Shortage of Qualified Workers in the Medical Field

The majority of Baby boomers will be retiring over the next twenty years. There currently are thirty nine million individuals who are sixty five years of age or older as indicated in the United States Census bureau.”(Hodges) There has been a significant increase in the population of individuals sixty years and older within the United States over the past two to three decades. These individuals will demand an wide array of programs and services to meet their physical, psychological, emotional, financial and spiritual needs on a regular basis. There unfortunately will be a shortage of qualified workers in the medical and helping profession to diagnosis and treat the various effects of aging on the human body. The recent passing of my grandmother due to an aggressive form of lung cancer has enlightened me upon the notion of quality versus quantity of life. I was deeply saddened to observe my grandmother take her last breathe in a nearby hospital located in Charleston South Carolina. There are numerous American individuals that are constantly encountering the debilitating consequences that are directly due to an immediate family member being diagnosed with varying forms of aggressive cancer. The advances in modern medicine has prolonged the longevity of human beings. In addition there are constraints to human longevity due to various factors such as the effects of aging, stress of daily living, rising costs of receiving effective medical treatments and the federal government continuing to mitigate the level of funding that local, state and national community resources and organizations receive to aid various Soc-economic, minority and ethnic groups. The Area Agency on Aging is strategically located in numerous...

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...e surrounding community to make a significant difference in the lives of others by contributing donations to the organization, inquiring about available volunteering opportunities and articulating to individuals the significance of advocacy at the local, state and national level. Furthermore by the combined efforts of community leaders, political figures, business owners and compassionate citizens the Area Agency On Aging can successfully endeavor to meet the demands of their clientele. The agency can also implement innovative methods to accommodate vulnerable population of seniors that may reside in rural areas,inadequate access to public transportation , do not have the financial per ca pita to maintain a vehicle, physically or mentally disabled and may not be able to afford medical treatment at a public or private institution or to pursue home health care.