HEALTHCARE AND THE ELDERLY..and more..

As I deal with an ailing, elderly father (93), and all of the facilities and people involved in his care, I am reminded of our aging population and the inadequacy of the healthcare system to accommodate the ever-increasing load. People are living longer, but that does not mean they are necessarily healthier or financially or physically able to take care of themselves. Families are not in positions to care for their elderly as they were in the past, when the nuclear family consisted of more than just one or two relatives in a home. Couples are choosing to have smaller and smaller families as well, so there will not be many children to rely upon when they grow old and infirm. Most of the time we are now having to depend upon nursing homes and long-care facilities.

Jarvis Moragne and Firstborn Grandchild

As a single person, with health issues of my own, I am dismayed at the quality of care that is available -- especially in small towns. As I sought a  place for my dad to live out his years with good, affordable medical care, I could not help but wonder where the baby boomers will spend their "golden years". We all must join in the vision of a future where there are adequate facilities for the elderly to approach their deaths with dignity and comfort. So many today are financially unable to afford such care.

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KUDOS:

"Today a federal judge in Galveston declined to allow the State of Texas to continue to suppress voters through restrictive voter registration laws that are the subject of a pending lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that the laws violate the National Voter Registration Act of 1993."   

RASPBERRIES:

"...despite evidence that the law (Pennsylvania's Voter ID law) - which demands that citizens present strict, state-issued photo identification before voting - disenfranchises many voters, it was upheld."... (from Huffington Post)

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I have recently felt extremely isolated and more than a little depressed by my dad's situation and all I am attempting to do. Added to that is the recent announcement that the people who own the house I rent want to either double my rent (which they know I am unable to afford) or have me move so they will be able to sell the house. As a result, and hours I am spending alone doing necessary culling out of both my dad's and my own accumulated "stuff", I have kept the television set on more than I ever do. This is just for "noise" to make me feel a part of the world at large. As it is difficult to put on anything I might wish to "watch", I've turned to the cable news channels for company. I can listen and still accomplish my clearing out.

(by Bryant Arnold)

Oh, boy! This is the wrong time to be listening to what comes over the airwaves! Soundbites, political ads, commentators on both sides of the political spectrum, general gloom and doom on the economy, the violence taking place at home and in the world at large, and the election itself. One of the things I take issue with is the view that this is one of the dirtiest election campaigns ever! At least this morning I heard one newscaster give a rundown of "dirty" campaigns harking back to Thomas Jefferson in 1776 in the race between him and President John Adams. The following was written in a piece by Kerwin Swint, titled "Founding Fathers' dirty campaign" in 2008:

"Jefferson's camp accused President Adams of having a 'hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.'

In return, Adams' men called Vice-President Jefferson 'a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father." 

Now that's what I call dirty campaigning!!

All of which takes me back to the fall of 1952, and my introduction to political campaigns. For a few months that year my sister and I were staying with my grandparents who lived in Mt. Shasta, California. I was in the 8th grade in that tiny town. Our class was very excited when we found out we were to be taken by bus to a nearby town to hear our President, Harry Truman, speak from the rear of the Presidential Train. (I wonder if there is still such a train??) 

Now, mind you, my dad had just been mustered out of his third tour of duty with the U.S. Army, having served this time during the Korean "conflict". As an army brat, there was no one more of a hero in my eyes than General Dwight Eisenhower! When President Truman opened his mouth and began to speak what I thought were outright lies and slander of my hero, I was shocked and let my outrage be known. Thus was my introduction to politics! And what today is called "dirty tricks campaigns". Of course, years later I realized that Truman was stumping for Adlai Stevenson, who was the Democratic candidate running for the office of President. Who, as we know, lost to Eisenhower. Goes to show some people cannot be fooled by negative campaigns.

Years later, I also switched my political party allegiance, when I thought the Republican Party was veering far from the platform of my then hero, Dwight Eisenhower.

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This morning I tried to compensate for all the negativity I had been hearing by watching three religious church services. I have to say it helped tremendously. One sermon was even on the subject of "celebrating the diversity" in our humanity. We truly can agree to disagree. And disagree with more civility than has been shown by so many of our politicians of late.

We are all a part of the family of man. Even families have dissension from time to time, but we still love each other.. Don't we?

Peace and love,

Marilyn