Why is long-term care such a hot issue right now?

Why is long-term care such a hot issue right now?

Karl Steinberg (Associate Medical Director, Sharp Mission Park Medical Group) gives expert video advice on: What is the 'Sandwich Generation' in regard to long-term care?; Who can help me make decisions about long-term care?; Why is long-term care such a hot issue right now? and more...

Long-term care is a very hot issue these days because we baby boomers are hitting the golden age. I think that just in the last year or two the first of us hit sixty-five and so there is going to be an explosion of care needs, long-term care needs for this generation. It is going to be a huge financial burden, and who knows where that money is going to come from. Also, I think people are wanting more individualized care, more sort of person centred care, which is a term we are hearing more and more lately, which is a good thing. So it is a very hot topic and hopefully with this culture change the notion of long term care will be less of a picture of just a bunch of old people tied down to their beds waiting to die in A nursing home, and more of a vibrant culture that respects people and sees them as individuals, and is just a place where they go live out their years, but with respect and comfort.