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America's Changing Demographics

We are getting older ...

It is likely that the fact that our population here in the United States is getting older. How much older is of interest, and it will impact our profession of emergency management. See this: The Numbers Don’t Lie: Getting to Grips with America’s Ever-Evolving Age Demographics.

As we age as a nation, it will require emergency managers to do more detailed planning. And I would be looking for legislators to tighten up on the requirements of adult homes and nursing homes for when disasters strike. These populations are not very mobile, and a preponderance of old people in a community will put a significant drain on resources.   

 

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.
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