Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Prepare now for future elderly care

By 2030, almost one in five Michigan residents will be age 65 or older. That may seem like a long way off, but if you can remember the last time the Tigers won the World Series, a) you'd have to agree that 23 years can go by pretty quickly and b) chances are pretty good that, come 2030, you are going to be in or approaching the over-65 crowd.

If that's still not you, consider the likelihood that you may have to take responsibility for an older person who is no longer capable of independent living. Through no fault of their own, many elderly people who were dependably there for others most of their lives will become dependent -- on their adult children, other relatives, in-home helpers and nursing homes. Thousands of such situations now exist in Michigan, and the numbers will grow dramatically, according to a report in Sunday's Free Press, straining families, finances and the health care system.

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