Saturday, May 04, 2019

Aging Women Seniors - Thoughts Assemblage.

I'm sorting out my thoughts here for a few reasons.

We are putting together an advisory board and seeking (a) funding and (b) forming a charitable entity if successful and (c) then lobbying the governments, both federally and provincially to supplement the meager financial support afforded this marginalized segment of the population.

Our mission - and by "our" I mean another senior woman and myself - is to remove the stigma from senior women and to restore them to a dignity of living and self-respect. Far too many senior women live in poverty and we have many seniors in Newfoundland, a number which increases every year. In 2017 it numbered 108,182 in a population of 500,000. Well over 25%. Of these approximately 65% are women: 70,300. It is difficult to get an estimate of how many of these are living below the poverty level (Category 2) and how many are retired (Category 1) from government, teaching and nursing which affords them a reasonable pension.

Total number of food bank users number 28,063 and of these 23.4% are seniors-6566 and applying the same percentage of women that would be 4,268 elderly women resorting to food banks.

And an aside: To give you an idea of how normalized a foodbank is here in Newfoundland our premier, Dwight Ball, presented the keys to a new one to the head of the foodbank when the old one burned down, grinning like a fool when he should have been covered in shame. The disconnect of the privileged wealthy politicians from abysmal poverty is rampant everywhere.

We live in a country of universal health care, thank heavens, but I'll tell you what's not covered for us Category 2 seniors (but usually covered by decent private supplemental healthcare policies for Category 1).

Dental Services of any kind
Eye examinations
Spectacles
Walkers
Canes
Expensive batteries of health devices like meters
Podiatry for diabetics
Hearing aids

And of course it takes no rocket scientist to calculate that the lack of funds for such standard items contributes to injuries (poor sight, falls) feet infections (diabetic amputations) absence of teeth (nutritional deficiencies) costing the health care system far more with hospitalizations. And of course addiction to drugs and alcohol as a mechanism of coping with these stresses is fairly rampant as well if my own observations bear me out.

The elderly have been further stigmatized by society and treated as charity cases when they complain about their impoverished and deprived existence. Living on approximately $19,200 annually, rent in many cases is 30-40% (at 35% $6,720) of this and often higher leaving very little for power and heat, insurance, clothing and self-care, essential communication and entertainment services which are exorbitant here, food, eating out once a week, little gifts for family, etc. Having transportation of any kind (car payment, insurance, maintenance, gas)squeezes 50% out of the remaining $1000 per month which leaves $500 for EVERYTHING else including food. And if I hear one more time "give up the car!" in a province with no public transit system outside of the city I will scream loud and long. Every penny is counted and many of us are forced to work in our seventies, often in ill-health ourselves. Just to barely make ends meet. I know greeters at Walmart and baristas at Tim Horton's and home care workers well into their seventies, being cheerful and pretending it's not about poverty.

Measuring senior poverty by standard poverty levels is not using the proper criteria in that many are disabled and can no longer self-care and have no desire to be warehoused in nightmare institutions and need additional income to support the barest modicum of dignified living.

And of course, many of us are too exhausted and disillusioned and and dispirited to even think of engaging in any kind of activism to change the status quo.

And I am grateful, so grateful, I met a kindred spirit who joins me in this protest. And it's not about us two, but for all senior women penalized for raising children with no monetary value placed on this in their earning years, and if they did work, it was often at 66% of what men earned thus accruing far less in the pension funds, if there was such a benefit in those days - most of my positions had no pension. And every cent of my pay cheque was spoken for as a single mother with two kids. So please, don't talk about "savings."

I am very interested in your thoughts on this.




46 comments:

  1. I too was a single mother with two kids, but was young and did manage but it wasn't fun or easy. It looks to me that disregard for the impoverished has escalated to the point the poverty stricken are being blamed for their plight! As if they had "saved more" or managed their financial lives better they'd be right up there with the well-off. This attitude is growing, it's frightening that it could get much worse.

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    1. To be blamed adds to the shame and anguish of just being poor through no fault of your own. I agree Marge. An important point I will add to our mission statement.

      Thank you.

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  2. Thank goodness for my inheritance, our reverse mortgage, profit sharing plan, IRA, and cheap health insurance. Best of all my kids are self supporting and are not bankrupt. But, I hear you. Good luck with your new project.

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    1. You are very fortunate Gigi and I think from my reading of you and David's comments you are so very aware of this privilege.

