Aging Demographics Highlight Need For Affordable Senior Care

Facing a $1 million cut, the Maryland Department of Aging is focusing on providing more at-home services to keep the elderly out of costly nursing homes.

Coming on the heels of last year’s $4 million budget cuts, the $1 million cut in the governor’s fiscal 2014 budget is 2% of the department’s overall budget. At the same time, the department is confronting the needs of the rapidly-aging Baby Boomer generation.

“The shift from a younger America to an older one will affect us all,” said Gloria Lawlah, secretary of Aging. “By 2040, the number of Americans over age 65 will more than double to 88 million. Put in another way, one in five Americans will be 65 years of age or older. One in five.”
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