OCALA, FL (352today.com) – A new report commissioned by a U.K.-based manufacturer of medical beds suggests Florida is among the most pressured states in the U.S. when it comes to nursing home availability.
The report, by East Yorkshire’s Opera Beds, offers a wide-ranging set of data and findings regarding our nation’s preparedness when it comes to caring for our aging population, including services available by state per capita, healthcare affordability by state, and more.
Included in the dataset is a ranked list of states with the fewest nursing home beds per 1,000 residents at or above the age of 65. Florida, which perennially ranks among the top three U.S. states with the highest percentage of residents in that age range–it’s currently in the No. 2 position behind Maine, at 21.1 percent–comes in ninth, with an estimated 18.2 beds per 1,000 residents aged 65+.
None of the states that scored worse–i.e., having fewer beds per 1,000 seniors–have anywhere near the general population of Florida, the nation’s third most populous state, and only Maine, which came in just above the Sunshine State at No. 8, has a higher percentage of residents in the target age range.
On the bright side, Florida doesn’t appear near the top of any of the other potential elder-care population pressure points–and it doesn’t appear in the list of the top 10 states most challenged in elder care. On the darker side, we don’t appear among the top 10 states most supportive of our most experienced generations, either.
The report, including the various factors and data incorporated in its scoring, is available at the website linked above.