I am entering the part of my life when some would consider me elderly. I do not think of myself as such and refuse to do so, but I can see their point and can now see the problems face by our Nation's senior citizens.
First, economics. Of course many seniors are in fine financial shape, and God bless them. I, and my wife are okay. We went through some horrific times but now we survive somewhat comfortably and in that regard, we are fortunate. Many, many are far less fortunate. Statistics show that a large percentage of those on Social Security depend on that for most, if not all, of their income. Let me assure you; living on Social Security is difficult, very nearly impossible.
There are programs like Food Stamps to help but here is how that works. We applied and at last were told that, because of our combined income, we would get $40/month. $40. Any of you who have shopped in recent years know how little that buys.
As far as health care goes, our state, Georgia, gives little for Medicaid, and Medicare is too high for anyone on Social Security to afford. Yes, Part A is free, but that just covers some hospitalization costs. Part B would cost us around $170 per month, each. If we lost that much of our monthly income, we would be living on the streets.
Since I mentioned living on the streets, I want you to know that many seniors are doing just that. Others, like us, are living in rent-by-the-week extended stays motels and efficiencies. I will get to those accommodations in another post, but, in short, it is not a great lifestyle. Those needing assisted care have a bigger problem. There are beautiful Senior Assisted Living Facilities but they are very expensive. There are also such facilities that are dumps, unfit for humans to live in. I knew a man in Florida who owned several and I would not have housed a cockroach in one of them. The deal is this; you give them your Social Security each month and they give you a bed and something resembling food. If you have a specific medical condition that requires constant care, you may, in some states, get Medicaid to pay for a proper nursing home, but that, I know from experience with relatives, is not a lot better.
There is another problem Seniors have that is not financial, but social, even spiritual. Many Seniors who manage to afford living on their own, are just that, on their own. They may have outlived spouses or been alone since divorces. Some never had kids, some have outlived their kids, and many are just ignored, nearly abandoned by the kids they raised. I have known many of them who were living in little apartments, on their own, who were lucky to see their remaining family once a year, maybe get a phone call on their birthday and a card at Christmas. Humans are social animals and do not do well at all when left alone. True, most communities have Senior Centers but I believe that, while it is nice to have friends your own age, it is better to be around a variety of different folks.
The answer, well that really is fairly easy. The Government needs to stop wasting money on idiotic military adventures and needs to stop subsidizing industries that should be functioning without assistance, such as ethanol production, corn growers (who grow the corn for that nearly useless ethanol), tobacco farmers, the solar and wind energy production products, and many more industries. While we are at it, it would be a fine idea to audit the Federal Reserve just so we could see how they are manipulating our economy. Then, I have no doubt, the American people would demand an end to their nonsense (I decide to use polite language) and our economy could finally be restored to the way it is supposed to function. And, on top of both of those steps, we could stop borrowing money to send aid to foreign nations. I cannot see the sense in that and we keep doing it (right as I write this, Hillary is going on and on about our continued support for Israel. We borrow money, give it to them, then when our own people need help, well, sorry, we don't have the money.)
As far as the social aspect goes, that is even simpler. If you have elderly members of your family, take some time and visit, call, write, whatever you can do, to just let them know that they are thought of. When you see Seniors on the street, in parks, malls, restaurants, wherever, talk to them. They will not bite and you may meet some new, bright, funny friends. And, if you have a little free time and a few older neighbors, hang out with them a little. You have nothing to lose. You can miss and episode of The Bold and the Beautiful or a few minutes of one of the countless games on TV each week. It will mean more than you know to them, and I will bet you have a lot better time that you expect. In short, be human and show a little compassion.
No comments:
Post a Comment