Inpacts of Demographics in Health Care

Demographic

Identify the targeted population

Over the course of the past decade, California’s rapid aging population has represented a demographic change that will affect not only health care within the state, but its economy, housing, land use, leisure, transportation, and public resource allocation. The California Baby boomers will be a significant increase to California’s population, which is expected to increase by 172% by 2040 with most of the growth expected to be from aging Californians age 65+ (California Health and Human Services Agency [CHHSA], 2003, p. 1)

Gather data about the population demographics

Baby boomers are those people born from 1946 through 1964. Baby boomers represent 27% of today's population. They are better educated with 90% having a high school diploma and 30% having a bachelor's degree or higher. As they reach retirement age the boomer see retirement as a new stage in life. Over 50% of Baby boomers live in nine states as of 2000: California, Texas, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and New Jersey, which makes it .05555556 % just in California. According to California Health and Human Services Agency [CHHSA], (2003), California is home to approximately four million people age 65+ the leading number of older adult population in the nation. This number is predicted to double over the next decade as “Baby boomers” begin reaching this milestone (CHHSA, 2003, p. 3).

California and local state governments will feel the impact of an aging employee population before private sector employers. Baby boomers are bolstering this stage of their lives to integrate work (modified or reduced), volunteerism, and leisure activities and are expect to live longer than earlier generation.

Describe the general impact that changing demographics may have on the health care market

The first waves of the Baby boomer generation has started pounding the shores of retirement and increasing waves of the generation will put a...