Crisis facing American seniors: Life as 'elder orphans'

A quarter of Americans over 65 are at risk of becoming so-called "elder orphans" -- facing loneliness, depression and limited access to basic needs. CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook reports on the emerging problem.

[kathleneda]

Thank you to the Dispatcher for stepping up to the plate and offering help immediately to the elderly man.

[ChristopherAbelman]

Thinking about retirement scares me.I apologize to everyone who is retired and filing social security after putting in all those years of work just to lose everything to a problem you weren't to blame for.it's especially difficult for people who are retired.

[laurice]

The level of humanity within a country can be measured by the way it treats its most vulnerable people.

[katiedid]

I am a senior.
Lots of health issues.
I think most people do not care.
Younger folk cannot conceive of being old.
Respect and many thanks to that dispatcher - such a kind person.

[judithabshire]

Social worker at the hospital should have done discharge planning and hooked him up with local grocer and ongoing delivery of his grocery list.

[Songbirdever]

Who ever dismissed this fellow from the hospital without asking if he had help at home - should be fired

[christyv]

We worry so much about people in other countries being scared or hungry. We need to look closer to home. It won't cost billions of dollars and it will make our community much stronger.

[knitwit]

MY 73-year old husband fell, breaking his shoulder and pelvis. He was hospitalized for a week, and will be in rehab for 6 weeks.
I am 69, going blind and with severe back and pelvic injuries. I use a cane and often a wheelchair because I cannot walk or stand long without severe pain. I can drive my truck but not at night due to my vision.
We have 7 kids who live all across the country. Only 1 son, 3000 miles away, keeps in touch; I've only heard from him once since this happened.
Our house was supposed to have a new roof put on and our well fixed. My husband's best friend from the military is paying for the repairs.
We haven't had running water for several years. Then my husband fell so the repairs were postponed.
I haven't seen my husband in 2 weeks. I can drive to where he is but I can't walk through the facility to get to his room. I can drive to the store but I can't walk through the parking lot and store to shop. I also struggle to carry things.
I can't do housework, and we haven't had running water. People would be shocked at our house.
We are not destitute. We have some money but no one to give us physical help.
The worst part is the aching loneliness, especially since my husband is not here. I have 3 dogs to keep me company, but I can't walk them: feeding them and cleaning up is all I can do.
Our children, neighbors, people from the church and others we know are aware he was hurt and know I can't walk or see, but no one calls to ask if I am ok, or if I need help. I am sure it will be the same once he is home. We only have each other.
This Thanksgiving I will be alone. We always had big family holidays, but now I won't even see him.
I just wish people would call and see if I am ok. If I fell here and couldn't get to my phone I could die. I guess my husband could alert someone if he didn't hear from me for a couple of days.
I am NOT SAYING, Oh, pity me!! I am just saying there are thousands of us out here like me who were good parents, but whose kids don't care about us. He served 20 years in the USAF; we worked and paid taxes all our lives. We volunteered and have helped many people in many ways. Now it is our turn, and no one is there for us. There are no services for the elderly here that I have found.
Please, if you have elderly people in your neighborhood or church, or if they don't see or walk well, take a minute and call them, or go over and just ask them if they are ok, or if they need help. Just the call showing you know they are there would mean so much. If it is a holiday, ask them if they have anyone to spend it with them.
Please, no one deserves to be alone and forgotten, but so many of us are.

[lucyterrier]

Because the old are dismissed in our society. Totally unacceptable in many other countries. Our society see the elderly a as weak, a burden and bothersome. They don't live with extended family which is a disgrace. In other countries they see the elderly as full of wisdom, intelligent and strong and the matriarch of patriarch of the family. America should be ashamed for that attitude.

[williamknopic]

I'm an elder orphan. And remember one time my father said to me that he was an orphan. I looked at him and said, "what do you mean you had parents and siblings?"
He looked at me and said, "I had. What's that make me now?"
He was right.
Now i stand in his shoes

[Trustbutdocument]

Many seniors have cared for their parents in their final years. Cared for their spouses in their final years, and did so with pride and love. Now these widowed seniors are floundering without their spouse. "Grateful for Spam" is silently screaming I now have a food safety net because my family safety net is absent... Grateful this man made himself heard and the kind people who responded 🙏

[theirmom]

A hospital social worker should have visited him before discharge to ensure he had supports at home.

[TerryBecker-bwvx]

I'm 68 years old, and my
family ignores me, I AM
an orphan in every way!

[MicheleKaiser-iodx]

Thanks to those who helped this man; you saved his life. Exact thing happened to me. Home from hospital, with instructions to get 90-120 grams protien. Couldn't walk and had 1 apple and some rice in kitchen. Desperately called a Care Link number I heard on radio. They didn't have anything official they could do, but would try. Several hours later three people came carrying all kinds of food. Will never forget their generosity

[annjones]

Put in an AP??? Many of these elder don't even have a cell phone! How are they going to "put in an ap?"
This man seems delightful. Someone worth getting to know. Hope there are people in his area who will take the time to "adopt" him as their friend.

[bridgettstephens]

8 years later and nothing has improved for seniors.

[debrandw]

PLEASE don't let this go unnoticed. We are all getting old. Much love to this brave man.

[nneichan]

An App? Jeez the haves have no clue do they?

Thank goodness they helped him.

[CharGC]

We will all be there someday, and many of us already are. Very humiliating and lonely.

[kareneDallas]

God bless this woman who took his list, bought the groceries & delivered them to his house.🙏🏻❤️