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Technology is helping smaller proportion
of elderly, disabled
to live in homes, or with assisted living
Sacramento, CA—Daniel Hines, publisher of
www.TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com says that recent findings that even
with an aging population, a smaller proportion of the nation’s
elderly and disabled people have to live in nursing homes than in
1990 is due to a growing use of technology that empowers seniors and
the disabled.
He
notes that the study published in the Augusts 2005 issue of the
Journal of Applied Gerontology cites an increase in the number of
elderly and disabled now able to live in their homes, either
independently or with assisted living or some other form of home
care.
Residential care and assisted living facilities are designed to meet
the needs of older people and people with disabilities who need some
assistance with activities of daily living, meals and other support
services.
According to study findings, the capacity for this type of
care nearly doubled in the 12 years from 1990 to 2002, to more than
1 million beds nationwide. When the growth of the population is
taken into account, the number of such beds grew from 20.9 to 35.6
per 10,000 people.
In contrast, while the majority of people who need long-term care
still live in nursing homes, the proportion of nursing home beds
declined from 66.7 to 61.4 per 10,000 population.
“This
is due to a realization of the benefits of in-home care or assisted
or independent living” Hines says. “But for this to be
successful, the elderly or disabled person must have access to
communications and the surrounding community.”
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