questions

1)how much does a funeral cost?
average funeral cost 6,500
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/RetirementandWills/PlanYourEstate/HowToPlanAFuneral.aspx

2) how much is the average nursing home?
$2,969 a month
http://www.mcknights.com/Survey-Average-cost-of-private-nursing-home-room-drops-in-2008/article/120072/

3)How many old people live in poverty?
3.4 million seniors age 65 and older live below the poverty line
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/07/elderly_poverty.html

4)how many old people are in a nursing home
5 percent of the 65+ population occupy nursing homes, congregate care, assisted living, and board-and-care homes, and about 4.2 percent are in nursing homes at any given time.
http://missourifamilies.org/quick/agingqa/agingqa7.htm

5)how many old people are widows
67 percent
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEED6103EF935A25757C0A961948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

6)57 percent of men and 52 percent of women today enjoy sex. About one quarter of those old people ages 75 to 85 are now sexually active. (http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/sexual-reproductive/2008/09/04/making-the-most-of-the-new-sexual-revolution.html)

7)Researcher found that 91 percent of U.S. adults, about 50.5 million, used at least one medication regularly. Prescription medicines were used by 81 percent of adults, or 44.9 million older Americans. Most medications were used by those 75 to 85 years old. (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_73119.html)

It has become clear to me the importance of old people; money. Old people are seen as people with lots of money and nothing to do. becuase of that buisness have gone and tried to squeeze every penny out of them. from the pills to keep them erect, to the expensive funerals you never stop buying stuff. We talk about the idea of the media telling us what a meaningful life is as if it only is told to teenagers. its not, even old people are being told how to live their last days. With all the wisdom and history these old people have, they are still being told their life isnt meaninful.