Seniors, Poverty and Why?

I was watching the news this morning. This is something I don’t do much anymore for exactly the reason I am going to blog about. The bad news out weighs the good news. It seems people really want to hear the negative or else why would the news be so popular.

 

The topic this morning affected my age group.

A) Seniors filing bankruptcy at a higher rate more now than ever♦

B) Rents raise for the poor♦

 

Why would Seniors file bankruptcy? In my parents era, there was a savings of several years hard work that helped when they retired. In today’s world, so many included benefits have been jerked away in order to save the companies money. The fall-out in 2010 did a lot of damage.

 

The co-pays on insurance have risen above being able to meet, forcing out- of- pockets to empty faster. Insurance companies seem to fight more on even paying what they should. Costs of medications, doctor appointments, and the outrageous prices being charged for inpatient hospital stays are absurd.

No wonder Seniors are struggling. They are forced to work for longer years before retiring and without the extra help government and retirement benefits would be given at the age of sixty-two, life becomes financially in a ruin. Sometimes bankruptcy is the only answer in order to be able to afford what has to be paid for.

 

Why would anyone charge the poor more money on rental properties and leave the moderate and rich alone? Is the secret name of the game to actually dismiss and rid the poor, leaving the fortunate ones to thrive?

 

I don’t  understand any of this. I know in my area and I also have mentioned this before in my other posts, I live in the Orthopedic Capital of the world. Is everyone in my area working at one of these fine manufacturing companies? No, they are not. It is easy to see that the rental prices of homes and apartments are skyrocketing here; but what about those who aren’t fortunate enough to work in these places?

 

Go back to school, further your education; is this your thought? It used to be mine too, but today, the cost of technical colleges and the bigger colleges is almost beyond our reach. The almost guaranteed job offer is not so much in our sight and of course that leaves us with paying those high college loans off. Some people are bettering themselves some, but the paying off those loans is for many years to come.

 

Landlords don’t keep the properties up to date because they would 1. like to keep the profit and 2. some can not afford the prices to do the updates.

 

It is a sad situation. I know for myself, I would love to have a little more freedom and less rules. I would love to have the inner fears removed that if I don’t do this or follow that rule; I am out of here.

 

Oh, don’t get me wrong, I know there are rules, but rules are changed without voting. Rules can be changed and worded differently day to day. What about having the choice to sit in your yard and have a cookout? This is not allowed here.

 

What about planting flowers? We have employees that do that here. We can watch the flowers grow, but what about helping make that happen? What about having the joy of sitting out under the picnic tables, under the shade trees? Taking our tea or coffee and chatting with others?

 

We have benches here and the benches sit under the sun. We have one patio table with four chairs, that I am not sure would hold me and this patio table is to be adequate for eighty-two apartments.

I don’t mean to sound like I am bitching. I truly am not. My thoughts on this are; hey, we made it to our Senior years. We worked hard. We helped our spouses. We fought in the war. We raised our children. We deserve to not live in fear wondering where our next home will be and where funding will come from and; can we afford it.

 

We don’t want to have to file bankruptcy. We worked hard our entire lives and never saw those big, heavy courtroom doors. Why now? Why would anyone want us to have to wait for our retirement? Why would they raise only the elderly and poor’s rents?

 

Perhaps it is true. People don’t want us around or people believe we are children in grown bodies and are pretty much worthless and just taking up space until death takes us.

Well, this is why I don’t watch too much news. It makes me sad. It makes me angry. What is going to happen to our grown children? Their time is coming. What can we do to help them when we can’t even help ourselves.

 

I Can’t Solve my own Puzzle

Wonder how many of you can relate to this post. I was a part of a family. I took care of my children. I had a side business in Antiques. Everyone grew up and moved on. Marriage dissolved.

Now I am older and alone. The lack of full-time work when I was younger,didn’t help me now that I collect that Disability check. I should be so grateful for my roof and bills paid, but what about the extra money I don’t receive? You know, where you want to buy food but can’t do much of that?

My health keeps me from working. Even if I could work, the government takes away the things I need most, such as insurance. I hate living off the government. I am not one of those who sits at home on purpose and collects, when I could be working.

Having Parkinson/ Ataxia/Dystonia, isn’t something that is easily turned into cash. I am safe, as far as the term goes, not living in the streets, but is it bad to want a little more? Wouldn’t it be so much nicer if I got to choose the foods I ate, instead of taking what is offered through other means? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the help, but I wish I didn’t have to take it.

I don’t consider myself a loser woman. I think myself as intelligent as others my age. I have looked into photography selling. I have joined a couple of groups. Plenty look, but no sales after too much time has passed.

I can write, or at least think I can, but it doesn’t pay. I have written and published a couple of books. I sell them, but I can’t buy groceries for a weeks time on the profits.

I paint, but I am definitely an artist only in my own mind.

What do people do at this point in their life? For me, no amount of searching has lead me to any real profit. I sit here daily and hope for change, but then I frown when I can’t find it.

Even after three years of getting no cost of living through Social Security, I finally received a small raise. The government then raised my rent and my auto insurance went up, you know, they yearly increases? I actually ended up going in the hole for 2018.

How do fixed income, senior citizens make a little extra, so things like food choices or a much needed pair of walking shoes can be had?

So depressing at times when, but haven’t been able to fix it yet. Perhaps one day.

Be Grateful, Life Could be Worse

No matter how hard I am trying to stay positive, today is not one of the good days. It isn’t my  health; but yet my health plays a giant role. I am not unique; there are many in my situation. I can’t beat it; neither can anyone else, unless they know something I don’t.

By now, I bet your curiosity is up. Well, I will tell you. If you are disabled or living on the government’s assistance, you can smile and think,∴yes, I know what she is talking about now.  Yep, I got it.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am thankful for the roof over my  head. Heat when I need it and for being alive and safe, but I almost wish I lived with a roommate where help was more available. When you lean only on yourself, there aren’t many doors open. My problem is I pay the least possible in what I find I really would not like to live without, and this mainly includes; a way to reach the outside world or EMS, or talk to my kids, the cheapest of ways to be able to use the internet and the cheapest and lowest way of having sound within these walls.

Of course, there is auto insurance and other bills that deem important. Providing food is a task each month. I drive mainly for visits to the doctor, or visiting family. I guess it doesn’t really matter does it. The point is, everything seems off balance.

Not enough to live on and you know why? Because I made the choice to stay  home and raise my children instead of working, therefore not giving me enough credits to get a nice monthly check. Things will never change. When I reach 65 I won’t get anymore in my check.

This is when I hate Parkinson’s with a passion. It stops me dead in my tracks. I can’t get work. If I get work, I lose my medical insurance I carry through the government, or my rent raises so what’s the point of working? You can’t win over the system. I can’t work 40 hours, I can barely stand and walk for  more than a little at a time. Part/time work threatens a loss of help, which could cost me more dollars in the long run, then of course there is the issue of my balance.

So I would not have insurance offered by the company and would be forced to purchase my own. Have any idea what insurance purchased privately cost for a diabetic patient? I do, way too much.

I am so down in the dumps right now, because I know this is the way it will be until I die. If you have a job; be thankful. If you are dead tired, sleep. If you don’t have much money after paying bills’ thank God they are paid, next month is going to be different. If you don’t have to worry because the cupboards are getting bare, it will be alright, you have another paycheck coming in soon.

I guess what I am saying is; be grateful, life could be worse.