Elder orphans a growing social issue
By Carina Storrs, CNN
Recently a 76-year-old man known as HB, whose health had been deteriorating, tried to take his own life and was admitted to North Shore University Hospital on Long Island.
Doctors decided that HB would not be able to go back to living by himself because of his condition and complications while in the hospital. With his only family across the country and no social support in the area, the man was placed, possibly permanently, in a nursing home.
The experience of HB is not unusual. His story is a case study of the problem of “elder orphans.” These seniors are single or widowed; they have no children, at least in the area, and no support system. And they find themselves alone with no one to help care for them when they need it.
Although the problem of elder orphans has been known for a while, new research suggests just how bad it is. About 22 percent of Americans 65 years and older are in danger of becoming, or already are, in this situation. As of 2012, there were 43 million people over 65 in the U.S., up from 35 million in 2002.
Orphans?? Really??
One guy’s story does not a crisis make.
Infantilizing adults and allowing ‘experts’ to question the decisions of others so as to allow government intervention into lives that elderly people may just be happy with, is the goal of this story.
Can’t you leave people alone? There are already lots of options available. We don’t need another study and we don’t need more abdication of personal responsibility. These are ADULTS we are talking about.
“Can’t you leave people alone…” Wonder how the invisible hand of the libertarian fantasy free market would deal with the cognitive decline that comes along with living longer than we should. Probably similar to the capitalist machine we have in place now(“Soylent Green is….people!”)
I’ve been trying to be less insultingly bombastic in my comments(believe it or not), so I will just say that ‘leaving people to those within our society who would prey upon them’ is NOT the mark of a civilized people.
Dog pretends she is an adult, when she continually whines like a 7 year old.
We do not have a ‘capitalist machine’ by any stretch of the imagination. Our current system much more closely resembles fascism. And if you’re so concerned about the cognitive decline of the long-lived, maybe you should raise the question of how busing dementia patients from nursing homes to polling places is in any way justifiable?
I don’t see how calling for individual responsibility instead societal dependence qualifies as “whining”. However, your constant name-calling does smack of the schoolyard bully.
” Our current system much more closely resembles fascism. ”
Source?
The answer is actually oligarchy. A research paper was written on the topic.
Dog, your excessive dislike of the gov and your lack of real world experiences I suspect, compromises your reading comprehension. Having experienced first hand several elderly folks (my mother, my mother-in-law, some aunts and uncles) that have required elderly care, I get it. Many (if not most) folks if they live long enough, reach a point where they are unable to take care for themselves due to physical reasons or various forms of dementia or both. My mother suffered from Alzheimer’s, but was reasonably capable for several years as it slowly progressed, but as it got worse she broke one hip, and several months later her other – she died 5 months after the second break in a very sad state. Her last year of life she was extremely violent (extreme dementia), rather disoriented, but to the end, she always recognize my sister and I.
My mother-in-law, had mild dementia (normal for 85 plus years old) but had broke her hip and she lacked to desire to properly rehab, but lived 2.5 years longer – pretty much bed bound. She required 24 hr care and luckily lived close enough to us that she saw us most every day. Her brain worked pretty well, just not her body.
These are simply two examples of individuals that lacked the capacity to care for themselves, really for a few years before they declined rapidly, but due to caring family members, they were able to make the last few years. I can provide a fair number of similar experiences from friends and family.
The article you seemingly did not read, provided statistics on the number of folks who do not have the type of support we were able to offer (or that my friends and family have been able to). It does not take a genius to understand, that if there is not family, these folks are extremely screwed as they reach a point they are unable to make reasonable choices (even if they are adults) and a fair number will experience extremely miserable end-of-life. I for one have the compassion that if we can find ways to improve folks care and end-of-life, they we should.
Glad you are so caring.
Rick
Schoolyard bully…that’s me. Riiggghht. Once again, late in the month, we can tell who is low on her psych meds.
I for one could end up like this being childless in my 60’s.
This is why one needs to have their end of life in order.
Such as an directive form filled out and notarized and sent out way in advance to any family members, close friends. At least this way you won’t be forced to be kept alive on life support as they would do that with out a directive in order. The form is free on line, no body gets off here alive!
A thought for the day
Canine vampire, Such a myopic ignorant view of the world. You would deny assistance to the lonely elderly person with dementia? All though adults, they are not in their right mind and need supervision. I have lived this first hand with my Mother. It is heart breaking. if you want to experience it first hand go to Barton’s Skilled Nursing facility and get a taste of reality. Having dog in your name is an insult and an offense to all canines. I pity you.
