BY DAY 7

Respond by Day 7 to at least  one colleague who argued the same position as you and  one colleague who argued the opposing position. Respond in one or more of the following ways:

· Provide additional resources or information to support your colleague’s claim.

· Rebut your colleague’s argument with evidence from the literature.

· Offer alternative viewpoints and insights.

· Ask for clarification.

 

MY MAIN POST

I am afraid I have to disagree that age entitlement programs are obsolete. Despite its flaws, age entitlement programs help older adults with their particular requirements. While aging and retirement are socially constructed and vary between nations, age-based criteria may be a practical and effective strategy to assure the well-being of older adults in a welfare state system.

Age entitlement plans provide older individuals who have worked a lifetime of financial stability. Social Security systems in many countries, including the US, base retirement eligibility on age. This strategy recognizes older individuals’ efforts and assets, helping them retire financially. Without age entitlement programs, seniors may become economically vulnerable and dependent on family and friends (Jun, 2020)—age entitlement programs address aging-related health and social requirements. Aging generally leads to poor health, more significant healthcare expenditures, and the need for long-term care. Age-based eligibility ensures older individuals get necessary healthcare and long-term care (Moon et al., 2021). Needs entitlement programs are vital, yet circumstances, including income, health, and housing, may differ significantly among older individuals.

Age entitlement programs help older adults participate in society. These initiatives let older individuals engage in society without financial pressure by offering retirement benefits and assistance. Active involvement may increase well-being, eliminate social isolation, and use their abilities to improve communities. Age entitlement programs build intergenerational bonds and a feeling of belonging by recognizing older adults’ contributions. Age entitlement systems may need modification, but ignoring them would be unfair to older persons contributing to society (Kang & Kim, 2022). Recent legislation in several nations has expanded and improved these programs to meet rising difficulties and ensure their survival. In the US, debates and initiatives have focused on enhancing Social Security payments to meet the changing requirements of older individuals.

Age entitlement programs handle the particular requirements and issues of aging, so they are still relevant. These initiatives provide older adults financial stability, healthcare, and assistance, promoting social engagement and active involvement. Age-based criteria are imperfect but protect older individuals in a welfare state. Recognizing and appreciating older adults and improving age entitlement programs is vital.

References

Jun, H. (2020). Social security and retirement in fast-aging middle-income countries: Evidence from Korea. The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, p. 17, 100284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeoa.2020.100284

Kang, H., & Kim, H. (2022). Ageism and Psychological Well-Being Among Older Adults: A Systematic Review. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 8, 233372142210870. https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214221087023

 

YONETTE

I am opposed to the view that perceives age entitlement programs to be outdated and irrelevant. These programs must be inducted into society’s social constructs. According to Reis et al. (2021), for age entitlement programs to remain valuable and relevant, they should be comprehensive and integrated to enable collective and sustainable human development. Accordingly, these programs are needed to provide sustainable, quality care for the elderly population (Reis et al., 2021). It is significant to note that the contributions of our Senior Citizens (i.e., persons aged sixty (60) years and older) have impacted and continue to impact the evolution of our society positively. Younger generations build upon their experience and contribution; therefore, it is prudent for the present generation of decision-makers to directly respond to the aging population’s needs through the generous provision of age entitlement programs.

In light of the preceding, it is crucial to note that the population of older persons in Trinidad and Tobago has been increasing exponentially over the past five (5) decades, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the total population. Therefore, as age inevitably runs its due course, we all will fall into the aging population eventually; how unfortunate it will be for the presently youthful population to be unable to access age entitlement services such as free access to the bus and ferry, as is customary in Trinidad and Tobago. Pension programs that provide a stipend to our senior citizens are equally important to enable a decent quality of life for elderly persons who can no longer seek employment or exert physical energy to acquire the finances we all need to live comfortably. Suppose health and quality of life are relevant for our senior citizens. In that case, we must also consider that the age entitlement programs that assist in safeguarding their comfort and well-being are also appropriate and necessary.

Reference

Maria GoreteMendonça Reis, Maria Vitória Casas-Novas, Isaura Serra, Maria Dulce Domingues Cabral Magalhães, &Luís Manuel Mota Sousa. (2021). The importance of a training program on active aging from the perspective of elderly individuals. RevistaBrasileira de Enfermagem, 74(suppl 2). https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2019-0843

 

EMILEE

It is resolved that age entitlement programs are outdated and no longer relevant in our society.

Age entitlement programs are that which are designed for older people to qualify for simply based on their age, such as Medicare and Social Security (Kunkel & Settersten, 2022). As a geriatric social worker for the last four years and working within the community, I would disagree that age entitlement programs are outdated and no longer relevant. However, I do agree that there is a common misconception of the actual programs that only use age as a qualifier. In my work, I had many people who were struggling to pay bills or unable to afford a caregiver, but because their income and assets were above the state limits, I had to often be the bearer of bad news to tell them their age was not enough to get them qualified. For example, I had a lady in the nursing home who did not have secondary insurance outside of Medicare to pay for her rehabilitation stay. She needed to stay in the nursing home after rehab for long-term care. However, because her son’s home on her property was listed in her name, she was unable to get Medicaid to cover long-term care, and she couldn’t afford private pay. Ultimately, she went home and died within a few days. To contrast this, I had a client who was the mother-in-law to a local doctor. Because her finances and assets were situated in her children’s names and all she had per the government was her Social Security check, she was able to qualify for Medicaid as she lived with her children in quarters conjoined their 1800s plantation mansion. I’m not exaggerating.. therefore, I can see both side of the argument but will stick to supporting age entitlement programs for the sake of the discussion.

There were many, many times people would argue with me because of the “I’ve worked my whole life, and I am entitled to the government benefits” mentality. To my knowledge and based on the text, Medicare and Social Security are the only age entitlement programs available in Arkansas through the government as Medicaid here requires the financial need, as well (Kunkel & Settersten, 2022). I don’t think the United States participates in efforts to better legislation for older adults, as a whole, but I have seen legislation steps being made for the betterment of the elderly in Arkansas. The Safeguard Against Financial Exploitation of Retirees Act recently passed in Arkansas which allows “financial institutions to delay, refuse, and report attempted financial transactions trying to exploit these individuals to Adult Protective Services” (Hardcastle, 2022, para. 8). Advocacy groups have also been working to help change the requirements of need-entitlement programs, such as SNAP. The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement proposed to legislators to follow other states such as Oklahoma and Louisiana in eliminating the counting of a person’s assets when applying for SNAP, or food stamps (Lyon, 2023). For seniors, this would be a big improvement as they would not feel a need to deplete their savings simply to eat.

 

References

Hardcastle, M. (2022, November 16). AG Rutledge introduces Arkansas law that protects seniors from financial exploitation. KATV News. https://katv.com/news/local/ag-rutledge-introduces-arkansas-law-that-protects-seniors-from-financial-exposition-disabled-individuals-victims-general-assembly-finacial-transations-safer-ar-act-american-bankers-simmons-bank-elderly-aps-adult-protective-services-bipartisan-support

Kunkel, S. R., & Settersten, Jr., R. A. (2022). Aging, society, and the life course (6th ed.). Springer.

Lyon, J. (2023, January 5). ACHI board calls on legislature, incoming administration to eliminate asset limits for food stamps. Arkansas Center for Health Improvement. https://achi.net/news-releases/achi-board-calls-on-legislature-incoming-administration-to-eliminate-asset-limit-for-food-stamps/