9. "New Frontiers of Aging," by Wilma Donahue and Clark Tibbetts, University of Michigan, 1957. 10. "Recreation for the Aging," by Arthur Williams, Association Press, N.Y., 1953, 192 pp. A handbook for leaders directing recreation programs. 11. "Recreation for Our Older Citizens." Bulletin No. 12 of the North Carolina Recreation Commission, Raleigh, N.C., 1954, 43 pp. Proceedings of the second southern regional conference on recreation for the aging. 12. "The Best Years of Your Life," by Marie B. Ray. Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 1952, 300 pp. Describes various kinds of programs and hobbies for older people. MEMBERS WEST VIRGINIA COMMISSION TO STUDY PROBLEMS OF THE AGED J. Floyd Harrison, chairman, Wayne, W. Va.; Dr. C. Royal Cassels, vice chairman, Ripley, W. Va.; Mrs. Alice B. Van Landingham, Morgantown, W. Va.; Dr. B. C. Harrington, Elkins, W. Va.; Mr. E. B. Saunders, Clarksburg, W. Va.; Mr. William Edward Reed, Route 1, Shoals, W. Va.; PREPARED STATEMENT BY WALTER N. WAUGH, CHARLESTON, W. Va., ON SOMETHING ALL YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW, FEW OLD PEOPLE REMEMBER 1920 In 1920 we voted on the $200 monthly old age pension known as the Townsend plan; some try to make people believe the plan was defeated, but the fact of the matter is, Satan and his vipers, have taken this Nation for a ride, to the downfall of the United States of America. Warren G. Harding, was not elected by the people, but appointed by the money grabbers, he served but a very short while as President, they laid him in his tomb (ill gotten gains have no home). The unjust courts, the heathen judges, the vile governments, the wicked prosperity, and major Satan, the adversary, the second most powerful force on earth, they have delivered the most wicked curse this Nation has ever known. They have robbed this Nation of the $200 monthly old age pension known as the Townsend plan. They have robbed this Nation from the cradle to the grave, in order to defraud the people of their rights, and defy God. Here is the bare facts, from God's own mouth. Isaiah 24: 5, 6.-The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant, therefore hath the curse devoured the earth. Psalms 37: 14.-The wicked have drawn their sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy. Proverbs 22: 22, 23.-Rob not the poor, because he is poor; neither oppress the afflicted in the gate; for the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoil them, Isaiah 49: 26.-I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I am the Lord and thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob. Psalms 12: 5.-For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord. Psalms 9: 17.-For the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. God made the world, and holds it in position, with His almighty power and great judgment. God with His mighty power, and great love, placed on this earth every need for His children, that would not suffer throughout eternity. And God gave His children, commandments, and commandment law, that they might have health, joy, and peace forever, and forevermore. Since Satan and his vipers, are the second most powerful force on earth, and they have entered the church, and state, and the rest, it makes it hardly possible for all God's children to have bread, in the land of plenty. JESUS IS OUR ONLY HOPE Proverbs 17: 15.-He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord. Proverbs 28: 4.-They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. Our new found hope (here is a prayer that the preachers have not mentioneda prayer for our enemies and oppressors): Proverbs 30: 8.-Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me. Proverbs 31: 9 (a commandment from God's own mouth for all).-Open thy mouth, and judge righteously, and plead the cause for the poor and needy. Proverbs 29: 7 (this is a test for Gods children, take choice, righteous or wicked): The righteous considereth the cause of the poor; but the wicked regardeth not to know it. One hundred sixty-three thousand pathetic souls in West Virginia alone, we are 65 years old, we are orphans, and in distress, and few seem to care. We have been robbed of our $200 old age pension, known as the Townsend plan of 1920, and Jesus is our only hope. God says he will take away this battered body and wicked heart and give us a beautiful new body and a pure heart, and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will take us by the hand, and lead us to God's kingdom, to dwell with Jesus and our loved ones, throughout eternity "dear friends will you meet us there, this is my heart's desire." Genesis 2: 7.