Are we prepared to care for an aging society?  If you are worried, there is hope.  New research shows how, thanks to new technologies and innovative programs, we are in much better shape to care for seniors – as long as governments and healthcare systems make some adjustments.

Healthcare Strategies for an Ageing Society is a fascinating new report written by the Economist Intelligence Unit and commissioned by Philips as part of the 2009 GetInsideHealth program of research.  Developed by Dr. Paul Kielstra and Julie Sell and edited by Iain Scott, the report draws on top experts from around the world.

The report counters the notion that developed countries like the US and UK are unable to cope with an aging society.  However, addressing the healthcare needs of seniors will require major adjustments.  These include:

• Making geriatric care a bigger part of medical training and improving remuneration for geriatric specialists to make these careers more attractive to young physicians and nurses

• Alternative options to expensive nursing home care, most notably home- and community-based models of care for frail seniors

• Making treatments more appropriate to older populations.  There is widespread ignorance about the effectiveness of drug treatments in people aged 65 and over.  Pressure will rise on policymakers, pharmaceutical firms, and other medical providers for more research into drugs that meet the unique needs of older bodies.

To read the free report, click here.

Please be sure to also check out the other reports in this four-part series:

• Fixing healthcare: Supported by interviews with leading healthcare professionals, the report examines frontline challenges, potential reforms, and other ways healthcare may evolve in the future.

• How to get innovation into healthcare systems: By focusing on the organizational and structural barriers that can impede health reform, the report identifies five key strategies for driving innovation in health services.

• Health Reform: The Debate Goes Public: After conducting a survey across the US, UK, India, and Germany, the report compares what the citizens of these four large economies think of their health systems.

Kip