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Show jHealth care problems 'monumental' j "Numbers are staggering," and health care problems are i monumental," Dennis F. Gehring, executive director, Life Care I Center, Bountiful, told Bountiful Kiwanians, Tuesday. People are living longer, he said, and predicted that the over-65 population will be doubled in 30 years and will be 36 million, or 22 percent of the U.S. population, by the year 2000. Today, health care delivery systems have changed; hospital time is shortened and there is a need for extended care, as there is an incentive in-centive to make the hospital stay as short as possible. Care facilities, unlike years ago, he reported, have developed long-term long-term and short-term facilities and equipment designed to help a patient to a pre-hospital environment, envir-onment, or a less restrictive environment envir-onment in a care center. We offer, he said, day care treatment, treat-ment, treatment of chronic care, and care for terminal patients. It is expected that 30 percent of those over 65 years will spend some time in an extended care facility. |