Sheboygan letters to the editor address elder abuse, Medicaid cuts
Share your view: Email a letter to the editor to [email protected] or [email protected].
Here are this week’s letters to the editor of the Sheboygan Press. See our letters policy below for details about how to share your views.
We can protect and uplift our elders
We all have elders we admire. Our parents, guardians, grandparents, neighbors, elders in our care, or those we volunteer to support. They share wisdom, history and connection to a world we only know through stories and photos.
Set during Elder Abuse Awareness Month, every June 15 we observe World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, a global call to action to recognize and prevent abuse against older adults. WEEAD was established by the World Health Organization to shine a light on a widespread but often hidden crisis.
At Safe Harbor, we’re committed to being a voice for those who may not be able to speak out. One in 10 older Americans will experience some form of abuse, neglect or exploitation; and in 90% of cases, the abuser is a family member or trusted caregiver.
Elder abuse takes many forms: physical, emotional, sexual, financial, neglect and abandonment. The signs aren’t always obvious, but the responsibility to act is ours. Learn to recognize red flags like sudden changes in behavior, unexplained injuries or financial irregularities.
This WEEAD, we encourage you to take action: check in on older adults in your life, educate yourself and others, and report concerns.
If you or someone you know is experiencing elder abuse, contact the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Sheboygan County or your local Adult Protective Services agency. Remember, Safe Harbor is also always here to answer questions.
Together, we can protect and uplift the elders who have given so much to us.
Joey Grundl
Administrative assistant, Safe Harbor, Sheboygan
Reject unnecessary cuts to Medicaid and food assistance
Millions of Americans age 50 and older (including 237,000 Wisconsinites) rely on Medicaid health care to get and stay healthy, remain in their homes and communities, and access critical health services that Medicare does not cover. When people can access the care they need, it helps reduce long-term health care costs and prevents costly hospitalizations and nursing home stays.
But now, Congress is considering harmful proposals that would create red tape and put Wisconsinites’ health at risk. Proposed work requirements would force older Wisconsinites who use Medicaid health care to navigate a complex reporting system — where one missed deadline could make them lose the coverage they rely on for doctor appointments and essential medications. Every time these policies have been tried, work requirements have created complicated, bureaucratic rules that lead to large groups of people losing their health care solely because of a missed form or confusing process.
Congress is also considering cuts to food assistance, called SNAP, which 11 million Americans age 50 and older rely on to afford food. This includes close to 370,000 Wisconsin households.
AARP urges Congress to reject the red tape that could cost Wisconsinites their health care coverage and reject unnecessary cuts to Medicaid and food assistance.
Judy Gmach
AARP advocate, Sheboygan
Our letters policy
Letters to the editor are published in the order in which they are received and letter-writers are limited to having one letter published per month. Letters can be emailed to [email protected] and Editor Brandon Reid at [email protected]. Letters must meet specific guidelines, including being no more than 250 words and be from local authors or on topics of local interest. All submissions must include the name of the person who wrote the letter, their city of residence and a contact phone number. Letters are edited as needed for style, grammar, length, fairness, accuracy and libel.
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