subject: The Growing Percentage Of Elderly [print this page] World War II was a global conflict that caused many things to happen. In the United States on a domestic level, the end of that war saw the dramatic increase of babies being born. More and more people, faced with the cruel realities of war, were marrying and starting families. Graphs prove this population jump but the results are in our every day life, too. Senior housing and care, for instance, were never a topic of much conversation until now.
World War II was nicknamed the war to end all wars though we all know that it didn't accomplish any such thing. Instead, there have been many wars since it and even today there are many wars around the world. One thing truly noteworthy about World War II, however, is that at no other time in US history has there been such an increase in population all at once.
People are living longer than ever before, too, which means that the elderly population is growing. Many people with conditions that would have been fatal in the past now can live for many years longer. This is a wonderful thing but it creates very real problems when it comes to caring for all these aging people. And even though people are living longer, they aren't as likely to be able to take care of themselves up until the end. This requires an increase in senior housing and care to meet the demand.
It was in the 90s that the effect of aging baby boomers was first really felt and noticed. Baby boomers are considered to be anyone who was born in the 1940s when the war was on. As this large generation started aging and needing care, the economy had to adapt to match the need. Nursing homes, assisted living centers and even hospitals started popping up faster than before. The demand for nurses and the like rose, too.
As a large part of the US population became elderly in the 1990s, more and more local and government organizations got to work laying down regulations and rules for senior housing centers. These rules help make sure senior housing is available, affordable, safe, respectful and effective.
It wasn't until the 1970s that US society started considering the elderly a group of people who need and deserve charity. Today, it is seen as a given that support from the government and community should be given to the elderly.
To take a look at the numbers that are prompting all this development, we can look to government studies. The Department of Health and Human Services' has an Administration of Aging that keeps track of the state of the elderly population in our country. The elderly made up just over 12% of the the US population in 2000 but is likely to represent as much as 20% by 2030!
This number illustrates that there is going to be nearly a doubling in the elderly population of the United States. This growth is affecting and will continue to affect the economy and general structure of our society in many ways
