Think of an older person in your life that you respect or has influenced you as a person. It could be a grandparent, an elderly neighbor, a mentor from your childhood that has grown old, anybody.
Now, when you conjure up that image, what do you think of that person? If you’re anything like me, you feel a sense of gratitude. You know that you owe them for everything that they’ve given you, whether it’s something small like a piece of sage-like advice or something huge like financial help in a time of crisis. The simple reality is that humanity has only advanced by building on top of what the previous generation has provided. All of the knowledge, skills and tools we have to succeed we only have because the people who came before us passed that knowledge, skill or tool onto us. It’s why we say, “Respect your elders.” We owe our elders as much as we can give.
That’s why, if you’re like me, reading this article will make you pretty angry.
What the article essentially highlights is the fact that as many as one in ten people over the age of 60 suffer from some sort of abuse. This abuse could be anything from neglect, mistreatment, or exploitation of a physical, psychological or sexual nature. That’s as many as 4 million seniors being abused across the country. How could we let this happen?
It’s not just our responsibility to respect our elders, but also to protect our elders. They certainly deserve better than to be physically abused or taken advantage of. It makes me sick that this stuff is going on and so little is being done about it.
Back in 2010 we did pass the Elder Justice Act, but with statistics like that it seems that 2 years later the policy has done little to change a situation that is only going to get worse if unchecked.
Census projection data shows us that by 2020 there will be an estimated 74 million people living in the US over 60 years old. That’s nearly twice as many as in 2010. With the baby boomers reaching retirement age there is going to be a lot of pressure on the younger generations to step up and take care of the growing older generation. With so many more elderly to take care of, it is going to be more likely that elder care is entrusted to someone who is not going to abuse them. We need to take steps to ensure that that does not happen.
I honestly believe that the best way to make sure that our elders stay protected is to give them the power to get help quickly and efficiently. The best way to do this is to arm our seniors with Medical Alert Systems. There is no better way to make sure that someone can get help when they need it then to put an device in their hands that means one button gets them the help they need.
Just look at this news story of a woman who’s medical alert button saved her from an attack by her daughter. Seeing is believing.
So you’re thirsty, but you’re not much of a water drinker. Man, a Coke would be really good right now wouldn’t it? It would really hit the spot. But Coke has all of that sugar right? And that’s going to send your diet right down the toilet. But what about a Diet Coke? That will be better right?
Okay, so you’re about to go to lunch, and you’ve only got about half an hour before your boss would take your head off for taking a long lunch, so fast food is really the only option, right? It’s okay, you’ll get one of the salads, then you’ll still be on your diet.
