Baby Boomers and Health Care

My whole life, I have heard people speak of the “baby boomers”. According to the United States Census Bureau, baby boomers are considered a generation born in years ranging from 1946-1964. For whatever reason, there was a population explosion in our country during that time that lasted almost 20 years. America, being the land of entrepreneurs, has tried to get ready for baby boomers to become elderly and no surprise to anyone, they are doing just that. You become painfully aware of this phenomenon when you have a family member in the hospital. It is evident as you see the rise of nursing homes and veterans facilities and it really drives the point home when you try to find a parking place at almost any hospital. I spent all last week at Comanche County Memorial with my dad who had been struggling to get over a minor hernia operation, when in reality is not minor for someone in their late 70s who already deals with a host of other health issues. That hernia surgery might be minor for me in my late 40s but it certainly was not minor for dad. As I tried to handle my daily work of my legislative and auction and real estate business, it has been a real challenge as we dealt with getting in and out of a hospital parking lot. As I thought about that, I realized that parking is nothing in comparison to the bigger picture which is “how do we care for this aging population”?

I was born in 1961 and they consider the last official year of the baby boom to be 1964. I am fortunate as I approach 50 to enjoy good health. I can tell you, as I watch my father struggle, that I will never be a smoker. I am not saying that I have never smoked but there is nothing like dealing with declining health of a lifetime smoker to illustrate what that vice can do. We are a lot better nowadays at preventative medicine and we know a lot more than we did 40 years ago in dealing with diseases like cancer, heart issues and a myriad of other ailments. The fact remains, we are still somewhat responsible for our own health and we have to help the health care system help us. It is amazing when you think about it that our health care system in this country can even come close to dealing with the sheer volume that the baby boom generation has placed before it. In addition to the challenge, it is also a big business. You could almost pick any single issue out of the health care discussion and write an entire book. It is so complex and so in-depth that it is a mind boggling situation. Americans in general tend to think that “ObamaCare” as it has been dubbed is certainly not the answer. A lot of that stems from the old work ethic that former generations were raised with. Kind of like the old adage, “you don’t work, you don’t eat”. I would have to say that I agree; people do need to pull some of their own weight. I think we can all agree that there are some situations where folks need a leg up. I, as well as most of you, do not think that socialized medicine is the answer, although many would argue that we are already there.

There is no way that I can really address this whole issue in this limited space. The problem is ever-growing and as my generation approaches 50 and my parents’ generation live in their twilight years, it is something that we need to think about and find some answers to because it is here and it is real. Any of us are but an accident or a heart attack away from being in a hospital bed for an extended period of time. I appreciate the thoughts and prayers from constituents, neighbors, Facebook friends and others as we struggle to get my dad over this health issue. It is always tough and I can say that he has had good care from an overburdened system who is trying to win a poker game with a pair of threes. They were dealt a tough hand but, as the old saying goes “a winner is someone who bites off more than they can chew…and chews it”. I think healthcare has got a pretty full plate. Thank God for doctors and nurses who go to work everyday knowing that they are never going to win them all, but they keep trying, and they win more than they lose. In the meantime, as I was deep in thought about this week’s column, that guy just got my parking place!

And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“I'll tell 'ya how to stay young: Hang around with older people” -Bob Hope