Public Education of Elderly Makes Good Fiscal Sense

By David Fritz, Dailynews.com

May 19, 2009

The litmus test for any taxpayer-funded program is - and should be - whether we can justify the expenditure of these funds. 

Another way of thinking the question is, do we save money by spending it on "this" instead of waiting for "that" to happen? In the case of the Los Angeles Unified School District's Programs for Older Adults, or POA, the answer is an unequivocal "yes." 

The vast majority of LAUSD's Division of Adult and Career Education, DACE, programs quite clearly benefit our children. English as a second language, occupational/vocational, GED/high school equivalency, citizenship, and parent education classes all increase children's chances for academic success, if for no other reason than better educated parents produce better educated kids. 

All of these classes have one thing in common: Students can be given written tests where scores are computed, statistics are calculated, the program's validity is evaluated and, as a result, classes are added, eliminated or modified. These test scores may not truly demonstrate "learning" per se, but state and federal governments love numbers, so school districts need to provide them if they want funding. 

So how in the world could classes for seniors affect our children? Study after study has shown that people who are not mentally stimulated on a regular basis are at increased risk for depression, which in the elderly frequently leads to a decline in physical health as well. Nursing homes' monthly rates start at around $6,000 - not including anything medical or therapeutic. For low-income seniors, Medi-Cal picks up almost the entire tab. 

Given a minimum expenditure of $72,000 per person, per year for convalescent care, if just 1,000 low-income seniors in California end up in nursing homes as a result of cuts to adult education classes, the minimum tab for taxpayers comes out to a whopping $72 million a year - and that doesn't include any medical treatment! 

The problems arise because Sacramento wants proof it's getting a bang for its buck. But how do you give a written exam to a classroom full of senior citizens? 

Most of my students are extremely intelligent. But some can't even hold a pencil due to arthritis, Parkinson's disease or partial paralysis; some are even blind. And then there's the "bubbling in" of the Scantron (computer-read) answer sheets - don't even go there. 

So POA recently implemented a series of evaluatory tools so teachers could, at least in some way, measure and document student progress. However, all of these instruments are subjective by nature, so their validity can be questioned no matter how well-designed. 

The retirement homes can't provide these programs because the majority of activity directors in assisted living facilities are simply not equipped to provide educational programming. Activities at some retirement homes consist of bingo and cards, 30 minutes of exercise a day, weekly local outings and religious services and monthly entertainment. The rest of the time these residents are on their own. 

We know that an ongoing lack of high-level mental stimulation for seniors leads to an overall downturn in physical health with a fair amount of frequency. We also know that we can lower these risk factors and thereby greatly increase the likelihood that these seniors will remain in their own homes or in assisted living residences. 

Will we ever be able to conduct traditional testing with populations such as the elderly? Probably not. Does this mean that these programs are unjustifiable under the guise of education? Absolutely not. 

Should we even care that education for this population will probably save us hundreds of millions of dollars in health care and related costs every year? That's a no-brainer. 

More Information on US Elder Rights Issues

Copyright © Global Action on Aging
Terms of Use  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us