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The glory days for the United States as a superpower policing and rebuilding the world are long gone, and it is time to face up new challenges and make some choices. The bad news according to the Thomas I. Friedman, seasoned columnist for The New York Times, is that by 2020 the numbers of Baby Boomers over 65 will double and care for the "old old" (85 years and older) will increase drastically as more than 15 million may be afflicted with Alzheimer's disease by 2050.
Who is going to pay the cost of all the care that will be needed? Statistics taken recently are startling. Friedman reports on one poll in which 56 percent of workers interviewed have less than $25,000 for the total value of their household savings and investments for retirement. That could pay for one hospital stay and a brief recuperation in a nursing home. Currently, family caregivers provide 80 percent of elder care, but this comes at a cost, too, in lost work hours, high stress, and declines in health.
So far, the President and Congress have refused to deal with this financial dilemma which affects the quality of life for millions of Americans who have worked hard and paid their taxes but still face imminent disaster. Friedman points out that, unless there is a real economic growth spurt, the choice is clear: nursing Afghanistan or supporting nursing homes for the Baby Boom generation.
Religious communities of all traditions identify respect for and care of elders as an essential spiritual duty. The question for Americans is whether they will demand that their government and other institutions take the necessary actions and make the choices to fulfill this responsibility.
Read this at The New York Times ?
Spiritual Literacy BlogSource: http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/links/index.php?id=23700
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