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  3. Change in this social condition has to start somewhere! Why not with you? Everything you've said is so true and I applaud your decision to do something about it. How can I help? First, I'll link this post to my blog tomorrow. -Kate

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    1. Thank you Kate. Ideas are welcome. Another item I read today on this situation involves the medical items not covered by our health care: aspirins (anti-coagulation daily) pain killers (Tylenol 3s, CBD oil)niacin and vitamins (supplements for poor diets). The more the better. We have an election coming up and will present our case soon.

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  4. Conservatively speaking I agree with you about 10000 per cent.
    Our medibank covers eye examination - but not glasses. Dental care is covered for children. Not adults. I am simultaneously ashamed and appalled at the treatment our 'civilised' societies mete out to those with limited resources.

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    1. It's shocking when one sits down and even does a minor study on the conditions of poverty all around, elders living in cars, going to the free meals here daily at the churches, I find it heartbreaking that lives have to end like this, suffering.

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  5. I am seeing more homeless older women on the streets. It boggles my mind that we have come to this. Yet, I have two friends who are on the verge of homeless if something should happen to the places where they currently live. There are very few low income housing options in Fresno, and especially for the elderly. There are many upscale, expensive ($5K a month) senior centers, though.

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    1. Yes, DKZ, the wealthy are taken care of, of course, and married couples fare better, some I know stick it out in miserable arrangements due to the fear of poverty otherwise. It has to change, it is appalling.

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  6. Something with your numbers disturb me. I cite you: "Total number of food bank users number 28,063 and of these 23.4% are seniors - 6566 and applying the same percentage of women that would be 4,268 elderly women resorting to food banks."
    From the rest of what you say, I would expect far more than a big half of those resorting to food banks to be female. But if it is not the case, then you should make a "Help the seniors-group" for female and male alike, as female senior singles are way better at coping with their loneliness than male senior singles (Statistics from Denmark, but I suppose that people are people everywhere).

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    1. This is strictly an approximation Uglemore, and I agree with you, the percentage is probably far higher. Many factors come into play, women live longer, divorced men marry younger women (caretakers in old age), divorced pensionless women on the whole don't, etc.
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  7. Just catching up here.

    No real thoughts about this particular post except to say that countries would function better if we just covered all health related costs for everyone. But my country is no where close to making that happen.

    I like the redesign of the kitchen. Anything that makes it easier to cook at home is a good thing.

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    1. Absolutely, I know the US is worse off for women seniors - I've read of the tent cities in California when old women move there to get away from winter conditions.

      Yes, I'm still charmed with the new kitchen layout.

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  8. As I do, you live in a rich country and there no reason why people in their older years should live in poverty. Also as here, the health care exclusions are just plainly wrong and I expect cost more in the big picture with hospital admissions, etc. Just because your health care is vastly superior to your southern neighbour, that is no reason for society to rest on its laurels and not improve the system. Slowly slowly, our dental care is coming into the general fold of health care. People over 65 are ok if they are home owners, but not if they rent.

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    1. Dental and eye care should be de rigeur on any UHC Andrew, we had a little annually but that was all cut in budget shaves. Incredible, meanwhile corporate taxes are abysman - job creation, well no show me how it works and no one can - and I am grateful for my medical prescriptions being covered and no such thing as "pre-existing conditions" JFC.

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  9. Coming to grips with our lowered financial status is not easy. It's also not new. My mother was in the same situation of inadequate resources, in spite of my father's good middle class job. However, my sister and I cared for her for the rest of her life, and I doubt children will step up for us, at least in my case. Our recourse also is to petition government to intervene, and with more compassion and understanding than simply replacing a food bank with a new food bank.

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    1. Exactly Joanne, this food bank thing sent me over the edge, often it's a small thing like that that can throw one off their feed.

      So onward elder soldiers.

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  10. We have universal health care, but eye examinations are covered, so that's one thing at least. The cost of spectacle frames is quite high though, unless you can find something suitable on the 'sales' shelf, or choose from the cheap and ugly plastic "pensioners" range, but then the lenses have to be paid for too. I'm lucky enough to have private health insurance for optical and dental needs and a small income from my superannuation to top of my age pension.
    Even with that, I'm still classed as living below the poverty line, unless they changed the amount there, but I don't have a car, we have decent enough public transport, and I don't drink or smoke either so that's another saving for me. But I would be broke very quickly if I wanted to eat out or go to theatres etc.

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    1. And it hit me today, River, that vacations for seniors are unaffordable as they usually want to see some sun for the old bones.

      Also therapy:grief, mental, emotional is unaffordable when needed most.

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  11. Our health care system allows people with chronic conditions to have five subsidised visits annually for complementary health care. I currently have an ulcer on my foot that needs weekly podiatry and I've had it for six months.... you can see that five visits is next to useless for me.

