Posted on 09/05/2011 3:55:44 PM PDT by Kaslin
They say there are only two sure things in life: death and taxes. Thanks to unbelievable gains in medical technology in recent years however, most Americans are now able to delay the former inevitability for decades longer than their ancestors. Because of this, at a time when America’s real estate industry is struggling, there’s one market sector that’s proving to be recession proof: senior housing.
According to a recent article in the New York Times, “[d]emand for nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and retirement communities is expected to balloon in the next two decades as baby boomers retire and the incidence of progressive illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease increases. The number of Americans over the age of 65 is expected to double to 71 million by 2030, and 7.7 million of them will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, a 50 percent increase from today, according to the Alzheimer's Association.”
In the words of one industry insider, “it’s a great time to develop senior housing.”
Why the commodification of aging? Well, as the article points out, America is undergoing a remarkable demographic shift that is changing the face of our nation. Because people are generally having fewer children, there are fewer young people to take care of their aging parents. There are more elderly men and women requiring long-term care and fewer young people to provide it. Thus, the only resource available to meet this need – aside from our crumbling entitlement infrastructure, of course – is the profit-driven real-estate industry. This is how denigrated the aged have become in our culture’s eyes. Because we have failed to enact responsible entitlement reform, and because we have increasingly eschewed traditional family arrangements in favor of a uni-generational, “me, myself, and I” mentality, the fate of our parents and grandparents now rests in the hands of an industry that time and again has chosen the bottom line over the health and welfare of its elderly wards.
Indeed, many today speak of the elderly as if they are merely parasites draining our time and money. Older men and women are often treated with little respect. I see it every day in my law practice, where I frequently represent men and women who are victims of nursing home abuse and neglect. Weak and helpless elders are at the mercy of caregivers who are often underqualified and overworked. The result is an epidemic of preventable pressure sores, malnutrition, dehydration, and falls among the institutionalized elderly.
There is no doubt that the Roe v. Wade ethic has had a striking effect on how we view the aged. Other than the unborn, no single age group in the United States suffers from a diminished view of the value of human life more than the elderly. Rather than viewing our aging relatives as persons worthy of our utmost reverence and care, Roe has taught us to look at other people in terms perceived convenience. If someone is wanted – if we feel that they contribute to our overall quality of life – then their life has worth; if not, it is permissible to store them away somewhere for others to care for until they die. Out of sight, out of mind.
Now that we are facing a future where elderly men and women will be seen as economically inconvenient, where some will be unwanted and unloved, and where many will lack the mental or physical capacity to defend themselves, it is clear that the elderly are in danger of abuse, neglect, or perhaps even worse… unless of course they are lucky enough to afford a unit in one of the new, ultra-luxurious assisted living facilities currently under construction in some of the nation’s wealthier enclaves.
Will we allow ourselves to see our mothers and fathers, our grandparents as inconveniences to be managed, or as people who are to be nurtured, cared for, and cherished? Will we see the dignity in their lives even when they are no longer “useful” to us? Will we love them regardless of their abilities, recalling the intergenerational debts that bind us all?
In the increasingly utilitarian age in which we live – an age where moral absolutes are mocked and the notion of transcendent truths is ridiculed – the answer to these questions can be terrifying. Heaven help the aged when even money ceases to be an effective bargaining chip and society forgets them completely.
And why are nursing homes becoming so awful? Government, of course. Wherever government is involved, costs increase and quality and access decline. Next up, the rest of health care as Obama’s horrible plan goes into effect. Heaven help all of us!
No thanks. Those of us born after ‘55 will help ourselves.
What will happen when a generation of amoral kids have to take care of their aged parents?
Or what will happen when a generation who chose to abort or have no kids to care for them grows old?
A nursing home here in my town was fined $740K
Grim.
“They say there are only two sure things in life: death and taxes. Thanks to unbelievable gains in medical technology in recent years however, most Americans are now able to delay the former inevitability for decades longer than their ancestors.”
It’s the devil’s bargain. By improving medical treatment, people can live much longer than before, but in doing so we’ve uncovered the fact that a great many simply do not have the genetic ability to live that long. In short, we’re pushing our bodies beyond their intended lifespan and suffer as a result. Playing God almost always ends badly.
“America is undergoing a remarkable demographic shift that is changing the face of our nation. Because people are generally having fewer children, there are fewer young people to take care of their aging parents. There are more elderly men and women requiring long-term care and fewer young people to provide it. Thus, the only resource available to meet this need – aside from our crumbling entitlement infrastructure, of course – is the profit-driven real-estate industry. This is how denigrated the aged have become in our culture’s eyes. Because we have failed to enact responsible entitlement reform, and because we have increasingly eschewed traditional family arrangements in favor of a uni-generational, “me, myself, and I” mentality, the fate of our parents and grandparents now rests in the hands of an industry that time and again has chosen the bottom line over the health and welfare of its elderly wards.”
Traditionally families cared for aged parents. This was not a huge problem since in olden times most people didn’t live longer than their 60s or 70s and so the amount of 65+ persons was significantly less than those under 55. Hence your father might die in his 60s and you’d take care of your mother for 5-10 years before she went from an untreatable health issue.
Nowadays the number of 65+ persons is not only much greater than the number of young people, but they can live 20 or more years beyond retirement age, often becoming progressively more decrepit and requiring more and more (basically palliative) medical care.
“Indeed, many today speak of the elderly as if they are merely parasites draining our time and money. Older men and women are often treated with little respect.”
