A Recap of The North County Healthcare Summit

by Cathy Ellis

Cathy Ellis, Senior Living Consultant recaps of some of the highlights of The North County Healthcare Summit, “The New economy of Aging Baby Boomers and the Impact on Healthcare, Careers and Jobs”.  The Summit was held on September 29, 2015 at The Veterans Association of North County.
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Did you know that Alzheimer’s disease is the 3rd leading cause of death in San Diego County? Nationally it is the 6th leading cause of death. I wonder why more incidence in our county?  My thoughts are that we are known to be more proactive with our research and education in San Diego County and probably more people are getting diagnosed at an earlier age? It’s a huge epidemic!  The Alzheimer’s Association is one of the only organizations that is looking forward to being put out of business… we need a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and we need it soon! Currently, there is no treatment or cure for Alzheimer’s disease. It is predicted that 28 million may develop this disease between 2018 and 2050. Did I write that down correctly?  Yikes!

Did you know that all the resources, support groups and educational workshops offered by The Alzheimer’s Association are always free?   Go to their website for more information at www.alz.org/sandiego .  I was amazed at the number of programs that they offer to assist families and caregivers with support and education.  I always recommend that anyone with moderate to advanced memory issues wear a Safe Return bracelet that can be ordered through the Alzheimer’s Association and be registered with this program. There is a fee for the bracelet. You never know when someone may decide to wander off?

The expert panel predicts that we will have a shortage of caregivers, physicians and nurses in the coming years to take care of our aging Baby Boomers.  Did you know that it can take up to 2 to 3 caregivers to take care of someone with advanced dementia per day?  More information can be found on www.healthstatistics.com .  We also have a serious mental health crisis and there are really no long term mental health facilities in our area.  The emergency rooms and hospitals are filled with people with addictions and mental health issues and, unfortunately, there is a shortage of places for them to receive treatment. This issue will only get worse if we do not have facilities and programs to assist.

The takeaway for me was that there is a huge need for people to work with our aging population now and in the future.  I hope we can be more proactive with our diet and exercise programs to keep some of the diseases at bay. There is definite evidence that 30 minutes a day of physical and 30 minutes a day of a cognitive exercise for your brains will actually help preserve cognitive reserve. Sometimes we can see some improvement after people participate in memory enhancement programs within senior living centers. Another trend that we are seeing is that many families are deciding to assist each other and we have multi-generational households on the rise again.  This can really be a benefit for all concerned.
Again I ask you…Are you ready for the Senior Tsunami?

Don’t hesitate to consult me anytime by email or phone if you have any senior related questions.  My services are no cost to the client, I get paid by the care provider if a placement would occur.

[email protected] or 760-696-3542    http://www.cathyellisconsulting.com