Washington, D.C. (6/9/2009) -- Aging is a peculiar phenomenon. The concept is applies to all humanity, however, most people spend little time thinking about it, until, they receive their AARP memberships cards in the mail.
Donna Brazile, presidential campaign manager for Al Gore and a veteran Democratic political strategist, led a panel discussion at the National Press Club on Monday, focused on how to handle the near-future retirement crisis.
Volunteers of America, the host of the discussion, predicted that the senior population in the United States double in the next couple decades. Noting that America is on the “cusp of one of the most dramatic demographic shifts in its history,” the organization used the event to highlight the startling fact that by the year 2030, there will be over 71.5 million people age 65 or older.
The problem lies not in the influx of cookie-making grandmas or doting grandpas, but in the demands that this surge of seniors will place on our country’s current elderly care system.
The panelists, ranging from former Senate Democratic Leader Tm Daschle to task is huge and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, differed are many aspects of healthcare delivery. However, they remained aligned in their belief that the country needs to prepare in advance and it needs to do so with urgency.
Brazile led the discussion in a light-hearted manner, teasingly referring to Volunteers of America President Charles W. Gould as “Chuck,” introducing famed conservative Newt Gingrich as “the man to my left,” and commenting that there were two women holding up the ends of the panel (herself and famed anthropologist, Mary Catherine Bateson).
However, despite the enjoyment the audience experienced listening to the five famous politicians crack “age” jokes, the 200 middle-aged viewers were not amused by the topic as a whole. There was an element of severity to the conversation, which could not be removed through any amount of cajoling.
According to statistics provided by Volunteers of America, nearly 25 percent of U.S. households currently play a role in providing care to elderly people. A woman, on average, spends about 18 years caring for a parent—the same amount of time that she spends raising a child.
In our society today, people are living later in life and, therefore, they need healthcare longer than ever before. The problem is that the money just isn’t always there. Many elderly people do not have enough money to live a long-term, sustainable lifestyle and they have no choice but to rely on government funding. Unfortunately, this funding through Medicaid and Medicare has been mismanaged and the system is not functioning in the way that it should. By 2017, only eight years from now, the Medicare trust fund is expected to be insolvent.
So what do we do to ensure that seniors live successfully throughout their aging period? Volunteers of America's president, Charles Gould, said that it is necessary to face realities and give seniors the independence that they need and demand. Mary Catherine Bateson disagreed.
“I can’t think of any time in my life that I have been independent,” said Bateson. “The human condition is inter-dependent. What this country needs is the engagement of all of its citizens.”
Bateson said that although it’s often difficult for the elderly to accept help, it is important that they realize that they need it. It is also important for the younger generations to offer their services to their elders, because this relationship will help the younger citizens become better leaders of the country.
Newt Gingrich chimed in that this is all a part of the balance that people need to find as they age. Uncharacteristically moderate, Gingrich was passive on the argument for independence. He said that although elderly people might not have as much energy as they used to (so they might need more help completing everyday tasks), they don’t make as many mistakes as they once did. Laughing, Gingrich said that he qualifies in this category at the age of 65. (Some might argue, however, on the part questioning whether he still makes big mistakes).
Tom Daschle was the cynic of the group, stating that he is only 50 percent confident that sufficient legislation will be passed in preparation for the baby boomers’ seniority. He said that he wished he was more optimistic, but he has a hard time believing that such a huge task will be completed by the time funds start running out.
At the moment, Congress is considering Senate Bill 118, which promote the construction of new senior housing facilities. Introduced by Democratic Senator Herb Kohl, the bill would also preserve and improve existing senior housing structures and allow for the conversion of some facilities into assisted living residences. This is just one example of legislation that could be set in place now that could help prepare the country in the future senior crisis.
Instead, Daschle agreed with panel members that healthcare is both a moral obligation and a privilege. Yet, he also stressed two elements that he believes people need to entertain in their minds while thinking about mental healthcare debate.
First, Daschle said people need to take responsibility for their own personal health and second, they need to contribute to the greater healthcare system, because this is also a human responsibility.
Both Gingrich and Bateson mentioned a window of opportunity that they saw in forging stronger inter-generational relationships. Bateson called this “life-long learning,” which is the key to keeping dialogue open between young and old people. With a greater number of parents caring for grandparents, grandparents raising children, and children caring for the elderly, our culture is morphing into one of “mutual giving.”
Gingrich called this trend towards “mutual giving” as America’s notion of extended relations—one that is moving away from the modern era of individualism and returning to a post-modern technologically connected society. Gingrich titled this as ability for people to remain “electronically intimate, despite geographic separation.”
Gingrich concluded that he thinks if President Obama is willing to accept “half a loaf,” then there could be healthcare reform for seniors within the 2009-2010 year. But, the president must be willing to compromise; unlike back in 1993-1994 when the issue of healthcare remained unresolved between parties so subsequently, reform was never accomplished.
As Daschle stated, “If we can only find common ground…(a slogan all too familiar to the Obama era)” then we could find a way in ensure healthcare for all, including seniors.
By Catherine Moore, camoore@bu.edu
