The Graying of a Nation
Caring for America’s aging population
By Sarah Kittle
According to the Urban Institute, the number of Americans aged 65 and older is currently around 54 million; it is expected to climb to 80 million people in 2040. The number of adults ages 85 and older, the group most often needing help with basic personal care, will have nearly quadrupled between 2000 and 2040.
Part of the imbalance is the declining fertility rate, which currently stands at roughly 1.64, just under the minimum rate needed to maintain population size without any net immigration. Americans are having fewer children. Each American woman of childbearing years has approximately 2 children in her lifetime. Until the early decades of the 19th century, American women averaged more than 7 children each.
Add to that the fact that life expectancy rates have been rising, from age 54.5 in 1900 to about age 83 in the year 2000. We are living a lot longer than our ancestors did, with women outliving their male counterparts by a few years. Some experts claim that half of the girls born today will live to be 100.
The US Census Bureau projects that the country will reach a new milestone in 2034, when people over 65 will overtake children under 18 in number. The middle-aged already outnumber children.
Who cares?
Caring for that aging population has us juggling priorities. Who will care for Jaddou? With the majority of American households for the past two decades being dual income, who has the time and energy?
Enter home healthcare. The Chaldean community has several home care service companies - PARC Home Care, John Paul Home Care, M & S Home Care, M & R Home Assistance, and Guardian Angel Homecare; most services are covered by Medicare or Medicaid. Top-level services include skilled nursing care; physical, occupational, and speech therapy; and social work. They also offer post-hospital and rehab care, orthopedic rehab, diabetic management, wound care, and fall assessments, among many other services.
At PARC, the primary client is the aging or geriatric population. “As an occupational therapist, I see the challenges that our elderly population face every day in their homes,” says PARC CEO Jonathan Gasso. “Receiving education and training from a medical professional can decrease the risks of falling, reduce hospitalizations, and improve overall quality of life.”
And that’s what it’s all about - quality of life. No one wants to live to 100 if they’re miserable or in constant pain.
“Oftentimes, family members play a big role,” says Gasso. “In healthcare, everything requires a collaborative approach. We want everyone to be involved so we can address the problem and keep our client out of the hospital.”
Certain communities require special care. “It’s not uncommon for clients to request a male or female therapist, or one who speaks their language. We do our best to accommodate those clients,” says Gasso. He shared that he is proud to represent his culture in such a positive way. The best feeling in the world, he says, is to be “part of something bigger than myself.”
A different kind of care
As for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled, they require an entirely different scope of care. Until the last decade or so, mental illness carried a stigma in the Chaldean community, according to Rasha Asmar, who with her husband owns and operates adult foster care homes under the name of Forever Care Homes. Unlike home care, these facilities are meant for residents to reside onsite under 24-hour care.
Considered trailblazers, Rasha and her husband Allen have been in the adult foster care business for 10 years. “This is not an easy business,” says Rasha. “You need a heart and passion for these clients.”
Clients include those with Down Syndrome and Autism and a myriad of other mental health issues, some exacerbated by COVID-19. “Aggression is real,” says Rasha. Other services include partial guardianship for disabled minors.
Forever Care Homes walks each client through the process for enrollment, which starts at an Access Center. After diagnosis, the client can get on the list for housing and care. Many people are afraid of losing benefits if they enroll. The Asmars guide them through and make sure they are covered.
Rasha and Allen have been married for 12 years this month and have been serving the community almost their entire marriage. Starting out in this business, Rasha worked 90-hour weeks with three small children at home while Allen worked late hours at a party store. They have paid their dues.
Licensed by the state of Michigan and contracted by three counties (Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland), Forever Care Homes has 6 locations and will soon open another facility, an 18-bed home in Wayne County.
Forever Care Homes has a robust client list, and they are looking to expand. Many assisted living homes have closed down right at a time when the need for their services is growing at an exponential rate. These clients need the right doctors and the right medication, and many need respite care as well. Not falling into the category of assisted living or nursing home, adult foster care can meet those needs.
“We are in the business of care,” says Rasha. “Our staff are highly trained and extremely motivated. They treat our clients like family.”
Taking care of family is what it’s all about.
Mobile Crisis Services 24 Hour Help
Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN) Access Center
1.800.241.4949
Macomb County Community Mental Health (MCCMH) Access Center
1.855.996.2264
Oakland County Crisis Helpline
800.231.1127