A lot of powerful groups have every incentive to make assisted living work for you, the American senior citizen.
Take hospitals. They have just spent the last decade building and refurbishing hospitals in a manner not seen since the 1950s, modernizing, refitting and refurbishing, making hospitals modern and hooked up to all kinds of new equipment. But at the end of this massive renovation and rebuilding program, there are now 88,000 fewer available beds then there were a decade ago. Hospitals want assisted living to work.
Or take politicians. The new healthcare patterns being debated or decided in Washington today depend for their success on pushing more responsibility onto the patient. Their programs will fall apart unless they can get us all to take more care of ourselves. Hopefully better, but crucially, more. Politicians don't want the taxpayer to support you in the hospital any longer than necessary--nor do they want to spend on long term care facilities. They need assisted living to work.
And then there's business. A lot of business. The U.S. and Canada spent $6 billion on home medical equipment two years ago, and it's growing by almost 9% per year. Most of it goes on wheelchairs and equipment to treat diabetes, but they cannot survive without assisted living being a good option.
So you're not alone.
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