..day, november 18, 1977
section b
page 7
By Janet Lliteras
Why worry about tomorrow, today?
If I am here tomorrow
lean worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.
So why worry about tomorrow; today?
- Author Unknown
Approximately 43,000 people are over
60 years old in Lancaster County and 90
percent of them live in Lincoln.
We'll all get there sooner or later. But
what to do when you're forced to retire
when you don't need to or don't want to?
What if you have no family and your
friends are either gone or moved away?
Some families no longer want to let
grandma or grandpa move in with them.
They say they don't have the time or money to see that gramps gets what he needs so
they stick him in an old folks home.
Jim Zietlow, administrator of the Lincoln-Lancaster Commission on Aging, said that
many older people are being placed in nursing homes whether they need medical care
or not.
In essence this is what the Commission on Aging is trying to prevent, Zietlow said.
When the commission was organized in 1971, he said, its main goal was to develop ser
vices and programs that would prevent or delay the need for putting people in nursing
homes. They wanted people to remain as independent as possible, as long as possible.
'What do you do when you 're forced to
retire when you don Y need to or don 9t
want to? Wlmt if you have no family
and your friends are either gone or
moved away?9
Lincoln is one of six area-wide model projects authorized and funded by the Older
Americans Act of 1965. The project jeceived a $200,000 grant in 1969, Zietlow said.
Today the commission distributes approximately $1 million yearly, he said, $310,000 is
federally funded. "
The commission is a planning and advocacy agency, he said, not just a service
delivery.
"Agencies come to' us," he said. The commission helps set up the proposed program
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Jim Zietlow-". . .want people to remain as independent as possible, as long as possible.
Photo by Bob Pearson
Older Americans face day to day life
if it is approved, and helps round up funding for them.
One directly administered is Lincoln Information Service for the Elderly (LIFE)
which is an information referral agency that helps senior citizens cut through the red
tape and paperwork, Zietlow said. It's a free information, referral and counseling ser
vice for the elderly.
There also is a downtown Senior Center and a heritage craftshop. If senior citizens
want to volunteer their time and knowledge to help others, they can join the Retired
Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).
However, Zietlow said, these programs just scratch the surface.
"We're taking baby steps," he said, "piecemeal approaches."
The programs are nice, he said, but they are here because they haven't dealt with the
real major problems such as reduced income for the elderly.
Everything boils down to what one can afford, he said. The solution, he said, is to let
people work longer. If they had the same income, as other people they wouldn't have to
be set apart from everybody else. They wouldn't need to have reduced bus fare, medical
care and dinner and tuition fees.
Even so, what has been done so far has been great, Zietlow said.
"We're still in business," he said. "The programs are well received by the local
officialdom ," meaning the rnayor and city council.
Over the last five or six years, Zietlow estimated, over 10,000 older Americans have
participated in the programs. The commission hopes to reach approximately 6,000
people in this 1977-78 fiscal year, he said.
Older Americans can eat for less, ride for less, learn for less, and have fun for less,
but only because they have less to spend. Old age is not a disease, old age is a way of
life. The many programs for the elderly seem to testify to that.
Hard to believe, but it's true. Each day we are a day older than yesterday. Days add
up to weeks, weeks to months, months to years. It won't be too long before we are 30,
halfway to 60. What will we do when we reach 60?
- V
Brings You
undav; Brunch
s
Sundays between 11 and 2 Brannigan's offers a special
collection of delectible delights suitable only for Sunday Brunch.
Our special menu includes:
O French Toast & Strawberry Butter (top secret recipe)
o Fresh Fruit French Toast (tench toast never had it so good)
o Ham Qdche with Eggs (very French)
kMon..Thur.IMIpjn. Fri.-Sat. 1M ajn. Sun. 1 1-8 Pjn. Football Sat. 10-1 a-m
p '
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Choosing a husband
is easy compared to
choosing between
these two rings.
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Downtown Gateway Conestcga
1150 "O" St. Enclosed Mall Enclosed Mall
Lincoln Lincoln Grand Island
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