Dump and Run

I cut my AARP membership card in half and mailed it to headquarters; I have been questioning their values for some time but an article in this month's magazine finished me off. I'm done with them

The article covers the story of a couple reaching retirement age (both working professionals with good jobs); they plan to travel. Unfortunately, the husband develops dementia at age 64 and begins to become a burden. After conferring with an attorney who specializes in geriatric issues, the wife divorces the man, keeping all the remaining assets and the house for herself. The husband is put in a nursing home on the taxpayers' dime (Medicaid). I do not really blame this woman for her actions; her husband was gone....only a shell remained. She made a tough, cold, pragmatic decision to save herself and her independence. Unfortunately, the article couches this whole sordid situation in terms of how loving and caring the wife was as she carried out her plan. She had no choice.

She had no choice???? She could have taken care of him. She could have purchased long-term care insurance. She could have divorced him and given him half of the assets (but why waste assets on a demented nursing home patient)? The article goes on to describe other legal maneuvers to disengage from situations like this.

I do not blame this woman for her action but let's speak plainly and call a spade a spade. She kept the assets and put the "love of her life" on the public dole. In these cases, the State will appoint a guardian to make critical decisions for the patient. As a rule, to avoid litigation, guardians insist that all medical interventions be taken until the end. Instead of allowing nature to take its course, this patient will be subjected to feeding tubes, trips to the ER, medical procedures and even possibly life supporting measures such as ventilators--all on the taxpayers' dime. By the way, if he is demented, who represented him in the divorce where he got no assets? These maneuvers may be legal but are they moral?

AARP comes off as advocating this kind of arrangement. Seek out an attorney who specializes in geriatric law; protect yourself--yourself being the key word. The sanctity of marriage is frequently discussed in the political discourse these days. No wonder the young think marriage is a joke and are trending toward cohabitation (with children) as an alternative.

The author of this diatribe concludes by chastising Medicare for not doing more to help with home nursing and nursing home care. Hello!....Medicare has a 36 trillion dollar UNFUNDED obligation. Adding to this burden would be insane during this economic melt-down. I realize that AARP is a lobbying organization for the elderly, but this is an embarrassment. The new culture wars will not be the old ones (black vs. white or rich vs. poor); they will be the old vs. the young. The old are embarking on a trip to suck the economic life out of the young. Medicare and Social Security are called the third rail of politics. The tsunami of baby boomers about to hit age 65 will crush the young who simply do not have the demographic strength to support all that the elderly are demanding. I want no part of it.

I hope that loving spouse enjoys her travelling.