The Coronavirus Pandemic exposed some important weaknesses in our society that are likely to affect us as we get older. 

Identifying workers as “essential” highlighted how many of our health, social and other service workers are underpaid and underappreciated. Of the 100,000 deaths, 8 out of 10 were adults 65 years of age and beyond. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness. 

A substantial percentage of them were living in facilities serving seniors, including assisted living and nursing homes, that often are underfunded and understaffed (Pew study). Indeed, in a recent earnings call, management at Brookdale Senior Living which operates 800 senior care and senior living communities reported that it spent $10 million in the first quarter on its Covid-19 response. 

Chris Farrell, a senior economic consultant to Marketplace notes that while a key reform would be to improve the pay and working conditions of staff and personal care workers, this requires us to reassess our values. “These are low-wage jobs, but aren’t low skill.” Howard Gleckman of the Urban Institute discovered that the median hourly wage for a facility-based certified nursing assistant is a little over $13 an hour. That compares to $17 wage for vet technicians. “We’ve put a higher value on those who care for our cats than who are for our mothers.”

Today, it’s our mothers, in the future it will be us. Age Discrimination is the only form of discrimination which eventually aims at ourselves, whether it’s our future job prospects or how comfortably and safely we spend our senior years. Think about it… and do something about it while you have the opportunity!