Due to better medical care Americans can expect to live longer and most of us can expect to be around in old age. As time passes by the elderly will live longer still as medical science and disease control goes forward. This will lead significant number of old people whom can no longer support themselves end up in a care home for their final years. If you are a relative of an elderly person you will be concerned with senior care and perhaps wonder how well the United States care for their elderly citizens compared to the rest of the world.
Recent research
Research shows Americans spend much more money on senior care than other developed countries. However, in general have a less equitable system, lower efficiency and lower quality. Spending on health in the USA is around $7000 per person a year. That being said, sadly many Americans get no health care at all. For this reason the United States is ranked bottom of the list when compared to other countries such as: Britain, New Zealand, Australia, Holland, Germany and Canada.
Comparisons
According to recent research which compared US senior care with that of Germany and Denmark, made the US system seem heartless and confusing. A senior citizen of Denmark is entitled to free health care. In Germany care in the home is free and the cost of providing a professional carer. Family members who provide care for their elderly can get up to four weeks vacation per year.
Developing countries
Senior care in the US cannot be compared to that in developing countries. For example care homes are rare in Latin America, Africa and Asia. In these countries family members are expected to take care of their seniors. China a rapidly growing economy still expects family to provide senior care, but there has been a recent rise in care facilities in some regions. Another factor is life expectancy is much lower in many of these countries: Nigeria has a life expectancy of 50 years, Central African Republic 45 years, Zimbabwe 41 years, Malawi life expectancy is just 37.9 years compared to 77.9 in the United States.
Japan
Japan which like most western countries has a very fast growing elderly population, senior care is divided between family, communal centers and medical facilities. Researchers were surprised to learn that as many as a quarter of Japans senior citizens said the quality of the care was a concern, given one assumed elderly in Japan received much greater deference and respect in old age.
Conclusion
America’s elderly deserve proper senior care. The system at the moment has a patchwork provision of long term elderly care. A staggering 50 million American citizens have no health care coverage at all. It is not known how many people are between age 55 and the age when they qualify for Medicare or Medicaid.
A few seniors have private long-term care insurance. A great many more must themselves pay for senior care or be so poor to qualify for Medicaid. This leaves many family members are compelled with perhaps the overwhelming duty of caring for seniors. Most people acknowledge America’s senior care needs mending, but no one has yet come up with a plan that would improve care that is affordable.
