Readers Respond To Concerns On Rural Aging

I received several thoughtful responses to my request for ideas on rural aging.

A county aging program director wrote, "As the elderly population increases, services must also increase to keep up with the ever-growing need for home services, transportation and leadership . . . The faction of elderly who actually founded the senior centers are now too frail to be an active part of the center's activities. These centers are not always finding the new 'younger-old' to take leadership positions and keep the center going.

"This is also true of volunteer service organizations and senior nutrition sites. We are working toward incorporation of services in our area and community awareness now before the problem becomes too large.

"Transportation in our area is severely limited. There is no public transportation in small towns so when our elderly become too frail to drive and there is no family in the area, we have to fill the gaps with volunteer driver programs . . . Drivers volunteer their time and are paid a mileage reimbursement. Often they become a driver, helper, friend and confidant. However, more and more county and private dollars are needed to fund programs such as ours. Public and political awareness of needed programs is vital.

"More and more elderly wish to stay in their homes, rather than move to a nursing home. This is cost-effective for state and federal programs. However, the home-care programs will have to grow with population needs. The medical care, transportation and social isolation issues then need to be addressed."

A rural electric cooperative manager writes, "We provide emergency response monitoring services to the elderly, the handicapped, those with health concerns or anyone living alone through a Cooperative Response Center (CRC). One cooperative has entered into Com-Care Agreements with three area hospitals and a nursing care facility to offer professional emergency monitoring services that would be difficult to offer individually.

"The Main Street Messenger emergency response telephone allows subscribers to remain in their rural homes longer knowing accidents, illnesses or security concerns will be answered within seconds at the touch of a button. Subscribers need not be Rural Electric Cooperative members and many units are placed with residents of small rural communities within our service area.

"Of course, the role of volunteers in rural areas cannot be overlooked. From those friends, neighbors and family members who offer to respond to a CRC emergency call or to the local First Responders, EMTs and fire departments, you can' t beat the dedication of rural people who care for one another."

An insurance agent responded, "The seniors running all these organizations and events will not always be there to give all those hours and talents. I do not see enough younger people taking their places in groups. I wonder if we will continue to have all the festivals and antique shows, etc. The homemaker clubs are disbanding for lack of new younger members. Younger women do not have the time or desire to belong to clubs.

"Older people do not want to talk or think about long term care. They are willing to spend more than a thousand dollars for a Medicare supplement that won't get much return unless they have a major operation or long hospital stays. On the other hand, they will not protect their assets for their spouse or their children by purchasing a nursing home policy.

"The chances of being hurt in a car accident are one in 12,000 while the odds of a stay in a nursing home are one in four. Nursing home bills in excess of $30,000 per year can soon wipe out all assets. Nursing home insurance must be purchased when one is healthy. Also, the younger the age, the less the cost of the coverage. With 'spend down' requirements to qualify for Medicaid, little money is left for the spouse. Nursing home insurance is affordable for those who have assets over $50,000.

"Daughters and daughters-in-law cannot give up their jobs and the benefits to care for their parents, even if they want to. The best thing to come along lately is the visiting nurse program. This keeps many marginal people out of nursing homes until they really need one. Spending cuts may erode these types of programs too.

"Another answer is the living trust. This stops the estate from being probated, saves attorney fees and solves problems with pre-planning. More people need this."

A daughter -in-law wrote about the decline of educational facilities in her rural community. "Every time improvements are discussed, the 'older population' is used as an excuse to delay the process. We've been at this six years now. We will have to build. Unfortunately, for those paying the bills, it is not getting any cheaper.

She also voiced her concerns about being able to provide care for her husband’s aging parents. Despite her efforts to confront this issue, she can’t get her husband’s family to openly discuss the problem.

An ex-farmer in his 60's shared his concern about increasing government costs for services. "We need to use modern technology with sharing, caring and helping our neighbor. This relates to farming, rural towns, health care, and the elderly. In short, the government can't do it. We need people to do it. It looks like it will get worse before it will get better.