Unfettered Letters

Praise for care center

I enthusiastically agree with Betty Crumpton’s kind words about the Brighton Gardens Assisted Living Facility (1/11, Letters).

My aunt has lived there for five years with devastating Alzheimer’s, and every day we are treated with sincere respect and caring, from Jo’s smiling face at the front desk to Katy, Kelly, Sally and all of the other members of the Brighton Gardens family. Thank you for all of your special daily kindnesses.

We can all be inspired by those who live and work in a world where we find people who can make each day such a positive experience. Keep up the great work, Brighton Gardens.

Cynthia Lyon
Overland Park

Seniors deserve Social Security

From time to time I read about some of the younger generation crying about paying into Social Security. It just gripes their rears they have to pay so we seniors can have a comfortable retirement.

They act like they are giving us something. The fact is we have paid into it all of our working lives, so we are getting nothing we don’t deserve. So just shut up and pay it. If you did get a few dollars extra each week you would just go out and buy a bigger flat-screen TV or a bigger house you had no intention of paying for that would go into foreclosure in a year or two anyway.

We seniors deserve our trips to sunny Arizona.

Richard Clary
Independence

Praise for care facility

My parents both spent time in nursing homes, and I have visited other friends and relatives in several, so I am aware of the huge variation in quality of care provided (1/4, Local, “KC area facilities get low scores; But even those with one star meet standards, officials point out”).

However, my mother-in-law lived the last six months of her life at Brighton Gardens in Prairie Village, and our experience with that facility was exceptionally good. I was a very frequent visitor, and I never once saw a staff member display anything other than concern and care for the residents. Apparently, the management group there has figured out that although caring for the elderly can be very stressful and requires special skills, it can also be rewarding.

Our family will be forever grateful for the respect, kindness and loving care shown to Lucille. I was delighted to see the number of stars on Brighton Gardens’ evaluation.

Betty R. Crumpton
Kansas City

Open enrollment for Medicare Part D

On behalf of the American Stroke Foundation, I’d like to remind all seniors and those with disabilities who take part in the Medicare Part D benefit (prescription drug benefit) that now until Dec. 31 is open enrollment.

Medicare Part D beneficiaries can compare their plan against 48 other plans offered in Kansas and Missouri to make sure they’re getting the best plan that fits their needs. Each year, plans can change, and prescription needs can change as well.

In a national study, more than 80 percent of seniors have indicated they are satisfied with the Medicare Part D benefit. If you are satisfied with you plan, you won’t have to do anything to stay enrolled for next year. If you’d like to look around at other plans, please call 1-800-MEDICARE or go to www.medicare.gov

Patrick Ayers
President and CEO, American Stroke Foundation
Mission

Interest-rate cuts unfair to retirees

The American people are being represented by a large group of “smart” politicians, bankers, economists and strategists who believe that throwing “our” money at a failing economy will fix the problem.

These “experts” have given billions to the financial industry, but as yet it hasn’t helped the housing foreclosures any. Now the Treasury Department wants to make home loans to new buyers at 4.5 percent interest rates. Who is going to pay for this new effort to stimulate the economy? Everyone who has savings accounts, money markets, CDs and other retirement income — mostly retired people. They will have less income to spend with lower interest income, thus subsidizing new homebuyers.

Remember what Joe the Plumber said? He was right all the time.

Paul Clum
Lone Jack

Caring for elderly ‘daunting task’

Susan Broyles (11/10, Letters) cited an incident of mistreatment of an elderly woman when she was getting a flu shot recently. I am sorry her 6-year-old daughter saw something that upset her.

I ask her to consider that the 60-something lady she saw with the elderly woman with Alzheimer’s or dementia was an overburdened caregiver experiencing what so many others in that role deal with daily.

Unless you have cared for an elderly person who suffers from dementia, you can’t understand the frustration and heartbreak it carries with it.

It takes divine grace to face this daunting task. Some days it pushes the caregiver beyond the ability to do it with patience and understanding.

I commend caregivers who have taken on this kind of responsibility, and I encourage them to seek help. They can contact their county agency on aging for assistance. They can also call churches in their area to inquire about support groups. The Internet is another source of information.

For anyone who might see a similar situation, I would ask that you respond with compassion and a kind word or smile. Sometimes that small gesture can be a lifeline to someone who is hanging on by a thread.

Nancy Whitacre
Olathe

Mistreatment of elderly

My 6-year-old daughter and I were at Overland Park Regional Medical Center one recent Saturday to get my flu shot. There was a lady there, I would say in her 60s, with her mother or possibly mother-in-law, in her 80s. I can safely say I have never seen anyone treat an elderly person as bad as this lady.

The older lady may suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia, but, there was no need for the younger lady to treat this poor women as if she were a 4-year-old child, especially in a public place with other people and children around.

My only hope is that the younger woman sees this and feels as awful as my 6-year-old did. When we were leaving, she even asked me why the lady behind us was so mean to her mom.

It’s pretty sad when a 6-year-old knows better than a 60-year-old pushy woman.

Susan Broyles
Spring Hill

U.S. will be either racist or ageist

Lewis Diuguid (10/22, Opinion, “Election predictions are holding up so far”) seems to tell us the only reason Bill Richardson didn’t get elected was because of ethnicity. For Mitt Romney it was because of religious bigotry, and for Hillary Clinton it was because of sexism. And if Obama is not elected, it’s because of “this country’s burning fires of racism.”

Really, Mr. Diuguid? Are those the only reasons that candidates are rejected by the electorate? Then I submit that if John McCain is not elected, it could be only because of ageism.

In Diuguid’s world there seem to be no other factors that count other than the bigotry of the voters. It must be a great comfort to Mr. Diuguid to live in a world where no one is ever called to account for what they did. Then they can blame every failure on their demographic category.

By Diuguid’s logic, the results of this election will prove that we are either a racist or ageist country.

Bill Gaughan
Louisburg, Kan.

Help for coping with Alzheimer’s

Lewis Diuguid’s commentary (9/3, Opinion, “When even the best-laid plans can go awry”) accurately depicted Alzheimer’s as the truly devastating disease that it is and confirmed that caring for a loved one is a difficult and expensive commitment. The commentary was educational, informative and timely, given that Alzheimer’s is increasing at an alarming rate.

As executive director for our local Alzheimer’s Association — Heart of America Chapter, I want to provide contact information so that anyone affected by this disease knows where to turn for support. The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. The Heart of America Chapter offers many programs including support groups, care consultation, education and safety services to more than 50,000 individuals and nearly 200,000 family members and care partners in our bistate service area who are suffering the emotional, physical and financial challenges of this disease.

We are here to help anyone, at any time, who is in the midst of a journey with Alzheimer’s. If Alzheimer’s is a part of your life, you are not alone. Our phone number is 913-831-3888. Our Web site is www.alz.org/kansascity

Debra R. Brook
Prairie Village

Fire safety in nursing homes

Do not those who are so adamantly against smoke detectors in nursing home and care facilities (8/25, Local, “Fire safety should rank higher in nursing homes?”)  that they themselves may well bear the fruit of their folly?

Nancy M. Ehrlich
Independence