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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Robert MacLaughlin, chief deputy director of the California Department of Aging, addresses a crowd of approximately 65 people at the Cupertino Senior Center during an informational hearing on the long-term care of baby boomers. Assemblywoman Elaine Alquist (right) hosted the event.
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Boomers prepare for the future
Assemblywoman Alquist speaks at Senior Center forum
By GEORGE MOORE
The 76 million Americans categorized as "baby boomers" have reached an age where health care is a concern. The boomers, defined as those born between 1946 and 1964, have a chance to redefine the meaning of long-term health care in America.
The first statewide informational hearing on the long-term health care of aging baby boomers and their role as informal caregivers was held on the afternoon of Oct. 29 at Cupertino's Senior Center. California State Assemblywoman Elaine Alquist and a select committee of speakers focused on California's challenges and opportunities related to the baby-boomer population.
Alquist said the state needs to know how good a job it is doing at providing an infrastructure and care for those in their later years.
"I'm 57 years old, and people in my generation need to be thinking about their elder years," Alquist said. "How many people here have long-term health insurance?"
Only a few of the estimated 75 people in attendance raised their hands.
"People my age and younger do not typically save money," Alquist added. "They're used to getting what they want, when they want it."
Dr. Jeanne Bader of California State University Long Beach addressed the challenges and opportunities that baby boomers face. She said that for the first time in history, a large number of people with disabilities will live well into their elderly years, and the boomers have the ability to change the image of aging by preventing acute diseases and managing chronic disabilities.
Bader said people should invest in the quality of life at home, because someday every baby boomer will be an informal caregiver.
Demographic information presented by Dr. Linda Hewett showed that the baby boomer cohorts represent 29 percent of the nation's population. Hewett said women face the greatest challenges as they grow older because they are two to three times more likely to face financial difficulties; have less access to healthcare; more often live alone; and are most likely responsible to provide informal care.
Hewett said that when taking on the role of a caregiver, there can be a great loss of productivity, and studies have shown it can cost an average of $34,000 annually. She raised the question of how hard it could be for a middle-class family to pay for the care of an elderly family member suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Jodi Cohn is a community liaison for SCAN in Long Beach, a social HMO Medicare demonstration project that provides care options for those 65 and older.
"Many elderly have a great fear of entering nursing homes and spending all their savings," Cohn said. "This social HMO offers supportive services at their homes."
Eligibility requires that people have Medicare Part A and B, are nursing-home certifiable and live in SCAN's service area, which is the Long Beach region. The project arranges services with a neutral budget--and all funds come from Medicare, but the enrollee must continue to pay the Part B premium of about $625 a month. Currently, of the 50,000 members enrolled, 95 percent are able to stay at home.
Cohn's hope is that the program becomes an ongoing, permanent part of Medicare.
"It provides people with autonomy and offers them a viable option," Cohn said.
Cohn urged people to write their congressional representative in support of H.R. Bill 2953 Medicare Coordinated Community Care Act of 2001, which if passed would become a permanent option under the Medicare+Choice Program.
According to Robert MacLaughlin, chief deputy director for the California Department of Aging, the challenge for health- and social-service agencies is shifting from the aging person to the informal caregiver. MacLaughlin said the decreased number of children being born means there would be one-third less informal caregivers by the year 2040. He said California is ahead of other states in understanding the importance of this type of care, and that its future depends on a difficult, yet delicate balance of innovative ideas.
MacLaughlin said people must invest in creativity to bridge a variety of gaps and help identify the keys that will unlock the potential of the baby- boomer population.
There is a greater ethnic and educational diversity among the baby boomers, who may redefine old age in terms of productivity, said Lora Connolly, assistant secretary for aging and long-term care at the California Department of Health and Human Services.
"Baby boomers want it all," Connolly said. "They want a friendly, home-life environment in their later years, but don't want to pay for it."
She added the government is hoping the desire of the boomers is to self-direct their care. About half of them expect the government will provide health-care services, which means the other half are looking to other options like long-term health-care insurance. Connolly said the problem is covering the costs of the premiums, which usually comes from discretionary income--and that the percentage of those with this income is shrinking.
Connolly said predictions about the choices and flexibility of long-term care are murky at best, but people should be encouraged to look ahead and plan for future care needs. She suggested people visit www.calcarenet.ca.gov, a website designed to help find facilities and services for the aging and elderly.
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
