The Way I See It

“Ageism is a systemic form of oppression against people of specific age groups. It affects older adults most severely but can also impact young people. It is based on prejudice, such as the idea that all older adults are unintelligent or uncooperative, or that young adults are not worth taking seriously.

Ageism is widespread in healthcare, which is especially harmful since older people are more likely to need medical care as they age. This leads to discrimination, lower quality care, and preventable illness and disability.

Because most people age, ageism is a form of inequity that affects everybody. Education, intergenerational understanding and cooperation, and policy change are necessary to end it. 

Ageism is prejudice or discrimination against people based on their age. It typically applies to people who are older but can also affect young people. Ageism has a negative impact on physical and mental health, and reports link it with earlier death.

This information comes from the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source.

Ageism is a systemic form of oppression, but unlike other causes of inequity, such as racism, sexism, or ableism, anyone can experience it. Although it is universal, people do not always take ageism as seriously as other forms of inequity.”

I worked at an educational Institute for a total of 22 years. It was sanctioned by the State and City of NY. I joined the DC 37 Union soon after my initial hiring as a full-time employee. I stayed in that position for 21 years until a major breakdown in my body forced me to take an early retirement. I received high commendations for my service there and was even a Union Representative for a year. The panel at NYCERS, the pension provider area of my job, did not recognize my disability but the Social Security Doctors and my own distinguished orthopedic physician did. So my pension was reduced because of what NYCERS panel decided. Consulting both attorneys and my Union provided no help to me because they would not go up against NYCERS. So sadly, as a result I live on a limited income today. I had no other savings, just a spouse who retired 5 years after I did with both his full pension and Social Security after 50 years of working. Even though he is also an honorably discharged Corporal from the Army where he served during the Vietnam era made no difference. In essence there is no other income other than our pensions and Social Security, hence we have original Medicare and a supplemental insurance with drug coverage from my Union. We have a house in NJ after selling one we lived in for 35 years in Brooklyn. We finally got a yard so my hard working husband could garden vegetables and I could plant flowers. We felt like all our hard work and life struggles were over and we could finally start to enjoy life with our children and grandchildren and for the past 4 years we did. Despite our poor medical conditions we were very grateful and happy.

All that happiness and worry free period started to end in 2023. Aside from the horrific economic conditions that are currently happening to everyone living in America today who are not rich, we are now being financially ruined by the very system we dedicated our lives to.

When the City of New York with the Unions approval decided to use Retirees as THE BETA group for their healthcare changes two years ago they branded us as a group that could be taken advantage of and eliminated quicker than ever. In my estimation this classifies as “ageism”. When I retired there was a contract in place that provided the supplemental insurance and drug coverage the Union agreed to and a trust of funds the Union held for all the members a lot of which, was from the dues collected and other means. Over the years, people made poor choices with that trust and invested or “borrowed” from it at Executive levels. All of this had nothing whatsoever to do with the Union’s rank and file members (us), yet here we are today faced with a devastating issue because the Union heads and the City are breaking the contracts people retired under. This action will cause many retirees, like myself, to be financially destroyed. Yet, it seems no one cares about the elderly in this country, whether healthy or not. Using us as their BETA group was deceptive and a betrayal by the very leaders we trusted during the years we were of service. I am extremely worried now for both mine and my spouses medical and prescription drug coverage, as well as any tests we may need now or in the future for the purpose of diagnostics. I am worried now because in this terrible housing market we will need to sell our forever home in order to survive. The premiums we will need to pay now will take much of our limited income and we will be in dire straits again. No more relaxation in the final years of our lives. We never lived in luxury, never took vacations, never spent more money on ourselves as we spent on the happiness of others. And yet, still no one cares because now it’s the City and the Union we need to stand up to. It literally breaks my heart. For the first time in my life, I am sincerely worried about our survival in this time of blatant ageism.

And that is The Way I See It, here in Jackson!
K