Editorial: The world -- and Long Island -- get older
We must approach elder care and its funding wisely or face disastrous consequences. Credit: Donna Grethen / Tribune Media Services
810 million -- That's the estimated number of people in the world older than 60. It will reach 1 billion within a decade. In the United States, almost one-fifth of us are older than 60. On Long Island, the 65-and-over segment rose 10 percent between 2000 and 2010, while the overall population grew just 3 percent. This trend will bring drastic change. From needing to build more nursing homes to needing more home health aides, we must approach elder care and its funding wisely or face disastrous consequences.
