Baby Boomers and Beds: a Demographic Challenge for the Ages.

Song, Zirui; Ferris, Timothy G · J Gen Intern Med · 2018

review · Level V

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Abstract

The United States is facing a significant demographic transition, with about 10,000 baby boomers turning age 65 each day. At the same time, the nation is experiencing a similarly striking transition in hospital capacity, as the supply of hospital beds has declined in recent decades. The juxtaposition of population aging and hospital capacity portends a potentially widening divergence between supply and demand for hospital care. We provide a closer look at current hospital capacity and a rethinking of the future role of hospital beds in meeting the needs of an aging population.

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