Will there be nursing homes for us?
Where will you be living circa 2040 or 2050?
Okay, so if you're a born-again believer, you're probably gleefully envisioning heaven or are at least adding "if the Lord tarries" to the question. And if you're not, and you're over 40, you may be counting on moving in with your children or enjoying a living arrangement like the Golden Girls' of 1980s TV fame.
But just say none of these alternatives pans out, and you find yourself unable to live on your own. Will a decent nursing home be an option for you?
The truth is that only God knows for sure. If our economy crashes and modern-day Huns overrun our country, all bets are off. But let's assume that America's still the Beautiful and we still have some viable financial resources to work with. What's likely to be available?
It turns out to be a disturbing scenario.
On the one hand, the demand for nursing-home care is expected to more than double by 2050, according to a study released in 2013 by JAMA and the Kaiser Foundation.
On the other hand, the supply looks like it's destined to dwindle. Skilled nursing facilities are becoming less and less profitable, according to a recent report. The reasons include sagging occupancy and reimbursement rates--with occupancy declines perhaps related to a boom in building for the assisted-living arm of the eldercare industry.
What will happen to those of us who eventually need skilled nursing care, 24x7?
"It's literally schools versus nursing homes," columnist Robert J. Samuelson wrote a few years ago. "We need a better balance between workers' legitimate desire for a comfortable retirement and society's larger interests. Instead, our system favors the past over the future. Things could be done to mitigate the bias. None would be easy or popular. But it's first necessary to acknowledge the bias and discuss it openly. This we are far from doing."
If you don't find this commentary chilling, you might want to ponder exactly what this columnist has in mind. Let's hope it won't ultimately turn into yet another case of our wanting to be "just like Europe," birthplace of a brave new world that exalts eldercare "solutions" from assisted suicide to euthanasia.
Let's not miss what's really important
There's a very nice documentary available from some kind folks in Seattle. Called "The Growing Season," it features the interaction of very young children and very old nursing-home residents. ​
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It looks like it's very nicely done, and I found the filmmaker's motives interesting. "I was curious to observe these two groups occupying opposite ends of the life spectrum," she wrote, "to see firsthand what it meant for them to simply be present with each other. Shooting this film and embedding myself in the nursing home environment also allowed me to see with new eyes just how generationally segregated we've become as a society. "
Or, as the founder of this program explained, "It's the experience of life in a multigenerational, interdependent, richly complex community that, more than anything else, teaches us how to be human."
Do we really need help learning how to be human? Maybe so, as we see 2 Timothy 3:1-7 play out across the nation and around the world.
But it strikes me that this story is really about children with their lives stretching out before them, loaded with the hope of lifelong happiness – and about the elderly, with their lives stretching out behind them, any remaining hope of happiness just about dashed.
What a shame it is to look at it this way. Because after all, at least some of these old folk are standing on the threshold of something far more wonderful than anything this life has to offer: the ultimate, permanent and supremely joyful eternity awaiting anyone who belongs to Jesus Christ.
Doesn't this suggest that what's really important, for people of any age, is to embrace the confident expectation of a heavenly eternity?
I wish the best for all those involved in this project. Even more, I pray that each one will repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, so they can all look forward to everlasting joy in His kingdom.
Professing to be wise
"The question may be asked what is being done regarding the spiritual and emotional needs of the elderly. This is the niche of practical theology, as indicated by one definition of practical theology that it is 'a place where religious belief, tradition and practice meet contemporary experiences, questions and actions and conducts a dialogue that is mutually enriching, intellectually critical, and practically transforming' ... The aims of this exploratory article are (1) to investigate to what extent research in practical theology has addressed the spiritual and emotional needs of the elderly and (2) to identify opportunities where practical theology may provide service in the field of gerontology."
This excerpt from an article published several years ago in an international theological journal is living proof that too much education can be worse than useless. What does the Lord call us to do about the spiritual and emotional needs of the elderly (and everyone else)?
"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." (2 Timothy 4:2)
And "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." (James 1:27)
When will the "right" to die become a duty?
It's bad enough that there are people who support assisted suicide. As sick as that is, at least it's supposedly voluntary. Far more troubling are those who think it'd be a great idea to put old people "to sleep" in order to reduce healthcare costs. Think it couldn't happen here? Take a look at this 2013 "man on the street" video from Mark Dice; then think again.
I suppose this shouldn't be surprising, considering what the polls reveal about Americans' willingness to play God. A 2017 Gallup poll, for instance, found overwhelming support for euthanasia for "terminally ill" patients--shockingly, even among church-goers.
It really makes you wonder how far we can be from the end of time. As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:1-2, "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron..."
In the meantime, fellow seniors, look out! Way too many people figure it's our duty to die just as soon as we become a drain on the healthcare system. Even worse, many of them seem to be happy to help us do it.
"Return to your work on the wall"
Have you ever let the ungodly discourage you in your work on behalf of the Lord? Fortunately, the Bible has plenty to say on the subject—and once again, Chris Carrillo has delivered a powerful message to make His solution clear.
The occasion: the most recent Christian Music Hour at Care-age of Brookfield. Using Nehemiah 4 as his primary text, Chris showed us how cruel the unbelieving world can be in trying to undermine our godly endeavors. But with the Lord, there's always good news! If we simply remember how great He is, and cry out to Him in faith, He will help us overcome the opposition. He will fight our battles for us. And He will frustrate the enemy's plans.
Feeling the need for His intervention today? Then don't miss this message:
If you like what you hear, visit our Messages from Chris Carrillo page for more from this outstanding speaker.
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