By Ellen Hirsch de Haan, Esq., with a Case Study by Arthur W. Brown
A study conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services found that, "The need and cost of support of dependent elderly can be mitigated by substituting...family, friends, and neighbors as caregivers for private caregivers....Some groups in our society have gone further than others in the use of family members, friends, and neighbors as caregivers." [Emphasis added.]
If community associations are not among those impacted by this trend now, they soon will be. The report concludes that, "These prospective demographic changes have given rise to a general concern about the social, economic, and physical 'health' of our nation's population." Community associations should be equally concerned about how these changes will affect the social and economic health of their associations.
Consider the Statistics
- By 2030, one of every five Americans will be over the age of 65. Eleven percent of the U.S. population will be between ages 65 and 75, and nine percent will be over 75.
- The cumulative growth in the 85-and-over population from 1995 to 2050 is projected at more than 400 percent.
- By 2011, one American in five will have special needs, and the number of Americans available to provide for them—directly or indirectly—will be smaller than ever before.
- A larger proportion of the population is likely to survive to very advanced age in the first half of the 21st century.
- The number of elderly with poor health will increase sharply from 1990 to 2030.
- The number of elderly with moderate or sever disabilities will nearly triple by 2040.