    At 48 I have worked part time if I've had work at all, for the past 24 years. My superannuation is enough to buy a small car. I have no idea what will happen when I am forced to go through a property settlement but I surely won't have enough to buy another place. So, yes, I applaud what you are doing because without a miracle, my future looks grim and I am lucky enough to have at least managed half ownership of a very humble property in a very tough market.

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    1. I should add Kylie, if one is incarcerated in an elder instution here all bets are off, everything, including the nappies, are covered. Costs the government a fortune, but it can be the only resort for some.

      I am so sorry to hear about your foot, what an impact on your health. So much so called "assistance" is useless in the long term, no understanding of the adverse conditions.

      Thanks for your good thoughts.

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    2. My foot is a complication of my condition and it will come right when we get through the painfully slow process of adjusting my orthotics. I can pay for my podiatry now but I always think of those who can't. I think the system tries hard but whoever thought up the five visit thing doesn't understand chronic disease

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    3. Exactly or the impact of not having this essential care on overloaded hospitals - I know of 2 cases in point. I am fortunate too in that I can afford the care for now. I don't want to lose a leg or foot.

      I hope your orthotics are soon adjusted :)

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  12. We have nothing compared to what you have there and our seniors both men and women if poor, simply suffer. There are charities that offer shelter and food and some medical aid but not anywhere near what is needed.

    Some beginnings have recently been made by the government but, we have a long way to go.

    More to the point, even if not poor, single senior men and women here suffer loneliness and alienation that often cuts short their lives. We keep reading of single occupants of homes being found dead long after death because no one knows that they have died.

    Our having gone away from the old joint family system to unitary family systems, urbanisation, global opportunities for the young etc, have made old age not a very pleasant experience for most people.

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    1. Oh Ramana that is so very sad, and it happens here too. No check-ins. I know you are so grateful for your wonderful son and daughter and the assistance you get from care workers. I myself am getting by and even then there is an underlying stress to it and I know that far, far more of seniors out there are suffering and alone and showing up to the free dinners.

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  13. dooies8320 May 5, 2019

    Seniors deserve a better deal. Senior women especially are living below the poverty line because of the sacrifices they made in rearing children and providing elder care. Now both Governments tell seniors how we have contributed to the strong healthy places we call home, and the wealth that both Canada and Newfoundland are experiencing. The attitude seems to be "seniors, they dont need much, lets give them a pittance".



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    1. Exactly D. Discarded because we usually don't have a voice or because there is a fear that what we have will be taken away as a punishment. It is disgraceful.

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  14. If anyone could make a difference for this sadly forgotten segment of society, in your part of the world, WWW - then I'd bet on you being able to do so (along with your colleague). Governments, local and national, need metaphorical slaps up the backs of heads to make them see the unfairnesses they so easily arrange not to see. Kudos, WWW!

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    1. It's a dreadful situation. And only now, today on the newspapers, I see the effects of no mailouts for car plate registrations - all on line now. Forgetting the seniors, who may be forgetful themselves and not affording the internet or having the skills to use it, slapping them with $250 fines for not renewing their plates. I am so enraged.

      Every day is more.

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  15. As a person with inherited hearing loss in my family, including a deaf granddaughter, I can speak particularly to the difference that hearing aides makes in a person's life, too. Isolation increases when it's difficult or impossible to make telephone calls or even contribute to conversations with friends, in person. Even with my hearing aides, I sometimes answer a different question than the one a medical professional has actually asked. I find myself being treated as if I'm in my dotage, when I've just finished setting up my own web page, helped two adopted persons sort through a genetic DNA puzzle to find their parents, and interested an agent in reading my just completed novel! Studies have shown that cognition decreases when our brains are not adjusting to as much sensory input, and balance is better, too. My deaf granddaughter could not walk without falling and required a medical helmet to protect her head until she got her second cochlear implant. (She has other challenges in addition to hearing loss.) I've stopped having trips to the ER for falls since I got my Costco hearing aides. I'm with you all the way. This isn't a luxury. It's not covered by Medicare here, either.

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    1. It's an absolute travesty and downright cruelty Linda. Congrats on your novel, that is brilliant, delighted for you :)

      I am so grateful my readers are sharing their own stories or observations as it is helping us to be very clear on our mission and on the challenges many face apart from our own or those near us. There is so much more I am learning.

      Thank you!

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  16. Apparently my cognition is already being impacted! I'm laughing at myself. I wish I could have an aide, and if she's hearing me, all the better, but I meant hearing "aids," of course. Many people find their balance is better with hearing aids, but in one sentence, I made it sound as if the opposite were true. Perhaps I am in my dotage!

