Editor:

Imagine waking up with your left side paralyzed. You’d probably be devastated – who wouldn’t be just like anyone else with a distinguished disability in-born or brought on?

Our country sometimes forgets and tends to neglect the weak or the ones who are not loud enough to speak up for their rights, or are unable to. Such are our elderly/seniors, and it’s very unfair. They’ve done their share to make our country what it is today. Why take away or cut back some of the beneficial things that are left to them now?

I am writing this in hopes I can make people aware of the cutbacks that have happened and are happening now to our seniors, by providing my story. Before I begin, our country isn’t good right now, I understand, though I think we can find alternative, more positive ways around this recession, instead of targeting our disabled, since they have had numerous cutbacks already.

My grandma is 73 years old and had a stroke 12 years ago; she must have assistance with her daily routine due to her left side being paralyzed, and is happily able to still live on her own. She goes to an adult day care with another 60 other seniors who have similar disabilities.

Now I don’t know if you have ever been in a group of people with the same qualities, similarities, lives, but it can really bring a person hope and conformability in getting through. Also a weight or break off your loved ones shoulders for a while. At these centers, or at least the ones that are left, they provide entertainment such as dancing (you can only imagine how cute they must look), in-group and individual therapy, entertainment, socialization, daily meals, and a nurse abroad. Wouldn’t you want your mom, dad and grandparents, etc. taken care of like this, to be able to enjoy themselves at least two to three days out of the week?

Honestly, we are all going to get old and are going to need assistance one day to some degree; your independence will slightly turn into dependence, just like the cycle of life. I am speaking out to generations ahead. We all have something in mind of what our retirement or senior days will look like, but this is the here and now.

The adult day care is scheduled to be taken away in December of 2011 due to budget cutbacks. This is going to put so many seniors and families in anonymous situations of what to do next. Senior care is always going to be a must, so let’s make sure some of it will be left in our days to come, because we don’t know what our future holds.

Please hear my words, and help take a stand by keeping this in mind and making yourselves and others aware of this.

Lindsay Jackson, Brentwood