According to WHO (World Health Organization), the older population in the United States is expected to increase. It has been estimated that by 2050 that 8.7 million of the population will be aged 65 above, which is double, the estimated of 43.1 million in 2013 (MacLeod et al., 2018) . This means that the number of people 65 and older will outnumber children under the age of 5 years old. This can be attributed to the falling fertility rates and increase life expectancy which will see the aging population accelerate further. Improved care and medical prevention efforts in the United States are contributing factors for the increase in life expectancy (MacLeod et al., 2018) .
The body responsible for advising the national government and the county executive on the problems and needs of the aging population in Freeport is the Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs, According to the Nassau County office for the aging, 257,000 people are aged 60 and above, it is the responsibility of the county government to provide aging services in the areas of health, legal services, homecare, employment and nutrition that will assist them to remain independent (MacLeod et al., 2018) .
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Nassau County and the whole of New York is currently experiencing a housing crisis as the county is not able to meet its current housing demands (Span, 2019) . Middle-class and low-income seniors are highly affected by the lack of housing units as they age their age into poverty (Holt, 2017) . Housing units have become expensive for the aging population in Nassau county due to under-employment due to age discrimination, the long-term effects of unemployment or other factors such as the loss of a second income, long-term illnesses or as a result of medical debt (Span, 2019) . Racial segregation and discrimination in Freeport, Nassau county worsens the housing affordability crisis for racial minorities especially African-Americans and the Latino populations. Even though racial diversity and inclusion have increased, a majority of the population remains 80 per cent white.
In Freeport, there are various community-based support and services such as the Hempstead Senior Community Services, the Glen Clover Senior Community Center and the Catholic Charities that provide resources and community-dwelling places that help older adults stay safely at home as well as prevent institutionalization for the aging population in Freeport. These community-based organizations provide nutrition, adult daycare and transportation services for the elderly. Two years ago, a survey conducted in Freeport showed the needs of local senior citizens were not being met when it came to transportation and opportunities to socialize. Based on the findings of this report, the Freeport Community Services initiated a program for the elderly whose main focus is to improve the transportation options and the creation of more outlets for senior citizens to socialize and stay fit (Span, 2019) . The Freeport Elders Association (FEA) has played an integral role in enhancing the quality of life providing services to the elderly in Freeport. The FEA has been a pillar in the provision of events and activities that are specifically designed for seniors in Freeport for more than ten years.
Today, health care is to senior adults as education is to childhood. Bold measures must be taken to construct, renovate, expand and equip hospitals in Freeport to optimize care for the elderly, an investment that would be beneficial to Americans of all ages. The elderly constitute 16 per cent of the entire U.S. population but 40 per cent of those hospitalized are adults (Holt, 2017) . Wendy Mcwhorter states that the healthcare spending policy in the United States is largely based on the payments for medical treatments and services rather than focusing on prevention efforts and nonmedical determinants such as the quality of life. A practicing nurse by profession, Mcwhorter articulates that social factors such as social isolation and loneliness need to be looked into in order to improve the quality of care for the elderly.
Nassau County needs to find alternative solutions for delivering care to elderly populations. One of the approaches suggested by James Whitmore is for the county government to build more affordable housing and user-friendly cities that meet the growing needs of the senior citizens in Freeport (Holt, 2017) . Other options include the provision of quality and equal care to the elderly regardless of their cultural, religious, ethnic or national background. Instead of the healthcare system concerning itself with an individual’s ability to pay, care should be provided according to their needs. Freeport could borrow a leaf from Sweden in the implementation of home help services that can be offered at the homes of senior citizens (Songur, 2019) . The elderly, however, would need to apply with the county government for the provision of services such as house cleaning, cooking and healthcare services. Social workers can then be sent to assess the needs of the elderly. Senior citizens with low income can be put on social security and welfare benefits that are set in accordance with the national standards in the United States as this protects them from excessive and exploitative fees. Nassau County needs to integrate low-income elderly housing in mixed-income projects that will consist of amenities such as outdoor courtyards, food pantry, computer labs, a business centre and walking paths (Songur, 2019) . These units will then require the elderly to pay about 25 per cent of the income toward rent.
References
Holt, J. (2017). Navigating Long-Term Care. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine , 3 , 233372141770036. doi: 10.1177/2333721417700368
MacLeod, S., Schwebke, K., Hawkins, K., Ruiz, J., Hoo, E., & Yeh, C. (2018). Need for Comprehensive Health Care Quality Measures for Older Adults. Population Health Management , 21 (4), 296-302. doi: 10.1089/pop.2017.0109
Songur, W. (2019). Older migrants’ use of elderly care in Sweden: family affects choice between home help services and special housing. European Journal of Social Work , 1-11. doi: 10.1080/13691457.2019.1639628
Span, P. (2019). Many Americans Will Need Long-Term Care. Most Won’t be Able to Afford It . Retrieved 13 December 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/10/health/assisted-living-costs-elderly.html
