Publication Date

4-16-2020

Document Type

Other

First Advisor

Rudnicki, Mary D.

Legacy Department

School of Nursing and Health Studies

Abstract

Baby Boomer is a term that is used to describe people born between 1946 and 1964. This generation of people were hard working, confident, and desired a high-quality lifestyle. As the Boomers age, the percentage of Americans over the age of 65 will increase significantly, in return placing a higher demand for health care needs. The purpose of this literature review is to recognize how the Baby Boomers will affect the U.S. healthcare system and identify how the healthcare system and healthcare providers are going to respond to their high demands. The articles used for this literature review are scholarly articles found through CINAHL and Google Search. Key words used in the search were baby boomers, health care, impact, future, chronic conditions, nursing, characteristics, and treatment. Through the research done for this literature review, it was found that as the older adult population 65 years of age and older grows, the prevalence of people with chronic illness or disability increases. This growth increases the need for more healthcare services. Also, there are fewer health care providers in the medical field that will make it difficult to treat the surplus amount of Baby Boomers. Next, research has stated that Baby Boomers are far more different from the generations before them. They are more savvy, assertive, health-conscious, and engaged in their care. Their driven nature, high expectations, and carefree attitudes are going to challenge how health care workers provide care to this population. Lastly, to keep up with the growing numbers of Boomers, hospitals are taking new approaches in the way care is delivered. This includes improving patient flow throughout the hospital, integrating technology into patient care, addressing staff shortages and promoting diversity, and changing the way healthcare providers are communicating with patients about their care. As a result, the U.S. healthcare system is responding to the current and future challenges the Boomers place on the healthcare system. Nurses and other healthcare providers should be aware of how the Baby Boomers are transforming the medical industry and know how to provide the best quality of care to this population.

Language

eng

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Media Type

Text

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