Abstract
Healthcare needs are essential for healthy living for people in different age brackets. These needs will vary in relation to different aspects of life such as age, ethnicity and economic power. Therefore, the aspect of defining quality healthcare will depend on one individual’s view to another. The needs that will be required by people belonging to the baby boomers age bracket will be quite different from members of the generation X. The difference may also be established between the two groups and the seniors’ age group. These differences are what reveal the different ways in which people will explain quality healthcare. Some of the aspects of quality healthcare that will be held by baby boomers will be quite different from the younger generation X age group.
In reference to healthcare needs, generation X has some aspects which it considers to be quality healthcare. As a result of the young nature, this generation prioritizes healthcare services aimed at keeping them young (Bodenheimer 2008). This is one of the aspects that this age group associates to quality healthcare. A good example is plastic surgery with the aim of maintaining a young attractive look. Most of these young people will spend high on medication that will help maintain the young appearances. According to the generation, this is what is considered to be quality healthcare.
This generation is also not interested in long term healthcare services. Generation X is a generation which is considered to be in a rush with everything. They prefer short term healthcare services that will quickly meet the healthcare needs (Bruce 2008). This is another important aspect that the generation considers to be quality healthcare. The generation X associates long term healthcare services to old age and this is the reason why they dismiss it.
Baby boomer is another age bracket that has various needs as far as healthcare is concerned. This age bracket ranges from 40-60 years. Their concerns as far as healthcare services are concerned may be different from that of the generation X. However, this group has some similarities as well as far as the provision of quality healthcare services is concerned. This generation age bracket is quite older than the baby boomers therefore there might be some differences in what they consider as quality when it comes to the provision of healthcare services.
The baby boomers relate quality healthcare to expense. Just like the generation X, baby boomers will incur high expenses to matters concerning healthcare. Some of the healthcare services that this group of people considers to be quality healthcare services include plastic surgeries, burst enlargement and face lifts. All these healthcare services are aimed at maintaining their young stature despite the fact that old age consumes them slowly.
Gradually, the baby boomers will get absorbed into long term healthcare services as the old age sets in. This is because of some of the inevitable healthcare complications that come with old age. This age group is susceptible to diabetes and therefore it considers quality healthcare to include medication that controls blood sugar levels. This is just one of the diseases that is common as the baby boomers approach the seniors’ age bracket.
The baby boomers will also incur costs in healthcare services by paying for healthcare services which tend to improve their daily performance. This includes medication that increases their energy levels because with the old age setting in, their energy levels are at stake. They therefore opt to seek medical attention that seems to improve their energy levels. This is what this age bracket of people considers to be quality when it comes to healthcare services.
The seniors’ age group category consists of people who have attained the age of 65 years and above. This category of people requires healthcare services that are quite different from that of the generation X age bracket and the baby boomers. This may be because of the healthcare risks accompanied by the old age that sets in (Cogan 2005).
This category of people will have different ways in which they will view quality healthcare services. One of the ways in which this group of people gauge quality healthcare is by focusing on long term healthcare services (Barker 2008). This includes medication that seems to take control of chronic diseases which may result to opportunistic infections. This medication is expensive and requires a lot of medical check-ups from qualified physicians.
The seniors’ age group is prone to depression and this may have serious health complications. Therefore, this age group will spend a lot on medication that enables them to relax. In some cases these people will seek antidepressant medication. This is because at the old age, it becomes difficult to deal with stress. This is therefore assumed to be one of the ways in which seniors assess healthcare in terms of quality.
In some cases, the seniors’ require home based healthcare services. This is because it gets hectic to make numerous trips to the healthcare services. To enhance the quality of healthcare services, the seniors’ opt to acquire nursing from qualified healthcare facilities as a means of taking of immediate healthcare needs.
Generation X 20-40
This generation considers quality healthcare services to have the following:
a. Seek medical healthcare services that seem to counter aging.
b. Prefer short term healthcare services.
c. Seek medication aimed at energy provision.
Baby Boomers 40-60
This age bracket considers the following in quality healthcare service:
a. Do not seek long term healthcare services. Seek short term healthcare services.
b. Require medication that will solve their healthcare issues quickly.
c. Just like generation X, they will seek healthcare services that seem to counter aging e.g face lifts to hide wrinkles
Seniors 65
a. Seek long term healthcare services.
b. Seek medical attention to counter the effect of chronic illnesses such as diabetes.
c. Prefer home based nursing services to enhance their health.
Reference:
Bodenheimer T. and Kevin Grumbach K. (2008). Understanding Health Policy, McGraw Hill
Medical.
Bruce, B. and Fottler M. (2008). Human Resources In Healthcare: Managing for Success, health
Administration Press.
Barker A. and M. Ginter P. (2008). Advanced Practice Nursing: Essential Knowledge for the
Profession, Jones and Bartlett.
Cogan J., Hubbard R.,and Kessler D. (2005). Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise: Five Steps to a Better
Health
Care System, AEI Press.
