Elder Care For The Baby Boomer Generation

How Elder Care Will Change By 2050

Today, for every person aged 65 and over, there are five people under 65 to take care of them. In 2050 there will be three people under 65 for every elderly person. This might mean that adults with full-time jobs and other responsibilities may also need to add the care of elderly loved ones to their schedules.

Cali Williams Yost, CEO and founder of Flex+ Strategy group, talks to HuffPost Live's Josh Zepps to discuss.

"People don't really understand that Medicare does not really pay for elder care support, so actually we can't even think about that as the place we're going to go to get the care," Yost said. "It's really not to provide somebody to come into your home and care for your aging family member."

With the breakdown of the family infrastructure, as many claim is rapidly taking place in our modern society, the need for elder care professionals is in demand.

"There could be a shortage in the future where you can't find a geriatrician," Denise Brown, Founder of caregiving.com, said, "perhaps it's harder to find a home health aid to hire and that puts more stress on the family."

In 20 years this stress load could increase up to three-fold, meaning a single family member may be juggling caring for up to three elder members, while perhaps suffering from their own chronic illnesses, Brown said.

With chronic illnesses on the rise, how can individuals and families prepare for this uphill battle? Rhonda Richards, Senior Legislative Representative at AARP, says one solution might be a more flexible work schedule.

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