-And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Man, being the greatest and most beautiful creature of all time, God placed him in the Garden of Eden, and God made man after his own image, God so loved man that God used his powerful skill and mighty power and love and placed man's every need on earth that man would never want for anything. God placed Lucifer, as overlord of man, Lucifer was perfect until sin was found within him. And in order to defraud man of his rights and defy God, Lucifer failed to obey. Lucifer, now known as Satan, the adversary, has defied God ever since. Sixteen hundred years ago Satan entered the church and the (wicked) world followed. Satan and his vipers have entered our Government, and our commercial field, and all business of any importance. Today this Nation is in a sad state of affairs, Jesus is our only hope. If this Nation will atone for the $200 monthly old-age pension, known as the Townsend plan of 1920, it will heal the wound of this wicked distress and make the black ages of this Nation sad history of the past. A SURVEY OF ACTIVITIES BY STATES, BUSINESS CORPORATIONS, EDUCATION, SOCIAL WELFARE, AND HEALTH DEPARTMENTS FOR AN AGING POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES Report of the Governor's Temporary Committee in West Virginia for Studying the Problems of Elderly People, Huntington, W. Va., October 1952 Hon. OKEY L. PATTESON, Governor of West Virginia, Charleston, W. Va. DEAR GOVERNOR PATTESON: The following report represents the work of the committee you appointed on December 7, 1951, to make a survey of what is being done in the various States for the aging and the aged. In order to try and get an accurate conception of the newer trends in this relatively new field of human relations, the committee sought information from States, business corporations, and State departments of education, health, and social welfare. The response on the part of these groups was generally satisfactory. In other words, enough of them in each case answered the questionnaire for the committee to form valid conclusions as to what is being done in each area. The problems of our aging population are becoming greater with each passing year. Therefore, if this survey enables you to see some way by which the State can be more helpful toward these whose work is done, all of the time and effort used in making the study will have been well repaid. Fourteen of the States now have permanent commissions for studying the problems of their elderly people which, within itself, indicates how important the problem is becoming on the national level. Doctors Vest and Dyer, Mr. W. B. Van Horn, and myself wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your cooperation in making the work of this committee a success. The willingness to defray the expenses of the secretary to Washington for the purpose of attending the State commissions on problems of the aged was appreciated and proved to be a helpful experience. Respectfully submitted. J. T. RICHARDSON, Secretary. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION: THE PROBLEM OF AN AGING POPULATION Evidence is available on every hand to indicate that the population of the United States is growing older. The number of people in the general population over 65 years of age in 1900 was 4.1 percent; 1920, 4.7 percent; 1940, 6.6 percent; while at the present time it is 8.4 percent. It is estimated that by 1960 there will be 15 million men and women in the United States who will have passed their 65th birthday. At the present time, 1952, there are 12 million such men and women. In 1952 over 15,000 of these people were living in West Virginia and a city the size of Huntington with a population of 86,000 has 6,000 citizens who are 65 years of age or older. There are a number of reasons why the percent of men and women over 65 are increasing in our population. Medical science has conquered many of the "killers" of yesterday, childhood diseases have been contained and both environmental and public sanitation are better today than at any other time in our history. City water and milk supplies, food inspection and elimination of sewage and garbage have all reached high levels of efficiency at least in most localities. In addition, knowledge of personal hygiene in the care of the body, eyes, and teeth are all better than they were only a few years ago. Improvement in food contents and a better-balanced diet can be considered as an important factor in the physical welfare of our country at this time. Finally, the new array of miracle drugs prevent fatal illnesses that formerly caused many deaths in all divisions of the population. The above shift in our population carries many serious implications quite worthy of study by national, State and local officials. In the first place the caseload in many forms of welfare will be greater since these men and women nor their relatives are in a position to help them very much. This is reflected in some of the steps now being taken by certain States. For example, New York is building a housing project where older people can stay for a very low rent among those of their own age bracket while other States are making plans to combat chronic diseases among members of their older population. Secondly, through medical advances, as previously noted, men and women enjoy a much longer life expectancy today than ever before-in fact, it is 68 for men and 72 for women. This means that the number of years between retirement and death has been widened greatly within the recent past and will be extended still longer in the near