The Ageing Population

Demographic Paper: The Ageing Population

As a staff member at the community hospital, I have been designated by the senior management team to write a summary based on the effects of changes in population demographics on the needs and services for the ageing population. Throughout this case study I will identify and gather data that pertains to the ageing population. I will also include the general impact that the changing demographics may have on the health care market, how the changes affect health care, identify two key health related challenges, describe how a chronic disease wellness program may affect costs, what does the demographics tell us about the marketing needs or services and finally how the individual patient, the community and society as a whole address these challenges.

This case study is based on the effects of changes in population demographics on the needs and services for the ageing population. As we all know we don’t stay young forever and like the rest of the world, the U.S. is an ageing society. Over the next 20 years we will need many different services to accommodate the ageing demographics. What this also means is that there are many business opportunities to consider. When we talk about an ageing population we mean any persons 65 and older. In 2011, the oldest baby boomers (Americans born between 1946 and 1964) will start to turn 65 (Jacobsen, Kent, Lee, & Mather, 2011). Today, 40 million people in the United States are ages 65 and older, but this number is projected to more than double to 89 million by 2050 (Jacobsen, Kent, Lee, & Mather, 2011).

Let’s take a closer look at the data of the ageing population. As we all know there are almost 40 million people aged 65+ in the United States. Right now that makes up 13 percent of the population and by 2030 that percentage will increase to 19 percent (Cirillo, 2012). According to the Administration on Ageing of the Department of Health and...