[ Editor’s Note: Don’t get me wrong. I 100% agree with you in

I am concerned about something and it will take all of us having a “love thy neighbor” approach to solve. arbering has given me the privilege of knowing people of all ages and backgrounds. Recently, I have been pondering the challenges that each of my customers are facing, and will face in the near future.

Many of my older customers are looking into an uncertain future that has me concerned for their wellbeing. Prices have rapidly increased, yet their incomes have not, most are fixed. Added to the pressure is that far too many have an inadequate retirement funds. When adding long-term care it goes up into potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars. Just a little research on the subject is sobering. Added to the financial burden is attempting to staff an overwhelmed healthcare system. A shortage of medical staff with an increased population who require medical attention creates a societal problem that I feel we are not prepared for. Our government is not going to solve this problem. So what does our future look like? If we do nothing, keep the status quo… for many it will be a bleak existence. I desire the best possible future for our community; and for that to happen we need to be proactive. Let’s watch out for one another.

that providing care for older Americans should be a priority and the problems aren’t looming. They are already here. The issue I have is that I was reading this, I was greatly anticipating

see what your proposed solution was going to be, only to get there and find out that you suggest, “ Let’s watch out for one another.”

A great semtiment, but what does that really mean? What can you put on paper and present that outlines how we ensure the most vulnerable of our meighbors get the care they need? Food to eat, clothes to wear, medications to keep their bodies and minds functioning, social interaction to preserve their mental health? These are concrete tangible things that you can’t “ fix” with positive thoughts and “ watching out” for them. My own parents are in their 70s and I am fortunate to live just around the block from them. I can, if needed, usually be there fro them in less than five minutes. They are still pretty much self- sufficient ( unless there’s atechnology- related issue) but one day they won’t be. And that’s the saem for all of us, a particular concern as senior adults become a larger and larger percentage of our population as people are living longer and birth rates are dropping. I won’t claim to have all the answers either but we do need to find them]