Pain of Aging: More than Half the Nursing Homes in Detroit Could Shut by Next Summer

Some scary news on the aging front.

The Detroit Free Press reports that 19 of Detroit's 32 nursing homes could close by next summer if they don't upgrade or install sprinkler systems.

The Free Press, citing a study to be released today by the Detroit Area Agency on the Aging, also reports that "elderly people in Detroit and eight smaller, neighboring communities, are dying faster, being hospitalized more often and in need of nursing home care sooner than their counterparts in the rest of the state."

The care for the elderly looks less than promising. The Free Press reports that Detroit has lost 16 nursing homes in 13 years and that more than half are struggling to stay open.