The Rising Population of Older Adults in California
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The Public Policy Institute of California reported that the older population (aged 65 and above) in California will increase by 59% in 2040. The older population will become more diverse, with no single ethnic or racial group as the majority. This increase has a significant impact on the demand for health care services and the need for long-term care.
A study by Khan, Addo, & Findlay (2024) highlighted the public health challenges posed by the ageing population.
First, the healthcare system is at risk because of the development of chronic diseases in the older population, such as cancer, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, dementia, and hypertension. This is inevitable since, as an individual grows older, they are more likely to develop certain diseases that require medical care and lifestyle adjustments. The growing number of the ageing population will lead to the healthcare system's difficulty in conducting screenings, diagnosing diseases, providing efficient treatment, and offering end-of-life support. Challenges in healthcare access also include shortages of geriatric specialists and care fragmentation.
Second, the number of paid and unpaid caregivers is limited, creating a caregiver gap. There are fewer family caregivers because of them being overburdened, having fragmented families, and even declining birth rates. Similarly, there is a shortage of staff in assisted living facilities and nursing homes.
Third, the health inequities among racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic groups are also a challenge for the ageing population. There are often higher rates of disability, chronic diseases, and mortality in racial and ethnic minorities. For those in rural areas, they have less access to healthcare, support, and community services in comparison to urban areas. The same is true for older individuals living in lower socioeconomic status.
Beyond the challenges in the health care aspect, the older population will face financial safety threats, built environment barriers, and climate change and sustainability. While California expects this rise in the older population, certain regions will face greater challenges. The Central Valley and Los Angeles region will have the largest senior population growth in the state and will face severe challenges in retirement security. Additionally, three out of ten seniors in California do not have enough income to cover their basic needs.
These studies and data reveal the need to prepare the public health sector for the boom of the aging population. No single strategy can completely eliminate the public health challenge, but with enough preparation and investment, its drastic effects on the community will be less severe.
California’s Master Plan for Aging (MPA), a ten-year blueprint, is one of the means that the state has pursued in order to support older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers. It is a whole-of-government and a whole-of-community effort that engages local state, and private partners to build a California for all ages and abilities by 2030. MPA has the following five goals:
Goal 1 – Housing for All Ages and Stages
Goal 2 – Health Reimagined
Goal 3 – Inclusion and Equity, Not Isolation
Goal 4 – Caregiving that Works
Goal 5 – Affording Aging
People are now living longer due to different factors like genetics, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and physical and social environments. This dramatic shift in the older population entails major challenges and raises the need to ensure that the healthcare system is ready.
