Nudging Over the Cliff
The budget cuts being contemplated by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature are an assault on generations of seniors whose sacrifices have earned them more than red-pencil treatment on a spreadsheet.
Already pushed to the brink by Medicare and MediCal reductions, hospital and insurance pressure, and COVID-19’s disproportional rate of illnesses and fatalities, this round of cuts will surely nudge them over the healthcare cliff.
History tells us that these seniors have lived up to their name: The Greatest Generation. They fought in distant and hostile lands to protect our freedoms. They spent their lives contributing to our prosperity and serving our needs as first responders, teachers, healthcare providers, public servants and business leaders.
The $54 billion California deficit challenges us all to sacrifice. But for elder seniors, it is more like a whammy than a challenge. Programs allowing elder seniors to remain in their homes are being jeopardized. People who are not mobile, have disabilities, lack adequate transportation, or simply have difficulty seeing or hearing, could lose resources that get them through the day.
Seniors are not asking for unfair advantage over others. They so appreciate being able to shop early at grocery stores; and get business-to-door services, wellness checks by phone, and food security. All they ask is an equitable opportunity to survive with dignity in their homes and not in substandard nursing homes or other facilities.
Make no mistake, seniors understand that many in California face challenging, life-altering consequences. But they also know that few are more vulnerable or face more life-threatening outcomes than those who have reached a time in their lives when they need our help to go to battle.
Seniors are accustomed to challenges and many have clawed back from the edges of conflict, shortages, and great recessions. They are soldiers, parents, and grandparents who have always had the nation’s back.
Now we need to have theirs. Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.
Santa Clarita President, LA County Commission for Older Adults