One factor that has amplified the need for effective elder law is an ever-increasing elderly population. As the elderly population continues to increase, more individuals are in need of the protections that are offered by elder laws. Because of the aging population, more elderly individuals are being subjected to criminal offenses, including assault, fraud, and exploitation.
Also, more individuals are in need of public benefits, including Social Security benefits, Medicaid, and Medicare. The aging population is placing both financial and legal demands upon the government and society. Recent projections indicate that the elderly population will continue to grow and the demands that the government are currently facing will only increase. Therefore, it is essential to establish effective and long-term elder laws in order to provide protection to these individuals.
The United States currently maintains a net aging population. Research and studies indicate that while the percentage of children under the age of eighteen will continue to decrease over the next twenty years, the percentage of individuals over the age of sixty-five will grow steadily. Data suggests that the aging population will increase more quickly than the overall population. Experts believe that the majority of states within the Unite States will experience their elderly population double within the next twenty years.
Research also suggests that within the next ten years, the percentage of toddlers across the globe will be exceeded by the quantity of elderly individuals. This information has serious implications for the economic and legal services that are offered to elderly individuals. Maintaining public benefits is costly for both taxpayers and the government. However, elder laws have developed these services in order to ensure that elderly individuals are able to obtain access to necessary resources when they are no longer able to work.
There is no guarantee that an elder's family will undertake the responsibility of caring for him/her once he/she in unable to effectively care from himself/herself. Therefore, legislation allows the government to tax employees' income in order to set aside finances that they will be permitted to collect once they retire. This will help to ensure that elderly individuals continue to have access to assets such as food.
Health care is another important resource that needs to be made available to elderly individuals. The elderly population is the portion of the population that is most at need for access to health care. They often suffer from serious illness and severe disease. Even if health care cannot cure an adverse health condition, it can generally assist in making a patient more comfortable and diminish pain. However, many elderly individuals are unable to afford medical coverage, and therefore, they do not receive the health care that they require. As the elderly population increases, so does the need for a stable public health care system.
The aging population also increases the demand for elder law regarding estate planning, as well as planning for physical disability and mental incapacity. Elder law is currently an important focal point in the practice of law. Nevertheless, with projections predicting a rapid increase in the elderly population, more complete and effective laws must be developed to address the specific needs of this portion of the population.
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