A couple of days ago I was in a conversation with my sister over the phone where she informed me that my aunt had suffered a fall which put her into the ICU of a Queens hospital. I questioned my sister as to what had happened at which she informed me that my aunt had fainted and fallen to the floor where she sustained a blow to the head. Right away I went to the root of the matter and asked why she had fainted in the first place. It seemed that she has not been in good health for some time. I thought about this and it dawned on me what was happening. Like many elderly people across America she is in the position in which she lives on a fixed income. As such her income is limited and her age and health do not permit her to continue caring for children which was her way of supplementing her income.
She is in the position that many elderly Americans find themselves in these trying times. A fixed income with everything going up on a regular basis. The health outcomes of this soon become apparent and will be seen in the near future statistics as they become available.
More and more people in this category are by passing medical exams and visits to the doctor due to the high costs. They fear the debt they will get into for a hospital stay. Even with those that have some sort of medical coverage the expenses can quickly get out of hand. The thought of this in itself is enough to bring on additional stress that makes things even worse. Just this past week there was a report that many doctors will no longer administer flu shots because of the cost.
Right now many of these people are deciding between paying the electric bill or buying food. Between paying for heating fuel or buying a much needed coat and sweater. Between medicine and bus fare for work. And things don’t seem to get better.
From what I have been seeing we a catastrophe in progress and I wonder if the government is prepared for what is coming. President elect Barack Obama has already acknowledged that things are worse than were thought and that this economic crisis is going to take some time to overcome. In the mean time many of the countries elderly are making some harsh decisions regarding their health. Many are opting to forego visits to the doctor and hoping nothing will happen, a rather perilous decision to say the least, but what choices do they really have?
No doubt the future statistics will show some tragic numbers and one might ask, What will the government do about this situation?
Hunterseeker
I think we got into this mess when our fearless leader sent our troops to fight a war. Mr. Bush is a millionaire so what worries did he have? I bet this war costs more than Viet Nam. Because of a group of men (with educations at 4th grade level, according to sources I’ve read) whole populations of the Middle East are being
routinely killed off in the name of some false beliefs by brainwashed men hoping for compensation in the afterlife. These are a different type of gangsters with no reason to kill other than false promises from their leader, whoever that may be as each one if killed.
As far as the US, when I read that it cost over $12 billion dollars a day to support the war in Iraq, it simple blew my mind. That is so unconceivable given the state of our health care system, not to mention our 450,000 citizens out of a job now (me being one of them). Employers say that it’s a financial decision to lay off huge numbers of people because of “the economy”. What have the auto makers ever done to improve my life? I was quite disappointed to see that Ford and all the other auto makers are being treated like they have a “right” to be bailed out. Sorry folks, you certainly should NOT be the priority in our national affairs when our health care and standard of living are being jeopardized.
In a way, I feel sorry for Obama. what a time to become president. With a war and a recession upon us, good luck. Bush should be held accountable for a lot of this mess. He made the decision to go to war and we all know that war is BIG MONEY, especially for aircraft makers like Boeing, to name one.
Cybercatxq
I’m 67, retired and living in public housing. Every year when we get a cost of living raise, which is usually $10-$15, our rent goes up five to fifteen dollars. How in the world can you win? I can’t even get food stamps. They say I make too much. Between S.S. and my late husbands small pension, which I only get a portion of, I make $1045 a mo. The maximum per Cobra is like $750. I skip days on some of my meds as I can’t afford to get them refilled. I live on a lot of pot pies and tv dinners. Forget fresh produce and fruit. Even at our local discount grocer a small bag of apples is $3.99 for 3 lbs. I’ve cut way back on meat as that seems to cost me the most when grocery shopping. I haven’t bought any new clothes in months. I have a dog and I got his rabies this year, but couldn’t afford his 3 in 1, which includes his Parvo, as its more expensive. My car is almost 15 years old and needs new tires, but forget it. I just survive and have months where I can’t afford to go see my mother, as she lives fifty miles away. The price of gas going down has helped there, but now she’s in a nursing home and I need to get over there. I worked for over 30 years as a nurse and never imagined my latter years would be like this.
posted by nanakay65
We are in the same boat, and have not gotten much needed food in order to pay the heating bill and electric bill on and off for the past few months. We are already living and finding ourselves not going to the doctor when we need to because of the cost and the bills we still find ourselves in debt and trying to pay off what medical bills we have already. I was already canceled from getting any more of Social Security Income for my disability and next year after I have to settle my Workman’s Comp case, I will no longer even be covered for Medicare, and so I will NOT have any type of medical coverage at all, for doctors visits which I need for all my pain and for any of the prescriptions that I need also, which I will have to do without due to that on just Paul’s SSI income, we will not be able to afford it. Paul will be the only one covered, which is great cause he has active Glaucoma in his left eye and is completely blind in his right, so he needs the coverage,. We have no idea what we will do as far as any medical for me. It scares me to death, thinking about it. This coming summer of 2009 we have to move form where we currently are, due to we can not afford to stay here, cause though the rent is going up asgain, our income doesn’t, so we have to leave our home of going on 6 years here.
Donna & Paul
posted by dloglesby57
Hunterseekers The Next Great Economic Depression 