This report originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of DOTmed Business News

America is an aging population - a majority of Baby Boomers (75%) are slated to retire in the next decade. To cut down on health care costs, many seek to age in place - by staying in their current homes - with some useful alterations incorporated.

Upgrades to a home are usually a good idea when deciding to maintain independence. Interior designers knowledgeable in Universal Design will be aware of the challenges that people face as they get older. Therefore, designers will usually design bathrooms with reinforced walls so that grab-bars can be installed, along with low or no-threshold showers, which will cut down on slips and falls by helping users keep their feet close to the ground. Entranceways might also be widened to accommodate wheelchair or walker usage and lighting may be increased to assist those with weaker vision. However, all the design elements in the world won't solve the problem of living alone if there are more serious problems than just aging - that's where homecare and rehab equipment comes in.

In the next 30 years, the U.S. population aged 65 and over will double to 70 million. About 80% of those over age 60 prefer to live independently. The most common medical conditions requiring home care are diabetes, heart disease, and cerebral vascular disease.

While numbers vary depending on sources, even the lower estimates put the number of Americans with an acute illness, a long-term medical condition, a permanent disability, or a terminal illness, at 8 million individuals. That number is well above the past projections by many top medical experts.

About 71% of the home health care patient population is over age 65 (approximately 955,200), as per the 2000 Census on Home Health Care Patients. The majority of this age group lives in the Northeast (73.6%) and the South (69.8%), with the Midwest (69.2%) and the West (65.7%) following close behind. There are a total of 1,355,300 home health care patients in all age groups, with 29.5% (400,100) under age 65.




Of these patients, 41.4% use sensory/dental aids (e.g., eyeglasses or contact lenses, hearing aids, dentures); 62.2% use mobility aids (e.g., canes, crutches, orthotic braces, walkers, wheelchairs); 43.4% use self-care devices (e.g., bedside commodes, elevated toilets seats, grab-bars, hospital beds, special mattresses, over bed tables, bath benches); and 23.4% use medical devices (e.g., blood glucose monitors, enteral feeding tubes, intravenous and other respiratory therapies, and oxygen tanks/treatments).

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