Book Review of Who Will Care For Us? by Paul Osterman

Abstract

In this book, Paul Osterman gives a good-news–bad-news scenario for the aging Baby Boomer generation and those who follow behind. The good news is that we are living  longer. The bad news is that quality affordable care may not be available to us as we age. Many forces lead us to this outcome: the current patchwork system of institutions and markets, regulations governing what direct-care workers can do, a lack of respect  for and meaningful inclusion of direct-care workers in the care process, low wages, and governments at all levels trying to cope with exploding populations to serve with increasingly limited funds. Within this dynamic, the majority of doctors, families and patients agree that good direct-care workers are important.