future. One large corporation has a preretirement booklet that expresses the spirit of the thing in its title: "Those 15 years." Within this one point of greater life expectancy on the one hand and early retirement, as low as 55 in some instances, on the other lies a whole host of economic and personal problems that are today receiving the attention of some of the best minds in our Nation; thirdly, through early retirement, following a lifetime of activity and regular work, many women and especially men, become neurotic and very unhappy and their personalities undergo marked changes; and fourth, these men and women, many of whom are in frugal circumstances, are openminded to all kinds of reckless promises made by irresponsible politicians and thus could become a negative influence in governmental affairs by helping to put such men in public office. The extent of the problem is indicated by the amount of study and attention it has been receiving recently. There have been two national conferences, many State meetings of a similar nature, some cities have had institutes and workshops, and in 1951 an international conference on gerontology was held in St. Louis. The medical profession has added a new specialty to its list called geriatrics and a number of colleges and universities have placed courses pertaining to our aging population in their curricula. There is an almost endless list of Government publications, books, monographs, pamphlets, films, charts and other material being printed on the subject. Some of the States, such as Wisconsin, have established permanent commissions so their study of the problem may go on a permanent basis. Other States, including West Virginia, have a Governor's commission at work surveying the various facets of the problem. It is encouraging to observe that some of the States and many cities, some of which are in West Virginia, are not waiting until the problem gets out of hand but are already trying to do something about it. Since older people need all of the things younger people do, only less of them, it behooves State and city officials to take measures whereby such things can be provided. Thus Bluefield has its Golden Age Club where an extensive program for the oldsters of that city is being carried on and in Huntington a Senior Citizens Club was recently organized with a Board of Governors representing many business, civic, and cultural organizations in that city. In the final analysis the State of West Virginia is presented with a challenging situation and one where some sense of proportion needs to be kept in mind. We have recreational and cultural programs, under the auspices of cities, churches, clubs and other groups for all age brackets from 3 to 60 but they all seem to come to a halt around 60 or 65. That is hardly fair since it is now leaving out of consideration one of the most important segments in our whole population. If our State can take the lead, in this section of the country, in recognizing the problem and then taking the necessary measures to solve it honor and acclaim will come to us from all sources and especially from the older people themselves. It will be useful to give a résumé of some of the steps taken by other States in trying to meet some of the problems incident to aging. Among these are New York, California, and Wisconsin and they will be considered in the order given. CHAPTER II. THE NEW YORK STATE COMMISSION REPORT ON THE AGED 1 Within the past few years we in America have taken a greater interest in the general welfare of the aged in our population. We have been increasingly concerned with what could and should be done to alleviate some of the many problems and difficulties that face not only younger Americans, but more especially our senior citizens as well. Quite obviously, the "we" as used in the first two sentences refer to industry, business, the church, the school, the community, Federal, State, and local governments. In an effort to meet this challenge the New York State Legislature established a joint legislative committee on problems of the aging in 1947. The purpose of the committee was to study this important problem in all of its many phases and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature of the State of New York. There can be little doubt but that many of the findings and recommendations of this committee have important implications for all other States and agencies striving at different community levels to solve some of the many problems of the aging. It was felt that the problems of the aging in New York State were typical of those encountered in other States and so there is value in learning how New York is attempting to solve its problems. It is hoped that some idea, proposal, or program discussed here will prove not only interesting but useful to West Virginia officials who are confronted with the same problems among the older residents of this State. The Honorable Thomas C. Desmond, State senator of New York, made it possible for the original paper to be written by Mr. Corrie since he cooperated in every way in making the committee's report, "Findings and Recommendations of the New York State Joint Legislative Committee on Problems of the Aging," available. Thus, indirectly, this committee is also indebted to Senator Desmond and we take cognizance of that obligation at this point. 