Aging and Demographic Trends
America is aging and this growth in the aging population is well documented. Between 1980 and 2000, the population over age 65 grew by 36%; the number of people 85 and older has doubled and the number of people over 100 has tripled (Administration on Aging, 2000a). Life expectancy in the United States continues to be extended from age 47 in 1890 to age 75.5 in 1993 (Rouche, 1996). This is attributable in part to advances in pharmaceutical therapies and biomedical breakthroughs.
In the next 20 years the population over 65 is expected to grow by 53% (Dill, 2001). Fastest growing of all is the frailest group, those aged 85 and over, whose numbers are expected to triple to 8.8 million by 2030 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1996).
The rapid and breathtaking growth of older populations is accompanied by another profound set of emerging demographic trends. The composition of the American family is changing. As the aging population is growing in the U.S., younger populations are shrinking. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2025, the number of people age sixty to sixty-nine will be expanding at a faster rate than the number of people age 20 to 29 (Health Care Financing Administration, 2001).
This specter of rising numbers of aging populations, who are also living longer, against the backdrop of shrinking numbers of family caregivers, creates what Drucker (2001) calls the most dominant aspect of the "Next Society". These compounding demographics will "challenge our nation’s financial and human resources and enrich traditional notions of old age. They will require more elder qualified health professionals and force our nation to reshape and improve health care delivery to meet the needs of the elderly" (John A. Hartford Foundation, 2000).