Health Care Website and Blog

As the baby boomer generation reaches old age, David Panteleakos says we need to prepare for the 'geriatric tsunami'. Mr. Panteleakos is the administrator of Westview HealthCare Center in Dayville, Conn., one of the top-ranked nursing homes in the nation.

In an interview with the Norwich Bulletin, Mr. Panteleakos said the greatest challenge is to match people's expectations with what is affordable. Medicaid support for the nursing home industry has eroded over the years, and in Connecticut alone 23 homes have closed since 2001.

For the first time in history, the nation will have more old people and fewer children, and a smaller number of productive adults will be forced to support more old people and children.

Healthcare equipment makers are eyeing the Chinese market for opportunities after the government unveiled a blueprint for healthcare reform in the country yesterday.

China's healthcare system is also floundering - though for different reasons than the American system. After the country tried to switch to the market system in the 1980s, state funds for public hospitals dwindled, and doctors tried to cover costs by prescribing costly and profitable treatments. Quality healthcare has been unaffordable for ordinary Chinese a long time.

The government now plans to provide basic medical care as a public service, and expand facilities through the nation. This should create opportunities for all people connected with medicine - health professionals and equipment makers.