A recent article by Associated Press reporter Matt Sedensky “Impoverished and living on pennies in a nursing home” exposed the hardships so many of our elderly experience in nursing homes across our great nation. It sadly reminded me that we are failing the test Hubert Humphrey challenged us with many decades ago: “The moral test of government is how it treats those.. who are in the twilight of life, the elderly.” We should and can do better.
What touched my soul was the story of Philadelphia nursing home resident Alex Morisey, a Quaker who spent his life serving others, who now has trouble replacing his tattered shorts or even buying a can of Diet Pepsi. Such Americans deserve better.
Congress should be hard at work helping those in need by passing legislation to link the Medicaid personal stipend to the cost-of-living index. Incredibly the rate hasn’t changed in 36 years and some receive a mere $30 a month.
Instead, our pampered congressional leaders waste time banning books, investigating Hunter Biden, attacking trans people and the mysterious acronym CRT. Our own “problem-solving” Congressman Fitzpatrick fights vigorously for a federal St. Patrick’s Day holiday for the “oppressed” Irish minority.
Our leaders should be addressing real problems real Americans face every day. Our senior citizens should not be spending their golden years wondering whether their toothpaste will last until the end of the month in our great United States of America.
Steve Cickay, Newtown
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