 2500 persons (as opposed to around one physician per 350 population overall).
Most countries will have to address these challenges it they have to meet the exploding demand for geriatric care. India will need to make some serious moves in this area. Currently, the total availability of physicians is at a very low 1 per 2000 persons. And the net additions every year do not seem to be improving the ratio (the cumulative output of all medical colleges is around 25000 per year, and after netting out those that opt for careers in hospital administration, or increasingly different forms of BPO, the number that will actually practice medicine is much lower). And as the population grows older, the demand for healthcare will surely go up. Maybe India should innovate training programs that can create new types of care givers.
In a recent report, the Institute of Medicine says that healthcare institutions must rapidly increase training in geriatric care to ward off an impending crisis as a large number of baby boomers head towards old age. Appears the US healthcare work-force is too small and "woefully unprepared" for the growing elderly population, and the increased demand for healthcare workers is not being met by the stagnant or dwindling supply of those trained to treat the elderly.
Some nursing homes and other institutions are pairing with medical, dental and nursing schools to provide geriatric training. But such efforts are rare due to the time and expense of implementing them. In this context, the report's recommendation to train those taking care of elderly people is appropriate. After all, almost 90 % of those receiving care at home, get help from family and friends, and 80 % rely solely on them.
In coming years, a huge chunk of all medical care with go to people over 65 years of age, who account for a quarter of doctors' office visits and a third of hospital stays and prescriptions. Currently very few doctors specialise in geriatrics, probably because there is more money to be made in other specialties like surgery and radiology. Apparently the availability of physicians trained in geriatric care in the US is only one per 2500 persons (as opposed to around one physician per 350 population overall).
Most countries will have to address these challenges it they have to meet the exploding demand for geriatric care. India will need to make some serious moves in this area. Currently, the total availability of physicians is at a very low 1 per 2000 persons. And the net additions every year do not seem to be improving the ratio (the cumulative output of all medical colleges is around 25000 per year, and after netting out those that opt for careers in hospital administration, or increasingly different forms of BPO, the number that will actually practice medicine is much lower). And as the population grows older, the demand for healthcare will surely go up. Maybe India should innovate training programs that can create new types of care givers.
posted by Srivathsan @ 10:31 AM
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