Elderly Veterans: Their Silencing, Their Care, and a Solution - Essay Example

Elderly Veterans: Their Silencing, Their Care, and a Solution I. Introduction There are certainly several elements that come to mind when one thinks of elderly veterans. In the United States, a culture of youth is strongly encouraged. Rather, many elderly people are discriminated against unnecessarily because of their age. As Martin Niemöller said, “First they came for the communists, 
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist. 
Then they came for the trade unionists, 
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. 
Then they came for the Jews, 
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. 
Then they came for me 
and there was no one left to speak out for me.”1 Unless there is anyone to speak for the elderly veterans, no one will come to their aid. That is why advocates like AARP must fight for Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security benefits of veterans to be rescued from being cut from the national budget. These people have served their country and they deserve to be taken care of well into and beyond middle age. While our country coddles the infant—who is slow, toothless, and needs assistance—so too we must take care of elderly veterans, who are in a similar state of their lives. In this paper, the following issues will be discussed: the place of elderly veterans with regard to how they are silenced as a group; the analysis of how elderly veterans can get advocates for themselves; and finally, an examination of how elderly veterans can offer much to society in terms of love and wisdom. It is with this examination we’ll find conclusions and solutions. II. How Elderly Veterans Are Silenced How the elderly are taken care of can be quite unnerving, especially because of the lack of education about elderly veterans. Prothero insinuates the young are not being properly educated about the elderly, as it is difficult to find young people who are educated with a broad literacy.2 There are “huge disparities” of funding in the public schools.3 Scott McCloud demonstrates through comics how he believes in social justice, raising issue of white supremacy and racism of all kinds being the catalyst for the oppression of people—and how this can “filter down.”4 This is certainly true of elderly veterans as well, that they can be discriminated against as well. These are just some of the kinds of stereotypes that the elderly—especially elderly veterans—face. As for men, they are commonly less subject to being stereotyped but evidence of it might be found all over. Many elderly veterans are ignored, and they are treated without respect and dignity, the respect and dignity that they deserve to receive at the end of their lives. Hopefully, people will begin to see how elderly veterans have sacrificed at least part of their lives for their country and start to give them the true honor in life that they deserve. Elderly veterans are the unsung heroes of our generation, who fought through World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War without asking a thing in return except for their salary. Now they deserve much more than just a pension—they deserve to be respected by the members of their community, and to be taken care of in their old, infirm age. Veterans can be silenced by many people—including the media and even by their own families, who get into internal strife over their care, which will be discussed more in the next section as to how one can be an advocate for elderly veterans and what types of care can be distributed to them. III. The Care of Elderly Veterans As it stands now, many elderly veterans are discriminated against because they are getting different care, rationed care, and a lack of patient advocacy, and a Medicare system which has doctors ration minutes given to each patient. Elderly veterans deserve more and better. The care of elderly veterans should not go unnoticed. Elderly people are more at-risk to be made to feel inadequate about their bodies due to the fact that they have several life changes going on at one time. When the body is aging, one may feel less attractive due to the fact that several physical needs may come into play which were not necessary before one entered late adulthood. We are taught that sexuality for elders is taboo. Many people are made to think that older people do not need sex, do not desire sex, and, further, that sex between elderly adults is an unpleasant thought. However, it is only a natural part of life. Not only that, but illness can also adversely affect elderly veterans as well. Some elderly veterans happen to get AD (Alzheimer’s Disease). Acknowledging that elderly veterans have a voice in certain situations like these illnesses that befall them, is a wonderful way to connect with someone. Learned helplessness is one method that elderly veterans should not rely on, but should seek appropriate care for instead. However, many elderly veterans are indeed independent and do not rely on others on a regular daily basis. The media should start to accurately portray the elderly as whole, well-rounded individuals—and that not everyone fits in the same neat little box when it comes to their needs, sexual or otherwise. Also, once the U.S. government starts examining the roles that it has traditionally carved out for elderly veterans, it might be able to change in accordance with the reflection of true reality—which is that everyone is an individual and that not everyone responds the same way universally, and that everyone should receive a level of care that is consistent with the fact that these people served their country and now they need to be taken care of in their old age. This includes allowing elderly veterans receive the comprehensive benefits that they deserve from the government and other organizations that have been created to assist this at-risk population. IV. A Solution: How Elderly Veterans Can Impart Love and Wisdom in Society Elderly veterans still have a lot of love left to give; not only that, but they are interested in imparting their wisdom as well. Many people stereotype the elderly because they believe that they, too, cannot do many things. Like babies, they need help in this world. The only difference is, babies improve, while the elderly only get worse with age in terms of being able to take care of themselves. Many elderly veterans are proverbially “thrown under the bus” when it comes to cutting VA hospital costs—and the elderly veterans are the ones who suffer because of it. Also, the government’s Congress is trying to change the laws so that people can no longer receive (or receive as many) Social Security and Medicare benefits that they are entitled to after a life’s worth of work. This is unfair and we need to stand up for the elderly veterans and take their side on this matter. Basically, what is fair is to give them the benefits for which they paid into the system. Aside from the physical need to have intimate relations, elderly veterans also want to aid others so that they won’t make the same mistakes in life as they did. Many elderly veterans are helpful people who are willing to assist others in any way they can by imparting their knowledge to younger generations. This is part of why we must take care of our elderly veterans. V. Conclusion Without a doubt, the elderly are definitely portrayed in certain lights within the context of the media. This is because society wishes to oppress the elderly—especially elderly veterans—to a certain extent in order to rein in their abundance of energy. Also, it is social conditioning that causes such treatment of elderly veterans to arrive at this point. At this juncture in time, the elderly are still discriminated against. This is called ageism and should not be accepted either by anyone in our government unless that medium is trying to change ideas and stereotypes about the elderly. The media definitely has a lot of bias when it comes to portraying the elderly, whether it be in film or television. It would be an added bonus if the way the elderly are portrayed in the media could be changed so as to not be so stereotypical anymore, but that will take time and education in order so peoples’ ideas are changed. The media definitely plays a huge role in the way our society derives its overarching ideas about the elderly—especially with regard to elderly veterans. Elderly veterans definitely deserve more and better programs to help them be integrated into society instead of being rejected from society. They deserve to be able to be included in society and given much respect. It was critically examined here: how elderly veterans are silenced in the media; how elderly veterans can get advocates; and how elderly veterans still have a lot of love and wisdom to impart upon others. WORKS CITED McCloud, Scott. “Blood in the Gutter.” English 1010 Reader. Boston: McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions, 2010. Pp. 134. Prothero, Steven. “A Nation of Religious Illiterates.” English 1010 Reader. Boston: McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions, 2010. Pp. 201. Rios, Francisco. “Education For Social Justice.” English 1010 Reader. Boston: McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions, 2010. Pp. 214. Niemöller, Martin. Holocaust Museum Quote. Retrieved 25 Sept 2011. Available: Read More