One option for people who need living assistance would be to enlist the services of a home aide. These individuals help people with their day-to-day needs, things like cooking, cleaning, bathing, medication taking, and other activities of daily living.
Given the fact that full-time residence in a long-term care facility is extremely expensive, this can be the most cost-effective solution for many seniors who need a helping hand.
However, there is concern within the elder law community about the availability of home aides in the future.
It has been well-publicized that the baby boomer generation is reaching the age of retirement. The result is that we are going to have an unprecedented number of senior citizens, and the percentage will continually rise over the next 20 years. It is estimated that by 2030 we will have almost twice as many senior citizens in the United States as we do today.
This is going to result in an increased demand for home health aides. Because of the fact that it is a rather low-paying job that is quite demanding on many different levels, it is quite possible that this demand will exceed the supply of willing aides.
An interesting solution to the problem is being sought in the form of robotic home aides. A robot has been developed by a team at the Georgia Institute of Technology that can gently bathe a senior. Another that has been developed at Carnegie Mellon can retrieve necessary household items.
Most people would likely prefer the human touch when it comes to in-home care. However, if all else fails, or if you simply prefer the utilization of technology, there may be a robotic helper in your future.
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