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    1. I figured it out Linda, I auto adjust sometimes, other times I take 4 cracks at something, mornings are good, my sometimes slippage comes with exhaustion at the end of the day, LOL. All my senses go into a kind of lockdown.

      Here it is morning so I translated :D

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  17. I am comfortable because of (a) having moved to a cheaper province, (b) my longstanding penny-pinching ways and (c) an inheritance. But I have very little cushion against unexpected serious illness or other disaster. I agree that more should be done by governments about seniors' poverty, and that food banks are a travesty. I hope to hear more about your project.

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    1. We are attempting to put together a board now Annie. Will keep you posted.

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  18. As a child who grew up in a home with a single parent (father deserted and never offered any help) I know what happens to life style. My mother was discriminated against as a divorcee, as were her children by some given the prevailing attitudes of the time. She also was subjected to negatives for a medical issue she had that today has meds for — likely was a consequence of undiagnosed closed head trauma with little known about it then. So, she could not work outside our home. I admire how she coped and made a home for us.

    I am appalled, and have been, at the key medical services such as you list that are not covered by health insurance for so many in our system in the U.S. and the single payor systems as you have. Oh, and in time my mother was legally blind hampering even further what skills she had which were considerable she could use. Vision and hearing aids are just a given that everyone should receive. I certainly wish you well in your educating an electorate there to protest for what makes logical and financial sense.

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    1. Thanks for this Joared, I am still shocked that such basic health-giving and enhancing so called "benefits" are not part of the health schemes everywhere for those that can't afford private health care. Dental, eyes, ears, walker assistance, etc.

      Yes, we hope to plunge on this and enlighten some of the smug politicians here.

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  19. This sounds like a very worthwhile endeavour. Best of luck with it.

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    1. Thank you B - been a while since I heard from you. I hope all is well!

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  20. As near as I can figure, politicians and governments are wealthy people, giving themselves high wages and all manner of 'perks' that carry on even after they've left politics, so of course THEY don't suffer in their old age and simply assume others are managing well also. They are blind and deaf to the people they are supposed to be supporting. I think it should be mandatory for all politicians to live for a year on whatever the age pension is in the country they are in, with absolutely NO access to any of their money or 'perks' during that time.

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  21. I so agree with you River, we have a particular brand of privileged here who treat the people like peasants. One has been known to walk into the only business establishment in a small village and announce to all there: "Do you know who I am?" and then demanded they vote for her in the upcoming election. Not one question about this small shop and its business and its challenges. Breathtaking in her privilege and arrogance.

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  22. Disclaimer up front, I'm the Director of a non-profit in Alberta, so I have some experience in non-profits. Poverty among seniors is so ubiquitous in Canada that I'd contemplate making this a Federal Non-Profit, and address the issue among men as well as women. The goal should be as broad as possible, because you want everyone who hears your message to think, "I know a senior who lives in poverty."

    I remember back to the late 90s and early 2000s, when the Federal Government was saying it cost $99.00 a month to feed a child from 1-12 a basic nutritious diet, for 11 years the Conservative Alberta Government gave mothers on Social Assistance $34.00 a month to feed children from 1-12. Their excuse was that they simply had no more money, yet in that same period those same MLAs gave themselves *17* raises and raked up perks like $400 liquor tabs at lunch. Jason Kenney has just been elected as Premier of Alberta and has vowed to slash services and balance the budget so, I'm not totally convinced Alberta's relatively decent senior's support will continue.

    So your goal is very worthy! Good on ya!

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    1. Thank you Deb, I hear you about broadening but and we have heard from others too but female seniors are the only ones working at 75, 80, literally to put food on their tables, broadening the scope tends dilute the message as men earn far more in their lifetimes and accumulate pensions. I remember my ex screaming I'd never get his pension goddamit. And that happens with many women raising many children. You have a nightmare in Alberta, as does Ontario. We now have a minority government, yay us, but all eyes are on Scheer and the Federal election. No complacency.

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    2. "You have a nightmare in Alberta". Everything seniors receive in Alberta was put in place by a conservative government.

      That is not political, it doesn't erase the still urgent need. But it's just fact.

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  23. (Mary you write so beautifully and lyrically, here in quite a different style than your blog posts.Perhaps here the passion comes through.)

    I have so many thoughts on this topic, having worked in some aspect dealing with seniors issues most of my career (such as it was dealing with congenital spinal and vision difficulties). One thing extra that I can bring is my thoughts on why we SHOULD NOT ask for care, or at least, very judicially. Surprised? Well I've seen the other side.

    Many thanks for writing on this issue. I enjoy reading your blog posts on your day to day self, but this is different. I'm in if my thoughts will be any help, from way out West.

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