The shame of the matter is how we treat the elderly people in our society. As we age, we do not always understand what is happening. We are comfortable with our own surroundings and dislike change in our lives more and more with each passing year. It is, therefore, unforgivable for companies to change their rules and uproot senior citizens who are well settled in their environments.

I recently read of an 86-year-old lady who moved to an assisted living facility five years ago fully expecting to spend the remainder of her days in this home. Four years later, the facility notified the lady’s daughter that she would need to move and it must be within the next two months. The elderly resident did not understand and was extremely upset about being relocated away from her friends and familiar atmosphere.

Apparently, the owner of the facility decided that they would no longer accept funding from Medicare and this was how this resident’s bills were being paid. It would seem to be more in the interest of their residents to make new rules effective when made, instead of being retroactive so that they must displace people who believed they would live in their residences for the remainder of their days. They entered into a contract with these people and should be forced to uphold their end of the bargain and not be allowed to change the rules midstream. Profitability should not be the only consideration. This poor woman keeps asking her family “why can’t I be where I used to be?” This is an extremely sad tale and we really must do more for the elderly in our society to protect them from this type of treatment.