“I feel like the only solution is pretty clear. In the end, isn’t it mass suicide of the elderly?”
Yale University professor Yusuke Narita sparked outrage after this suggestion, believing that elderly Japanese residents should take part in a mass suicide to help Japan deal with its rapidly aging population.
In a country like Japan that has traditionally honored and respected its senior population, the professor’s impersonal and cynical remarks outraged many Japanese citizens. But in a country like the United States, Narita’s statements are hardly outlandish.
The United States is notorious for abandoning its elderly population and providing subpar care.
Long-term care — also called long-term services and support — is perhaps the most flawed part of America’s healthcare system. Though long-term care is essential for millions of elderly citizens, especially those with disabilities, money alone decides to deprioritize this issue. Long term services and support, including nursing homes, cost over $400 billion a year.
And as the debate over long-term care continues in US government halls, millions of elderly Americans struggle to survive. “The United States is in the midst of a caregiving crisis,” said Democratic Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.
Most of the causes of the long-term care crisis are straightforward. Stationary wages and increasing income inequality have hindered workers’ ability to save for retirement. At the same time, seniors’ living costs have increased substantially. The two most important programs that provide aid—Social Security and Medicare—are outdated, failing to meet 21st century care needs.
Even with such programs, the United States has no federal long-term care insurance program. As a result, seniors have to pay out-of-pocket for assisted living, with costs averaging more than $4,000 per month. Skilled nursing care ranges from $5,000 to $25,000 per month. In comparison, the average monthly Social Security benefit is only $1,543.
Beyond these monetary obstacles, senior Sarah Chen also noted the emotional effects that the lack of elderly care causes. “When the government and citizens don’t provide adequate care for seniors, it is understandable that they feel more depressed or experience anxiety,” she said. “It also seems like this is a uniquely Western problem.”
Chen is not incorrect in that assertion. Unlike most countries that revere their elder populations, American senior members of society are regarded as irrelevant and undesired. A 2020 AARP survey found that 78% of older workers experienced age discrimination. Even the nation’s government, which is supposed to serve every American, cares little for the elderly population. In a profanity-laced letter, former Republican Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming used the term “greedy geezers” to describe those who needed Social Security benefits.
But no event has highlighted America’s indifference towards the elderly more than the COVID-19 pandemic—80% of all COVID deaths were seniors. However, the common attitude prevalent during the pandemic was, “I don’t have to worry about COVID. It’s only affecting older people.”
The history of this indifferent outlook towards the elderly population traces back to the Protestant work ethic—tying a person’s value to their ability to work. Because these abilities deteriorate with age, Western cultures are youth-centered, emphasizing individualism and independence. As a result, the elderly are often moved to retirement communities, assisted living facilities and nursing homes.
My grandparents live with me and my family and I’ve always been taught to treat elders with respect. It has become a core value that I hold. It’s not a burden to take care of my grandparents because they are family.
— Senior Khushi Mehta
This is a trend that senior Khushi Mehta has noticed. “It is normalized in the US to send parents and grandparents to retirement homes as soon as they are considered a burden for being too old,” she said. “A lot of that has to do with culture. My grandparents live with me and my family and I’ve always been taught to treat elders with respect. It has become a core value that I hold. It’s not a burden to take care of my grandparents because they are family.”
Mehta’s outlook is a common sentiment shared by Mediterranean, Latin and Asian cultures, all of which hold family in high regard. In Mediterranean and Latin cultures, it is common for elders to live with their children or other younger relatives. Older generations often care for children while young adults go to work, helping the elderly to remain integrated and cared for. In eastern cultures like China, younger generations adhere to the Confucian value of filial piety, prioritizing family and respecting elders at the utmost level.
“In the United States culture, it is not common for families to support their elderly relatives so the elderly have to rely on governmental aid. But the government doesn’t provide much support either,” Chen concluded. “While this doesn’t impact wealthy individuals, those who cannot pay have to suffer.”
By looking towards other countries, the American government and its citizens can gain insight into how to care for their elderly population. Everyone will eventually grow old, but aging is an unnecessarily daunting and stressful progression in the United States.
Living in one of the wealthiest nations in the world should provide elders with an adequate retirement income, affordable health care and health security. Unfortunately, the majority of elderly people in this country are condemned to a future of uncertainty and fear.
Instead of being able to thrive by staying active, traveling or spending time with loved ones, many American elders’ lives are a daily struggle. Whether it takes a societal shift in attitudes, political action or re-inventing familial culture, the care that the United States provides to its elders must improve.
When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law, he perfectly articulated the need for change: “No longer will this nation refuse the hand of justice to those who have given a lifetime of service and wisdom and labor to the progress of this country.”
maddie staats • Mar 8, 2023 at 9:33 pm
I like the message behind this article, and I agree that our elderly are at times not shown as much respect as the rest of our generations. They definitely need more understanding and more resources to help them maintain an efficient life, especially healthcare wise because they are the people who need healthcare the most.