The population of the United States is collectively aging, and it’s aging at a rate that’s simply unprecedented in history in terms of a pure number of people and the percentage of people who are reaching the age of 65 and older. While this reality means many things, one issue that is only going to get worse unless more responsible parties are held accountable is the terrible problem of nursing home abuse.
Below is a quick statistical look at the population as it stands now, what it’s projected to become by the year 2030, and the relevant nursing home number and population statistics. Hopefully, more people will realize what type of wide-ranging issue this is going to become if something isn’t done about it, but it all starts with the individual. If you or someone you love has been the victim of nursing home abuse, please contact a nursing home attorney immediately to schedule an initial consultation and to protect the rights of those who may not be in a position to protect themselves.
The United States Population
For purposes of comparison, the statistics that will be used here are all based on numbers arrived at by the United States Census Bureau. We’ll take a look at the relevant numbers from the last census survey, which was performed in 2000, and the projections set by the Census Bureau for what the population will look like in the year 2030.
In the year 2000, there were almost 35 million residents who were 65 or older, and that represented a little more than 12 percent of the population. That may not seem like a lot, especially when considered against the projected numbers of 2030. In that year, the estimated number of people living in the United States who will be 65 or older is expected to reach more than 71 million people, and their percentage of the population will also skyrocket to almost 20 percent of the overall population. Simply put, that’s an enormous amount of growth.
What it Means
These numbers mean quite a bit when compared to the availability of nursing home care. As of now, there are approximately 17,000 registered nursing homes in the United States, and an estimated 1.6 million nursing home residents who occupy 1.8 million available nursing home beds. Obviously, this won’t be nearly enough availability by the time 2030 arrives.
What this also means is that there will be more pressure, more people and more stress for nursing home workers who are sometimes under-trained and under-qualified to take care of the elderly, which means that the thousands of nursing home abuse complaints and nursing home injuries are only going to rise in a similar manner.
We all need to do what we can to stem the tide of this terrible problem. If you or someone you love has suffered as a result of nursing home abuse, contact a nursing home lawyer immediately.
