Something is wrong with the whole idea of charging seniors who need a wheelchair $25 a month.
Recently it came to light that this change will happen in certain areas in British Columbia as of September 1.
Since the news broke the story has caused a stir not only in Canada but also in other counties as well.
At least one MLA in British Columbia has been talking to many news groups about the fee and voicing her issues with the decision.
Canada may not have a perfect health system but it certainly is better than many other places in the world. However this type of ridiculous charge being imposed on the elderly is a travesty no matter how you attempt to justify it.
Time does not stop for anyone and we are all getting older. Though some people may not think $25 is a lot of money, for people who are on fixed incomes, it alters their lives.
The fact that these groups are now going to take advantage of the situation is shocking. Perhaps I am wrong but it seems like seniors in the province have just received a rather stinging slap in the face.
It has been said that no senior will go without a wheelchair if they need one and cannot afford it. But to get one that way you have to prove you can not make the payment through a hardship waiver.
This seems to be a degrading thing to do to seniors.
At what point did we loose all respect for the older generation.
There has to be a time when we all sit back and say enough is enough. The older generations are part of what makes Canada great. They hold on to the history of our country and helped build what we have today.
The idea of charging people in this way is a mind numbing reminder to just how far respect has been lost for these people.
Money rules all else and it is silly to try and justify this as a maintenance cost.
These people, who live in elderly long-term care facilities as patients, already have to pay a substantial amount of the money they receive to live at the facilities.
It is not easy getting older for many people. We all think back to what we used to be able to do and realize that time certainly changes who we are physically and mentally.
This is a hard thing to accept. But now it is as if there is an added punishment we receive when our body starts to break down.
The fact is once one area makes this move it will not take long before the idea spreads to more areas in the province.
That is the way making money works. This is one of those times when decency should make people who get to make decisions sit back and rethink what they are doing if for no other reason than one day they may be in the situation where they need a wheelchair and the price may just be out of their reach.