1 Based on a paper read by Walter S. Corrie, Jr., at a conference on old age, "Living the Later Years," Marshall College, June 1950. The committee is indebted to Mr. Corrie for permission to use this material. In 1948 the committee's first report, "Birthdays Don't Count," presented a wide range of social and economic problems which particularly afflict the elderly and explored the possibilities of certain avenues of State action. Let us emphasize some of the highlights from this report, "Birthdays Don't Count": "1. The problems of old age narrow themselves down to the problems of human conservation. The committee contrasted the huge funds spent to save our soils with the comparatively little spent to prevent our elderly from suffering the withering effects of unemployment, idleness, and neglect. "2. The problems of the elderly must be thought of as individual personal problems which vary from person to person. Also the problems of old age are the problems that often defy mass solution. The committee after conferring with geriatricians concluded that old age begins with no particular birthday, that some of us are old at 40, while others are comparatively young at 70. Particularly fitting here is Oliver Wendell Holmes' remark on the 70th birthday of Julia Ward Howe, "To be 70 years young is sometimes far more cheerful and hopeful than to be 40 years old." The committee also warned against the tendency of employers and the public generally to fall into the pitfall of lumping all persons over a certain age as being old. Our statistical age is at least important when compared with our mental, physical, and psychological ages.” The variety of difficulties confronting our older citizens can be better understood by considering such cases as the ex carpenter at 65 whose children, unable to support him, have to send him to an institution; the 72-year-old former schoolteacher who, mentally alert and vigorous, chafes at her forced retirement to idleness and sinks into deep melancholia; the wrinkled octogenarian whose bones are wracked with arthritic pains; the 72-year-old widow who recently lost her husband, now lives half-fearfully, half-hopefully, awaiting death; a rugged 65-year-old chemist who cannot find a job because he is too old; and the 67year-old banker who lives on his munificent annuities but is dreadfully unhappy in retirement. A good question would be: Can this country afford such a waste of human energy and talent in a day when all talents and all energy are needed? But to get back to "Birthdays Don't Count," we have further: "3. At this time Dr. Warren S. Thompson, one of the Nation's foremost population experts, provided the committee with data indicating that whereas about 7 percent of the Nation's males and females were 65 or more in 1940, this percentage will increase by the year 2000 to 11.4 percent for males and 14.4 percent for females. He stated: 'Large increase in the proportion of our old people over the next several decades is as certain as anything in this life can be * It was John D. Durand of the United Nations staff who reported that the United States is now a relatively old nation compared with the world population's average age. His data on Russia indicated, for example, that 36 percent of its population is under 15 years of age, whereas 25 percent of our people fall in that age classification. Russia also has only 9 percent of its people over 55 compared with 16 percent in the United States. The significance of such population trends indicates many changes. Among these are that social scientists foresee an increase in the political influence of the elderly, the development of new types of consumers goods aimed at the oldage market and the redesigning of houses. The strength of propension movements was highlighted by the fact that whereas in 1940 persons 50 and over comprised 32 percent of our voting population, in 1980 this age group will constitute 42 percent of the voters. However, there are three other observations made in the first report "Birthdays Don't Count," all of which concern us. "4. There is disagreement as to just what the aged in our population want or desire. This committee emphasized that our elderly want: "(a) A chance to be useful, "(b) A chance to earn at least some money, "(c) A chance to obtain decent shelter, "(d) Social security and assistance grants, "(e) A chance to be free human beings with dignity and respect.” To these basic wants should be added five additional needs of the elderly which became increasingly apparent from the committee's study. These are: (a) A chance to obtain up-to-date medical and psychiatric advice and care to prolong their vigor as well as their lives. (b) A chance to obtain guidance, in work, recreation, and living in general. (c) Adequate institutional care, free of prison atmosphere. (d) Housekeeping and nursing service whenever reasonably possible. |