Home Health Therapies

Home care will continue to be an integral part of the health care system in the future. In fact, its importance is expected to grow as a result of the aging population and the increasing number of frail older adults living at home. In 2000 there were approximately thirty-five million people age sixty-five or older in the United States.

The size of this group is expected to double to seventy million by 2030.

At the same time there is also an increasing number of people with chronic illnesses. In 1995 there were ninety-nine million people of all ages with some type of chronic disease. This number will increase to one hundred and forty-eight million by 2030. Almost one-third of the people in this group have a major limitation as a result of their chronic condition.

Finally, the continued emphasis on providing cost-effective health care options and the growth of consumer choice are working to move home care into a more prominent light.