Listener Eric sent this tidbit in from a California newspaper. It examines the trends in geriatric health care. It discusses some alarming statistics brought up in a report from a professor at the University of California San Francisco. In this report, Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce, the following points are made:
- One Geriatric Doctor per 2500 elderly patients
- Fewer than 1% of nurses are trained in geriatric care
- Nursing aide job turnover at 71%
- 90% of home health aides leave within two years
- National average pay for home health aides is $8.50 per hour
The gist of the article is that major change needs to occur in the training and pay for healthcare workers involved in care for the elderly or the system will continue to collapse under the increasing weight of the aging population. Registered nurse specialists in geriatric care need to be trained. Additional training and financial resources need to be arranged for the aides that assist nurses in the facilities and home environments.