Most of these people do have family. The problem is their family is too lazy to jump in and do anything. They feel that their life and their plans are too important to be interrupted by caring for an elderly relative. Then, elderly people end up in nursing homes or on hospice care, which is basically a death sentence. It’s pretty sick.
Greengrass, I agree that families are all over the place, though I would say it’s not always laziness which makes it hard if not seemingly impossible for people to adjust their lives to assist aging parents(or other family members). This did not occur in a vacuum-there were and are forces at play in our country that created this situation for many. It would be an interesting debate for sure, to look at why our economic system is so hostile to families.
The question becomes, do we just throw them to the wolves? Or Coyotes? Or dogpires?
greengrass-you’re a teenager-you have absolutely 0 idea what you’re talking about-a society should be judged by how they deal with the least among them-
wrongula-those that do not work shall not eat-you disgust me
Hmmm: Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances, but I’ve personally witnessed family members who just don’t want to put out the effort. Really, your parents gave you your life, then cared for YOU for 18 years. It seems to me that most people ought to do whatever they can to help out their parents in the last few years of their life. Obviously we don’t want to, “throw them to the wolves,” as you put it.
Again Dog has no idea what Fascism is or how it possibly could relate to an article about an elderly singular population.
Once again the lines have been drawn by intellect and education. Right around 85 and 9th grade.
fascism – an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.
oligarchy – a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution.
As DOP and R4T pointed out, dog, the current system resembles oligarchy much more than fascism. Get your definitions straight.
One after another, the elites keep inventing new crises to frighten the people into being willing to create another new agency and separate the people from their hard earned money. When money is stolen from the people who earn it (always under the guise of benefiting some disadvantaged class) and filtered through agencies before it gets to the the actual people who need it, much is WASTED.
Re: GG’s definition of facism. You should look beyond the first definition that pops up when googling. Fascism is NOT a “right wing” system.
Try this definition. It’s closer: “A totalitarian philosophy of government that glorifies the state and nation and assigns to the state control over every aspect of national life. The name was first used by the party started by Benito Mussolini , who ruled Italy from 1922 until the Italian defeat in World War II. However, it has also been applied to similar ideologies in other countries, e.g., to National Socialism in Germany and to the regime of Francisco Franco in Spain.”
Dog. What sickening and nonsensical garbage! Everyone on the planet except you and your minions knows what the Italians and Germans did with Fascism.
How would the elderly Jews, Gypsies and Blacks in Germany have been treated in the 30’s and 40’s… How about the handicapped, gays and lesbians… They were murdered, they disappeared or they were sterilized by the Gestapo and Brown Shirts.
This “article” is about 22% of the elderly population with no help from anyone in America. It is NOT about your warped sense of fascism and perverted ideas of Governance.
Happy Memorial Day to you too.
Hysteria becomes you.
Dogula: Arguing with the dictionary definition of fascism does not make you look intelligent. You can’t just redefine words, then expect everyone to accept your new definition. Your utopian world does not exist. Take away the government, and you take away law and order. I’m not saying the government we currently have is good, but it’s much better than none.
The google definition is not the be-all nor end-all of definitions. I did not “redefine” anything. Your acceptance of the first definition you saw, without even thinking about what it actually says, and then claiming that mine must be wrong, doesn’t speak well for your critical thinking skills, either.
Enough of this nonsense. Read some economics and some history. Learn something.
Good night.
This is interesting. Is Dogula for real or just likes to get people agitated? I recently took a trip to LA area. We pulled over for gas at several random places, and I was shocked at the state of the people. I have done this trip since I was a kid, and it has gotten worse. There are lots of elderly homeless people. Personally, I feel happier, safer and healthier when these people have food, shelter and medicine. I felt like I stepped into a 3rd world country south of Fresno and some areas by Riverside. I think this is wrong. Many people just look the other way, but this is our country. Is this what we want? Their livelyhood affects us all.
Greengrass…I was using hyperbole as a setup for the ‘dogpire jab’. Family dynamics are a funny thng, and while I agree with you that some people just don’t want to be bothered by dealing with their aging relatives, I believe that most people, if they could, would choose to do so. Given that economic imperatives and opportunities of the post WW expansions in this country many families scattered, for better or worde, loosening the bonds of ‘family’ and ‘place’. This is what I meant by other forces being at play. Add media and technology and we get a beginning glimpse at the structure of the platform we find ourselves standing on. If we look carefully enough we may even begin to see how the structure was not ‘built to code’ so to speak, and that many of our ‘societal problem’ i.e. race, drug abuse, homelessness, apathy and malaise, intolerance, the decline of the of education and religion, etc., are a symptoms and consequences of this profit mania.
