The question of who will care for Puerto Rico鈥檚 aging population is a growing crisis, says Dr. Angel Mu帽oz, a clinical psychologist and researcher at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in Ponce. The island鈥檚 elderly population is particularly at risk amid the new Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30.
Earlier this year, a study by Harvard researchers estimated that 4,600 Puerto Ricans died in the months after Hurricane Maria hit last September. Many were seniors who faced delays in getting medical care.
Meanwhile, projections show that one-third of Puerto Rico’s population will be 60 or older by 2020, even as the number of young people are increasingly fleeing to the mainland in search of employment, often leaving behind aging parents.
鈥淲e have more [older adults] being left alone to almost fend for themselves, or being cared for by other seniors, instead of a younger family member,鈥 said Mu帽oz. In addition, Medicaid does not pay for long-term nursing home care in Puerto Rico.
KHN senior correspondent Sarah Varney reports in collaboration with “PBS NewsHour” on how difficult daily life has become for this population.
麻豆女优 Health News鈥 coverage related to aging and improving care of older adults is supported in part by .
