Somewhere along the way, aging got framed as pathology. It isn’t. It’s a stage—now the fastest-growing one in America. From 2023 to 2024, the 65+ population grew 3.1% to 61.2 million, and in 11 states older adults already outnumber children. Policy and culture didn’t keep pace, so we medicalized an inevitability. Census.gov
This medicalization shows up in benefit design (pay generously for procedures, sparsely for social supports) and in our buildings (hospitals by the acre, age-friendly homes in short supply). Yet the most effective “interventions” for older adults are often non-medical: fall-proofing, medication reconciliation, nutrition, and continuity. That’s why home-care models are surging—and why 2023 home health spend jumped 10.8%. We’re finally funding what older adults actually need. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
When I first visited a Hallmark Homecare client who’d stopped driving, the “treatment plan” wasn’t a drug; it was a social plan. A caregiver who spoke her language, a weekly market trip, a routine. Blood pressure improved because life improved. CareFortis approaches cognition similarly: integrate movement, daylight, and family rituals into care—not just memantine and monitoring.
Reframing aging requires changing what we measure. Count “days at home,” not just readmission rates. Count “moments of agency,” not just ADL scores. Clinically, that means proactive polypharmacy reviews and strength training; operationally, it means paying caregivers a livable wage and building tech that augments—not replaces—the human bond. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 17% growth in home health and personal care jobs this decade; let’s make those good jobs that people want. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Aging isn’t a disease. Treat it as a design brief. Homes, neighborhoods, payment, tech—if we build them for older adults, we build them better for everybody.
