Last Monday, April 10th, senior citizens from around the state met together at Oklahoma’s Capitol to remind our state leaders that the number of elderly Oklahomans is rapidly growing and, as a result, the need for services and funding for these elders is increasing as well.
Currently, senior citizens make up 13.2% of Oklahoma’s population. This is higher then the nation’s population of seniors, which is 12.4%. By 2015, the number of Oklahomans between 65 and 75 years of age is expected to have grown three times faster than those under 65. The number of Oklahoma seniors between 75 and 85 will have grown at an even more dramatic rate.
In her speech to the large crowd of seniors and elder advocates, Mary Brinkley, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, said, “The elderly needing our care today have given us their love and compassion for generations. They taught our children, nursed our sick, built our roads, and fought in our wars. Let us show these seniors our support and our thanks as they face issues of health and frailty, by voting to support significant increases in funding for all senior services across the state.”
In his keynote speech, William Thomas – a physician of geriatrics and author of several books on elders – spoke of his love of working with older people and his respect for elders. “Look around you,” Thomas said motioning his hands upward from the House of Representative’s chamber floor, “this beautiful Capitol building and the other great places in this state are here as a result of the hard work of our elders. . . . Like our elders did for us, it is now our job to make this world a better place for them and for the future.”
“We do this,” Thomas explained, “by creating communities and nursing homes that encourage growth and interaction for seniors.” While it is important to have services that provide healing for the physical body, our elders need more. They need to be surrounded by environments that promote well-being, not just physical wellness. To respond to the withering toll that institutionalization creates on those living in nursing homes, Thomas made clear, “we must create environments that combat the plagues of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom, which account for the bulk of suffering among our elders. We need communities that provide companionship, opportunities to give care, and variety.”
Those attending the Senior Day at the Capitol left feeling inspired and well informed. It is clear that as Oklahomans we must make a commitment to our parents and grandparents to fully and adequately fund needed elder services, such as:
- Senior transportation, nutrition, housing, and home-delivered meals;
- Direct care staffing and in-home/community-based services;
- Advantage waiver services, adult day care services, and personal care services.
It is our task to make Oklahoma a place where our elders can live well until their last breath is drawn.
“Make things different in Oklahoma!” Thomas exclaimed as he looked us all directly the eyes, “Do it now!”
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