Personally, I don’t believe anyone should be ‘thrown to the wolves’ for any reason. Coyotes, someone recently told me, care for their elderly and infirm, as evidenced by skeletons whose bones show them having been cared for long after debilitating injuries that prevented them from being a ‘contributing member of the pack’ occurred.
Dog will calm down after the first, when she can get a refill of her psych meds.
@Dogula: ‘Hysteria’ defines you. Screech on.
@Somebody: Nice post.
Dog,
I would not wish it on anyone, but it is a fact that as we age our mental and physical faculties diminish.
Having known (and yes, cared for) people in that situation, I must, from a laymans standpoint, suggest that you are just possibly headed for, or are already in that group
.
Single minded, arrogant, confrontive and argumentative defines many of the affects of age related dementia and physical decline on many humans.
My guess is that whatever security you personally have economically is coming from the system you seem to so thoroughly despise. Unless perhaps you inherited the fruits of others labor by choosing the right parents or grandparents, to paraphrase an old joke.
For anyone to assume that families are always available to step in and pick up the slack or care for the aged is to live in a dream world. The orphan aged person is real.
In my own family, wars, accidents and disease decimated many of the few children born. The family currently has far more aged persons than young working adults. S**t happens. We do with what we have, and occasionally need help.
You read entirely too much into the article which defines a growing problem, not a plan to fix it.
I am sorry for your misery and for the loneliness you must feel being so much smarter and luckier than the rest of us.
I don’t understand why, just because I think it is inherently wrong to force my neighbors to pay for things I want, and apply that same standard to others, you all jump all over me and accuse me of meanness, cruelty, and ignorance.
Helping people is NOT the issue. FORCE is the issue. Taxes are taken by force. Where if a cause is worthy, it can be supported voluntarily. Seems to me that people who believe it is okay to force their neighbors to pay for their stuff are the mean and ignorant ones.
But go on about your condemnation of me. Seems to make y’all happy.
Hmmm: All good points. I think high divorce rates and family fighting over inheritances also contribute to “elder orphans.” It’s sad that our society isn’t more conductive to families.
Dogula: Sometimes the government has to take by force, because greedy selfish people won’t give voluntarily, even is the cause is good. You need to get it straight: no one likes paying taxes, but they are necessary! While I agree that there is a lot of extraneous spending going on in our government, it has a God-given right to collect money to run the country. Why don’t we try cutting back on something other than elderly people who can’t support themselves?
Always find it funny, dog, that those same people that think use of force the way you describe it are the same ones that want you disarmed…kinda fishy
Yessiree Bob business owner and wrongula-once they get old they don’t pay no bills- I say shoot em-you
should move somewhere where they don’t force you to be a decent human being
Another tolerant liberal weighs in. . .
Hey BO, you’d better clarify that a bit. How do you conclude that I’m anti-gun?
Dog wrote, “Our current system much more closely resembles fascism.”
Fascism Defined:
Yahoo: A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, a capitalist economy subject to stringent governmental controls, violent suppression of the opposition, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
Wiki: A form of reactionary authoritarian nationalism that came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe. Influenced by national syndicalism, fascism originated in Italy during World War I, in opposition to liberalism, Marxism, and traditional conservatism. Fascism is often placed on the far-right within the traditional left–right spectrum, but some academics call that description inadequate.
Merriam Webster: a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.
Free Dictionary: A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, a capitalist economy subject to stringent governmental controls, violent suppression of the opposition, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
I don’t know what System/Country you are from, but it sure isn’t the System/Country I am in.
This little video (totally clean) expresses well what goes on here in the comments page.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGsONscMATw
This should be hilarious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8zNsUTWsOc
How old is the gentleman in this article, Im a little suspious that he is not yet 65 years old yet. The artarticle raises some questions for me. Like if he is a California retired teacher how come he is just collecting from social security and not the STRs (state teachers retirement program).
If he was 65 he should be on Medicare part C or D and his out of pocket expences for drugs would be no where near what is being quoted in this article. Esp since the donut hole is slowly being closed.
wrongoman-the 1st sentence of the article says his age is 76-derp
Did that really just happen?
And they expect to be taken seriously…
Who is “they”? And what does your video have to do with anything? It’s just another attempt to insult people, without any relevance to anything.
The video I posted contained many of the silly responses I get here from people like you, Prunes, all the time!
Dogula: The point of the video is that you always repeat the same party line, no matter what the story is: The govt. is bad, taxes are bad.
Exactly like the guy in the video: “Welcome to Costco, I love you” to every single customer.
Yes, your video is correct.
‘Who is “they”? ‘
I hope that isn’t an honest question.