Amid concerning reports of diabetes and cardiovascular issues, as well as the ever-present specter of Alzheimer's disease, it is refreshing to hear good news about the overall health of older Americans today. Just such a message stemmed from a recent study from Harvard Medical School.
According to a press release from the institution, researchers reviewed the medical information of just under 90,000 older Americans who took part in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey between 1991 and 2009 in order to determine any notable change in overall health among this age group in that time.
Through this analysis, the researchers determined that not only were Americans living longer – they were also enjoying better health as they aged.
"Effectively, the period of time in which we're in poor health is being compressed until just before the end of life," said professor David Cutler. "People are living to older ages and we are adding healthy years, not debilitated ones."
Markers for this improvement included the reported ability of survey-takers to perform daily tasks on their own, such as cooking, cleaning and budgeting. This capacity for independent living has reportedly increased across the board within the last 20 years.
Cutler attributed this trend to improvements in eldercare and increased awareness in the lifestyle choices that promote long-term health, though further investigations are required to fully understand the nature of this shift.
The takeaway for care managers
These findings are certainly promising for older Americans, but what does it mean for care managers? It has already been established that independent living, or aging in place, is widely preferred among older Americans, and this study indicates that a larger percentage of people will be capable of spending their retirement in this way.
With that in mind, care managers may benefit from introducing telecare services that facilitate independent living while still providing a degree of peace of mind for care recipients and their loved ones. Independa's caregiver support technology includes remote monitoring and continual connectivity in the form of video chat, email and more. These empowering tools can enable older Americans to continue to care for themselves, yet still have the benefit of your support if and when they need it.
Independa's Angela can be accessed directly through an LG television, and allows care recipients to enjoy the security of around-the-clock care without giving up their independence. In addition, adopting Independa can also help care managers streamline and expand their operations to reach a population of relatively able individuals that, before telecare, was practically unreachable.
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