Press: Wisdom In Those Wrinkles

The hands might be rough and cracked; the eyes, dotted with specks and beads of tears. Those ears might not hear too well. The mouth just might mumble. But when you reach out to senior citizens, look them in the eye and shake their hands, all sorts of good things can happen. September is designated by several tributes to seniors, including Healthy Aging Month. We confess to having been heartstruck by a column in yesterday’s Press citing research that shows heavy drinking increasing among our senior citizens. Researchers conclude that at least in part, the heavy drinking can be attributed to loneliness and depression. And it might be grossly underreported because nobody’s checking in on some of these people. Around here anyway, let’s change that. Let’s reach out/ Mike Patrick , Coeur d’Alene Press Editorial Board. More here.

Question: Why don’t Americans value older people?