Introducing Dignity Care Consulting

Today I begin a commitment to comment on topics of interest and relevance to people facing age-related changes. I hope to provide helpful information to those considering a change to their lifestyle and to families beginning to think about changing lifestyles for their elder members. Changes may range from medically necessary alterations to those that may enhance the general quality of life for both the elder member and the not-so-elder member. I plan to touch on topics covered in news venues such as newspapers, medical journals, and internet sites. I’ll also address topics I’ve found to be important to elders and families in my career as a physical therapist and epidemiologist/health services researcher. Finally, I’ll consider those issues my own family faced while managing the aftereffects of a life-altering, severe motor vehicle crash involving our parents.

There are already numerous websites and blogs devoted to elder topics and well there should be. At the turn of the century (meaning 1900, not 2000!), life expectancy was 49.2 years; in 2006, it averaged 77.7 years. In 2006, the 37 million US citizens are over age 65 accounted for 11% of the US population; by 2030, it’s expected that the 71 million people over age 65 will account for 20% of the US population. Clearly, there are already many people over age 65 and, as the years go by, there will be many more. Couple this with the trend toward smaller families and there will be fewer younger family members to provide support as it may become needed.

Hopefully the availability and quality of internet resources will match the growing needs of elders and their families. Whether you or your parents or elder loved ones require the professional experience and personal caring that I offer or if that time is still a few years away, I’ll be here providing information, practical suggestions, and real-world examples.