The issue of elder care will be of increasing importance as each year passes, and over the
next decade, the impact of the very large number of older people age 65 and older in the United
States will become an even more prevalent and profound one. For example, older people will represent a much greater percentage of the population than ever before, and most of them will be
retired and completely out of the workforce. The mental and physical health needs of this group,
their health and housing needs, and their independence or dependence on their families and the rest of the population over the next decade or so are all a matter of speculation, but most experts agree that many dramatic changes will occur.