Addressing the "Silver Tsunami"

For the first time, older people are going to be more populous than younger people. And there aren't enough doctors to serve them.

Jim Pacala, MD, one of only 7,000 geriatricians in the U.S., is head of the Minnesota Northstar Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (MN Northstar GWEP), a federally funded project whose mission is to pass his specialty's knowledge on to caregivers. In a recent interview for Star Tribune, Dr. Pacala discusses the challenges health care is facing with a growing older population. By 2030, one in five Minnesotans will be 65 years or older.

"When you think about older adults, particularly those in the last chapter of their life, their goals of care may be very, very different than, say, a 30-year-old," said Dr. Pacala.

Medical School Dean Jakub Tolar, MD, commented: "We're not talking about longevity or immortality. We're talking about a way to have a longer time without being pushed to the outside edges of our lives."

Watch the video and visit the MN Northstar GWEP website to learn more about the ongoing efforts to care for older adults and share knowledge with caregivers across Minnesota.