Eventually some of us will hear the sirens. Dr. John W. Rowe, professor of health policy and management at Columbia University, is one such siren."We face an impending crisis as the growing number of older patients, who are living longer with more complex health needs, increasingly outpaces the number of health care providers with the knowledge and skills to care for them capably,"
Rowe headed an Institute of Medicine committee that released a report Monday on the health care outlook for the 78 million baby boomers about to begin turning 65.
The report from the institute, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, said:
•There aren't enough specialists in geriatric medicine.
•Insufficient training is available.
•The specialists that do exist are underpaid.
•Medicare fails to provide for team care that many elderly patients need.
The study said Medicare may even hinder seniors from getting the best care because of its low reimbursement rates, a focus on treating short-term health problems rather than managing chronic conditions and lack of coverage for preventive services or for health care providers' time spent collaborating with a patient's other providers.
So... how are YOU travelling? I've got clients who have health-ages almost half their chronological age. Here is one.
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