In the November 14, 2006 online New York Times reporter Claudia Dreifus reports on illuminating discussion she had with Dr. Robert N. Butler founder of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Department of Geriatrics in New York and author of a recent report titled “Ageism in America.” Dr. Butler is about to turn 80 and as he says is fortunate to be “fairly vigorous” and with financial resources. One aspect of his study looks at us boomers and how we might fare if health discrimination and individual safety during national emergencies isn’t addressed.
The findings, resulting from a literature review and published in The Lancet, advise that between one and three million older Americans suffered some form of elder abuse from people they depended upon for their care.” Considering that at some point in our lives we will be the caregiver, be cared for or be financially responsible for care giving we need to pay attention to these statistics and how we might be personally affected.
Much like many other boomers, I was responsible for my frail mother’s care … and at a long distance … depending on care givers and facility “marketing managers.” I had to move her from her condominium when it was clear she couldn’t be trusted with cookie wrappers she wasn’t supposed to eat … flushing them down the toilet and flooding eleven floors. Funny at the time but kind of sad now that she’s gone.
We were wined and dined at a local assisted living facility … after all they had fat free ice cream at lunch. Mom reluctantly decided to move and that’s another long story. Once there, things changed quickly. People weren’t so nice, the chairs sometimes reeked but thankfully her aide knew where the good seats were. But my real worry was hurricanes and her building sitting on Biscayne Bay and her on the fourteenth floor. There were plans for buses, hotels and evacuations. But I was still worried. And what about folks who had much less than her? What about their safety, evacuations and longer term care in shelters?
Dr. Butler’s interview touched me for many reasons but what he said about boomers becoming a generation at risk because we’re not prepared, well that hit the bull’s eye. We’re at risk because emergency planning around disasters like Katrina left the most feeble to die. We’re at risk because after the World Trade Center disaster, elderly in the surrounding neighborhoods were neglected. We need to pay attention to national security and an aging population because soon enough it will be us.
Dr. Butler says that “the boomers could become a strong public group by virtue of their size. They have political experience and they may use it to create change.” Right on, Dr. Butler.