We are in a healthcare crisis.
We have more senior citizens, a rising cost of food and living, and a healthcare system that is unable to support the volume of patients and care needs. According to the 2021 U.S. Census Bureau, Georgia’s fastest-growing age group is the 65 and older population — increasing more than 3.2 percent between 2020 and 2021 alone. Not only does Georgia have a large senior citizen population, but 10 percent of those over 65 live in poverty, according to the Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services.
Access to healthcare is a basic human right, yet so many either don’t have health insurance, have no transportation to get to their appointments, or cannot afford to get the care they need.
In addition to a lack of access to care, there are simply not enough clinicians and caregivers available to help those in need, and the problem is only mounting. Data analyzed by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2020 found that one in five adults in Georgia are caregivers and that 30 percent of those provide care for at least 20 hours a week. As the senior population continues its staggering growth, it’s easy to imagine that the demand for home health services will increase exponentially.
So we ask: What is the backup plan for a healthcare system that can’t support such an influx of patients? Because we must do better.
For Visiting Nurse Health System, providing access to quality healthcare is not new to us. It has been part of our mission since day one when we opened our doors on Peachtree Street in 1948. As Georgia’s first and largest nonprofit provider of healthcare and aging at home for 75 years, we’ve had the privilege to be Georgia’s safety net to healthcare, including serving low-income…
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