|
Elder
Care in Crisis
by: Sheri D. Fanning, RN,C Medicare,
Medicaid and Social Security have been in crisis for years
now, but we are now feeling it here on our communities.
Medicare was a benefit designed to assist older adult pay
for health services but never meant to pay for custodial
care which means long term care needs. Medicaid was meant
to help pay for services Medicare didnıt cover for lower
income and the disabled. Social Security was meant to help
replace income when the older adult or disabled could no
longer work. All of these started out with good exspectation
and intentions, but now we are seeing the systems taxed
because of the unforseen growth in our aging population
for a variety of reasons.
Our
older population are living longer that is no secret but
the resources that once seemed to help them obtain cares
needed are no longer able to do so. Some have compared the
situation to the great depression when choices had to made
whether to put food on the table, clothes on our backs,
or life sustaining medications in our bodies. With cuts
in these local, state, and federal funded programs we as
a society are faced with many choices, not only with how
we will best deal with the problems in the future but how
will we deal with the crisis at hand, and it is a crisis
as many who are faced with these cuts everyday can attest
to.
As
I surf the internet to research how the same crisis we are
faced with now are affecting other communities around the
country I see we are not alone, although this was not news
to me it is somewhat troublesome just the same. The papers,
magazine and numerous publications are reporting on this
crisis everyday. If you think politians are amunded to this
crisis you are wrong a report in the Washington Post July
26, 1999 shows how this issue is hitting home even on Capitol
Hill, the report tells the stories of Representative Richard
Gebhardt, Democratic leader of the house, his wife Jane,
Representative Nancy Johnson, Republican of Connecticut
and a senior member of the Ways and Means commitee, and
Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, all facing
the issue of caring for their parents from actual hands
on to helping make choices of what services are needed and
who can best provide them. Capitol Hill is facing the same
problems as many americans, balancing caring for their parent
and managing their careers. Representative Gebhardt says
it best when he says ³Until youıve gone through something,
you donıt really understand it². This is where we as a society
need to come together to help make a difference, if I can
quote John F. Kennedy, ³ask not what your country can do
for you, ask what you can do for your country², it may be
an old saying but it says it best.
We
as a society need to look at how we can make a difference
not only for the future but now, now when so many of our
elderly are suffering both physically, mentally and spiritually.
We as communities can pull our resources together, be a
volunteer, be proactive, make a difference in someoneıs
life. We can help our children learn the value of living
by encouraging them to volunteer to mow lawns, do yard work,
shovel snow, visit and elderly neighbor who is lonely. We
as adults can through commitees, community organizations,
associations, find ways to help the elderly perhaps by forming
groups that would volunteer to provide companionship, meals,
light housekeeping. We do have some of these services in
place perhaps you can join them.
One
of the most important things we can do to ensure our older
adults are getting the services they need where, when and
how they need them is becoming involved and educated and
donıt be afraid to ask for help from resourse centers, families
or other trusted professionals such as geriatric care managers.
The maze of choices we have and the unique needs of each
of our elderly can be frightening but also rewarding. Making
the best possible choices for our aging population can mean
success or failure in dealing with this elder care crisis.
The answers to the long range problem will not come easy
nor will they come fast but we can help make a difference
by helping here in our communities and by helping local,
state and federal officials come up with solutions, get
involved. If you arenıt faced with these problems now chances
are you will be sometime in the not so distant future
|