Unfortunately many of them end up bringing it on themselves with their own poor attitude by acting miserable and rejecting contemporary culture/ideas. No, I don’t think simply living a long time awards you respect. Respect is earned, never bestowed.
In short, if you’re going to insist that all people younger than you are idiots and that there’s nothing you can learn from then and that your antiquated ideas are sacrosanct, then don’t be surprised if they treat you like a miserable old fart.
Some old people are not like this of course and are kind, likable individuals who try to stay in touch with today’s world, but all too many are not. They say that when you stop learning and growing, you die.
“Weak and helpless elders are at the mercy of caregivers who are often underqualified and overworked. The result is an epidemic of preventable pressure sores, malnutrition, dehydration, and falls among the institutionalized elderly.”
See above. The sad result of us playing God and pushing people’s bodies beyond their intended lifespans.
“There is no doubt that the Roe v. Wade ethic has had a striking effect on how we view the aged. Other than the unborn, no single age group in the United States suffers from a diminished view of the value of human life more than the elderly. Rather than viewing our aging relatives as persons worthy of our utmost reverence and care, Roe has taught us to look at other people in terms perceived convenience. If someone is wanted – if we feel that they contribute to our overall quality of life – then their life has worth”
I can’t speak for others, but I would rather die than allow myself to become a drain on the system.
“Now that we are facing a future where elderly men and women will be seen as economically inconvenient, where some will be unwanted and unloved, and where many will lack the mental or physical capacity to defend themselves, it is clear that the elderly are in danger of abuse, neglect, or perhaps even worse… unless of course they are lucky enough to afford a unit in one of the new, ultra-luxurious assisted living facilities currently under construction in some of the nation’s wealthier enclaves.”
The Beatles were wrong; money really does buy you love. Most nursing home residents are generally poorer widowed women. The rich (if they develop significant health issues) can afford in-home care so they never need to go in a NH.
“Will we allow ourselves to see our mothers and fathers, our grandparents as inconveniences to be managed, or as people who are to be nurtured, cared for, and cherished? Will we see the dignity in their lives even when they are no longer “useful” to us?”
As I said, I wouldn’t want to live to the point where I become useless. That’s my own choice though, and I wouldn’t expect others to do the same against their will.
If people live longer, they pay more taxes over their lifetime........but it still is not enough, proving, once again, that spending is the problem, not revenues.
I have a very poor attitude about contemporary culture. The fat tattooed geeks in the Wal-Mart parking lot who now pass as Americans are going to get plenty of rejection from me. Contemporary American culture? You mean Obama?
Unfortunately many of them end up bringing it on themselves with their own poor attitude by acting miserable and rejecting contemporary culture/ideas. No, I don’t think simply living a long time awards you respect. Respect is earned, never bestowed.
In short, if you’re going to insist that all people younger than you are idiots and that there’s nothing you can learn from then and that your antiquated ideas are sacrosanct, then don’t be surprised if they treat you like a miserable old fart.
Some old people are not like this of course and are kind, likable individuals who try to stay in touch with today’s world, but all too many are not. They say that when you stop learning and growing, you die.
Is that you, Dr. K? Man, you are one cold essohbee.
The govt came in with their taxes--licensed, so taxes MUST be, of course. They told her she had room for twice the number of persons, telling her what size space was required. She didn't want cramped rooms, so they charged her taxes for 20 beds when she only had 10. because she had space for 20--and that was 15 or 20 years ago. God only knows what they have added, now.
It's govt., it's union, so forget comfort and being at home.
NOW HEAR THIS, GRANNY!---YOU WILL BE HOUSED, FED, AND TREATED AS WE DIRECT,--OR ELSE!
vaudine
“Is that you, Dr. K? Man, you are one cold essohbee.”
I’d like you to point out where I said anything about euthanizing anyone. You know I said nothing like that.
BTW, Jimmy Carter is 86 years old. How much respect does the typical FReeper have for him? None. How much respect did we have for Robert Byrd? None.
So all of us are guilty of this and it simply proves my point about respect being earned and not bestowed.
I don’t like it either (and I’m not old either!), but you still want to know what’s going on. You can’t sit around pining for the world of 50 years ago because that world is not coming back.
That is so frightening. In our states (and I’m sure in others as well) nursing homes are taking in sex offenders as if the place were a halfway house. I just don’t understand why people think government is the answer to their problems when all they do is make things worse.
Are you sure about that? I’d heard that most nursing homes won’t take in sex offenders, especially since even in old age these guys can still be dangerous.
Yes, it has happened here, and there was a huge outcry about it. The politicians promised to stop the practice, but I don’t know if they did or not.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-07-24-sexoffender_N.htm
They aren’t even elderly sometimes. This is an article from a few years ago, so I hope the practice has stopped. With government, one never knows.
I see. What I had heard was prisons unwittingly turning into nursing homes for old inmates who have no family to take them in (or at least no family that wants to take them in) and because no actual NHs want sex criminals.
Actually the really bad thing about being old isn’t lack of pop culture knowledge, it’s not being in with contemporary technology. You don’t need to be able to name the currently-playing rap video on MTV to function, but if you only know the tech stuff of 40-50 years ago, you’re in trouble. The world doesn’t run that way anymore, and it doesn’t care if you still run that way.
Now, my grandparents are in their 80s and use the Net and have a Facebook page. Suppose they’d never tried to learn that and sent my dad letters via snail mail like it was 1951? That would stink.
Some elderly folks are curmudgeonly, but it is wrong to give that as a reason for not taking care of them
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