“workable”
No. What works is government staying out of it.
What to do with the elderly poor?
It’s called charity.
That’s how they dealt with it before the great depression (gd). Local benevolent societies created by local rich and upper middle class.
The problem is, today’s reality is that MOST people, once elderly, are effectively poor. There is just not enough money, whether it comes from the gov’t, or private (charity) sources, to take care of all the “poor” elderly, particularly given their extended lifespans (the cost of which extension is a big part of the problem.) My parents are a good example. My Dad was a senior professor, with a consulting business on the side. He worked like hell, and made very good money — as he neared retirement he & Mom (a homemaker who had worked some in earlier years) were probably about double US median family income. Plus Dad had good investments, and a very good pension after retirement. Medicare and a fairly good long term care insurance plan covered many of his costs when he became unable to care for himself (and Mom could not help.) My wife did as much as we could, in addition.
Well, guess what, it was not enough, or, perhaps I should say, it is still not enough. Dad is gone now, but most of his resources were exhausted in his care. (He never did go on Medicaid.) Mom’s care is now burning up what’s left, including loans from me I really can’t afford to make, but hope to be repaid when her house is sold. Assuming she does not decline into nursing care this year, I expect that her (and our) resources will run out in a year or so, leaving her children absolutely nothing. Then she will go on Medicaid (or in your proposal, “charity”), but, the costs have to be paid by someone. Not even counting her medical expenses, just her sitters alone (a “steal” at $10 an hour), will cost $10 x 24 x 365 = $87,600.00 / year. Her total expenses (including those covered by Medicare & other insurance) have to be at least that much, again. Who can afford this into their mid-to-late 80’s or more? What society can? That especially since, as Mom declines, her care will get even more expensive.
TANSTAAFL!
If there is a viable solution, I sure as heck do not see it.