Diversity in the Elderly Population Elderly

There is an abundance of diversity of the newest elderly generation. There is a lack of diversity in the health care coverage for the elderly. This would not exist in the future of health care. It is simply not practical nor ethical to ignore this issue of geriatrics as part of the visualization of the future of health care. Subtracting ethics for those who do not care about the elderly, on a practical level, soon there will be too many elderly around to ignore them and their needs. They will likely become an increasing voice of influence on issues such as this one and others, if only because of their great numbers. Those numbers are projected to continue to escalate.

This author imagines a future of health care where all elderly people have access to free, low cost, or subsidized quality health care. In such a future, the health care for the elderly would be prompt, comprehensive, and highly accessible. In the present, the diversity of the aging population has proliferated around the world with respect to ethnicity and culture, but also additionally with respect to the needs of this population.

The number of older adults in the United States will almost double between 2005 and 2030, and the nation is not prepared to meet their social and health care needs. The baby boomer generation starts to turn 65 in 2011, which will create multiple challenges for the health care system. For one, the majority of older adults suffer from at least one chronic condition...

Additionally, this generation of older adults will be the most diverse the nation has ever seen with more education, increased longevity, more widely dispersed families, and more racial and ethnic diversity, making their needs much different than previous generations. Another problem is the dramatic shortage of all types of health care workers… (Institute of Medicine, 2008, 1)
The sheer number of elderly people provides context, insight, and guidance for us now. It is a practically a guarantee that each one of these elderly persons will require some form of health care provision. If people do not adapt to this surge and change, there will be some effects with which we will unable to handle and others that we will be unable to foresee. Ignoring or not providing adequate, diversified attention to this issue as part of the visualization or plan for future health care, is a mistake that can and should be avoided.

Socially, ethically, and practically speaking, it is very important to care for all generations, the elderly generation included. Older people have more life experience. A number of them offer and share wisdom and perspective gained through their lives. That is a perspective that is priceless and useful, even in today's world. This is a perspective that can only be nurtured and preserved by health care that is as diverse as the present and future elderly population. This means professionals who speak various languages, are…