The future of healthcare

Looking at the ever-changing demographics of today's society it is easily noticed that we are getting older. People are living longer and healthier lives and now more than ever it is starting to show. The largest population of older people is starting to come among us and the impact it has on healthcare is going to be tremendous.
One of the first proplem that is going to need to be addressed is the number of current full time physicians and RN nurses currently employed. If current trends are sustained an increase in more than 1 percent will be needed to ensured adequate care can be administered to the increased elderly population. This can also be seen in the amount of time caregivers on average spend with the elderly population in relation to those under the age of 65, which on average is expected to increase to 39% by 2020.
Another issue that is expected to come about in the next few years is how the increase in the elderly population will have on Medicaid and Medicare. Rapid increases in the amount of people who have to rely on these programs for medical services are expected to put a severe strain on them as well as driving up the associated cost. This in turn might have a counter effect on the need for an increase in physicians and nurses since nobody would be able to afford to see them.
Healthcare is an ever evolving cycle. The increase in the elderly population is defiantly something that needs to be accounted for. Increased cost and a lack of physicians and nurses are some of the problems that we could soon be facing if proper planning is not implemented in accounting for this rapid population increase.