Enfield Woman Leads Effort for Baby Boomers in Changing Healthcare Market

When Enfield resident Sandra Sergeant started her home healthcare business in 2000, she had one thing in mind: delivering care the way  it should be delivered to each person in need. That is, "Patients are not commodities; they're human beings," she explains.

A decade later, that philosophy and the practice of developing unique care plans tailored to meet the needs of each individual patient have led to her business, Caring Solutions, LLC, blossoming into the eighth largest female-owned business in Connecticut. But the industry is changing.

The facts are simple: 1) 70 million people (the baby-boomer generation) are on the cusp of retirement and receiving additional healthcare services; 2) the communities we live in do not feature age-friendly infrastructure; and 3) people don't want to go to nursing homes.

Folks want to stay in their homes, and "nursing homes are a thing of the past," says Sergeant, who is not sitting idle in anticipation of the emerging baby-boomer market. Sergeant is leading the industry's push to meet the needs of the growing elderly population, that is, in turn, in need of more than the current industry can provide.

The industry, as a whole, is not prepared, according to Sergeant. That's why she's spearheading the New England Home Healthcare Consortium Summit — a "first-of-its-kind conference that will bring the nation's home healthcare experts together at Foxwoods Resort Casino with the mission of boosting care quality and efficiency for years to come.

This year, Sergeant commissioned a study of the emerging baby-boomer market, which identified the needs of the demographic, many of whom are currently providing care or financial assistance to their parents.

The needs identified in the study, which was conducted by Hartt and Mind Market Research of West Hartford go far beyond making a home wheelchair-accessible — they run the gamut, going as far as identifying a need for clothing that can easily be manipulated by arthritic fingers, and as forward as digital technology to make a home the best place for someone to age.

Among the new technology that will be in high demand is monitoring devices, according to Sergeant, who currently implements monitoring via video technology on a limited basis to help care for some clients.

There is an increasing number of people in need of 'round-the-clock care who want to remain in their homes, says Sergeant, adding that those same people don't necessarily want an unfamiliar person in their home all hours of the day, each day of the week.

The limited use of video technology not only allows a person to maintain a sense of privacy, but it can also give caregivers all the access needed to ensure a client's well-being.

In-home improvements make up just one part of the puzzle. Towns across the nation, according to Sergeant, aren't prepared for the boomers. 

According to a Penn SchoenBerland survey conducted for the National Council on Aging, UnitedHealtcare and USAToday, the number of Americans aged 65 and above will double by the year 2040, and will double again by 2060.

With such large elderly populations, town infrastructure will have to change. There are only two town in Connecticut making real strides in preparation for an older population: New Canaan and Enfield, Sergeant says. But changes, like those to be discussed at Sergean't summit, will need to be made soon.

Sergeant's New England Home Healthcare Consortium Summit will be held Nov. 3-5. Additional information can be found at www.nehhc.org. 

Learn more about Caring Solutions at www.ctcaringsolutions.com.