We Are Not Becoming an Aging Nation. We Already Are. And Funeral Service and Healthcare Are Standing at the Center of It.

I was in my office early one morning reviewing population data when one statistic stopped me. According to a new U.S. Census Bureau report, older adults now outnumber children in eleven states, including Florida, Maine, and Pennsylvania. Nearly half of U.S. counties have crossed that same threshold.

I read it again.

It felt like a Midwest morning when a storm is coming. You see clouds gathering and assume you still have time. Then the wind shifts. The storm is already overhead.

That is where we are as a nation. We are not heading toward an aging society. We are living in one.

And for those of us in funeral service and healthcare, this reality is not theoretical. It walks through our doors every day.

The Data Confirms What We Already Experience

Research from the NIH, Urban Institute, National Council on Aging, and Population Reference Bureau tells a consistent story:

• The population over sixty-five will nearly double by 2040

• Adults over eighty-five represent the fastest-growing age group

• Chronic illness, cognitive decline, and mobility limitations are rising

• Social isolation is now recognized as a serious health risk

• Many communities lack adequate services for older adults

These trends show up not in charts, but in more extended family conversations, more complex decisions, exhausted caregivers, and increased emotional labor for professionals.

We meet families not at the beginning of their journey, but at the turning point.

What This Means for Funeral Service and Healthcare

After more than four decades in funeral service, I’ve learned that demographic change rarely arrives loudly. It appears quietly in the daily rhythm of work.

What has changed is not just volume. It is intensity.

Families increasingly choose options that cost less but require more explanation, coordination, and customization. Cremation with memorialization, green options, hybrid services, and virtual participation often demand more staff time, not less.

Healthcare faces the same reality. Shorter hospital stays shift responsibility to families and community providers, increasing demand without increasing capacity.

Here is the pressure point we must name clearly:

Demand is rising. Margins are tightening. Staff time is expanding.

Staffing has become the defining challenge of this era.

The Staffing Reality

In both funeral service and healthcare, the primary constraint is no longer facilities or equipment. It is people.

We are asking fewer professionals to do more complex work, for longer hours, under greater emotional strain. At the same time, fewer young people are entering these professions, and experienced professionals are burning out or retiring earlier.

This imbalance is unsustainable unless leaders rethink how work is structured, supported, and shared.

Opportunities Hidden in the Challenge

Redesigning roles. Not every task requires a licensed professional. Leadership now means unbundling work and allowing team members to operate at the top of their skill set.

Employing older adults. Older workers bring steadiness, empathy, and strong communication skills. In a time of staffing scarcity, they are an underutilized asset in roles such as family support, administration, aftercare, and education.

Education as strategy. Community education reduces time-of-need strain. Workshops on advanced planning, caregiving, and end-of-life decisions shorten arrangement conferences and lower emotional intensity when families need us most.

Pre-planning for workflow stability. Research from Homesteaders Life Company reinforces what many funeral professionals know. Pre-planning stabilizes staffing as much as revenue. When decisions are made in advance, teams can serve with intention rather than urgency.

Why Augmented Intelligence Is Now Essential

Step back, and the conclusion becomes unavoidable.

Rising demand.Lower-margin choices. More staff time is required. Fewer people are available to do the work.

This makes the thoughtful implementation of Augmented Intelligence an imperative for organizations that want to thrive.

This is not about replacing people. It is about protecting them.

Augmented Intelligence reduces administrative friction, supports documentation and communication, and frees professionals to focus on what only humans can provide: presence, judgment, and care.

Used responsibly, with clear policies and human oversight, it becomes a leadership tool that sustains teams rather than exhausts them.

Stewardship, Not Survival

This moment is not about surviving change. It is about stewarding professions built on trust.

Families do not come to funeral homes or healthcare organizations seeking efficiency alone. They come seeking steadiness, clarity, and compassion.

The leaders who thrive in this aging nation will be the ones who protect their people while meeting growing demand, and who redesign work so care remains human.

About the Author

Jay Jacobson is a licensed funeral director with more than forty-five years of experience in funeral home ownership, staff development, and public policy. He is the author of Lead by Legendary Example, a leadership blueprint rooted in presence, integrity, and service.

Learn more at:https://www.jacobsonprostaff.com/general-8