Thair Phillips - Older Americans

We’ve all heard the statement, “50 is the new 40” or “60 is the new 50” or (any decade) is the new (previous decade minus 10). What these statements boil down to is the fact that we are healthier and living longer. New medicines, new treatments, earlier diagnosis and a healthier environment have all helped us live longer. But living longer isn’t better if our quality of life doesn’t let us enjoy those added years and the impact on the cost to the healthcare system can be enormous. Chronic disease is almost solely a product of living longer and has a huge impact on both the quality of life and cost. Those who have already written on this conversation have detailed some important issues to consider. I will touch on two points that I think are important, aging in place and adherence to doctor’s prescription for healing, especially when it comes to medicine. It has been shown that older people our healthier and recover quicker from illness when they are in their own home. It’s also true that the cost to the healthcare system is much lower when seniors are in their home rather than in any type of institutional facility. While chronic illness(s) can add complications to giving care at home, an increase in communication and coordination between the caregiver and the healthcare provider can overcome these barriers. Public policy that encourages aging in place is key to lowering costs. Adherence will be enhanced by this increase in communication and coordination but ...
Source: PHRMA - Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Source Type: news