It’s our moral obligation to care for the elderly
We three members of Houston’s faith communities — an archbishop, Baptist minister and rabbi — want to make sure that our elders have access to the best health care available. Known locally as the “Three Amigos,” we believe that our brothers and sisters have a moral obligation to ensure that our parents, neighbors and strangers receive age-friendly care in a timely and expedient manner. Though we are renowned for specialized interventions, there is a gap here in the number of facilities and health care professionals that give priority to healthy aging.
Stephen Klineberg reports that Houston is both browning and graying. We have made great strides in reaching out to various racial and ethnic enclaves, yet too often overlook the extent to which increases in life expectancy present challenges to those who live alone who are fearful of their ability to pay for treatment. During the last decade the number of senior citizens in the U.S. increased by 33 percent. Even more incredible is the certainty that those who live past age 85 in the U.S. will exceed 14 million people in 20 years.
On average, today’s senior citizens enjoy better health and health care than their grandparents received. Most of the very old, however, suffer one or more chronic conditions and spiritual pain with advancing years. The plight of older Houstonians who live in desperate straits, especially at risk during a pandemic, concern the Three Amigos, who long have advocated for the homeless and those denied social justice and civil rights. So we three men have partnered with Dr. Carmel Dyer, the executive director of the UTHealth Consortium on Aging, whose compassion and wisdom in serving older patients and their families have earned her a national reputation in advancing the best practices of geriatric medicine.
As Houston becomes increasingly multicultural and a magnet for older adults from various social and economic backgrounds, this geriatric imperative rightly commands attention. Access to state-of-the-art elder care and palliative medicine can ensure that our elders can remain independent; they can enjoy a healthful quality of life by preventing and mitigating acute accidents, chronic maladies and mental impairments exacerbated by loss of hope that they can survive risks of COVID-19, malnutrition and loneliness. We have the necessary resources and ideas to spearhead initiatives in delivering health care comparable to that of M.D. Anderson, Memorial Hermann Hospital and Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital.
Our immediate goal is to use technology to increase the access of needy older individuals to age-friendly, easy-touse telemedicine. We Three Amigos are ready to combat ageist stereotypes that demean those who lack access and availability to elder care. We hope that compassionate Houstonians will want to learn more about how we can provide age appropriate health care services that address the physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual deserts in which too many of us struggle. To learn more please see visit the Consortium on Aging website on telemedicine and the Center for Senior Medicine online.
This op-ed calls for Houstonians to join the Three Amigos and Dr. Dyer in their campaign to heed a Psalmist’s invitation: “Do not reject me in my old age. Do not forsake me when my strength fails.” Doing so is the moral obligation of every aging Houstonian. It is simply the right thing to do.