There is nothing sadder than an elderly person who must cut his pills in half because he cannot afford the prescribed dosage of medication. Unfortunately, that may be the case for many of Wisconsin's senior citizens now that the federal government has rejected Wisconsin's SeniorCare prescription drug program, and Wisconsin will most likely have to adopt Medicare Part D, instead.
The SeniorCare program had bipartisan support, and not only did it save senior citizens money, but it saved the country money as well. The federal government claims that state officials did not file the proper paperwork, and Doyle says that the administration is being arrogant and ignoring obvious facts. Either way, it is truly unfortunate that bureaucracy has harmed one of the most vulnerable groups of citizens.
Besides having to choose between their medication and groceries, many of America's elderly cannot afford adequate health care, and live meager lives surviving on their paltry social security. Many adults are unable to sufficiently provide and care for their aging parents because they can barely afford to care for their own families due to the high price of living, the low federal minimum wage and lack of national health care. It is a tragedy how the government repays those who have worked hard and contributed to their country all their lives—the generation that fought and sacrificed for their country during World War II.
However, the government is not the only culprit. Prescription drug costs in the United States are the highest in the world, and, according to the American Association of Retired Persons, prices for 200 of the drugs used most commonly by senior citizens rose double the rate of inflation in the past year. Drug companies are abusing the power they hold over the elderly—they take advantage of those who literally cannot live without their products, purely to make a profit.
Nonetheless, we cannot expect the government and drug companies to do anything to improve the standard of living for the elderly when we as a society do not value them. In the United States, we see the elderly as a burden, as they are no longer able to contribute to the economy and use up the country's financial resources.
The United States is a society of action and constant movement, and senior citizens who are slowing down, often with many health problems, contradict this image of America. We are also uncomfortable with the elderly because they remind us of our mortality, and death is a subject that does not fit with the powerful image and optimistic outlook of our culture.
So instead of cherishing our elderly, we segregate them in homes, away from society, out of sight and out of mind. In an age of social movements and political correctness, elderly abuse and ageism receive little attention.
However, we won't be able to continue down this same path for much longer. In the next decade or so, the elderly population will balloon as the baby boomers begin to hit retirement. The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging recently released a study which reported that only 46 percent of cities are prepared to deal with this influx of elderly in areas such as health care, housing and community services.
With the boom in the senior citizen population, we will no longer be able to ignore the elderly. Unless we want a huge percentage of the population to have an unacceptable standard of living, the government and businesses will have to take better care of the elderly, and society will have to change its point of view.
Instead of discarding the elderly like broken appliances, we should value them for their experiences and years of contributions to family and country. Our parents will soon belong to this age group and we certainly do not want them to live out their final years in discomfort and unhappiness.
