COMMISSIONS ON AGING 807

Security and a meaningful life are our goals. In the last decade
the Federal government has made great strides in assuring security.
Social Security payments have been increased; the Medicare program
has relieved anxiety over costly illness; Federal aid has expanded
housing construction for the elderly. At the State level last year's tax
reform program brought a special 50 percent property tax credit for
the elderly with limited incomes. This provision was designed to pro-
tect the elderly homeowner living on a fixed income from losing his
home due to rising costs and rising property taxes.

However, as a nation and a State we are far from perfect. Some
existing programs need revision, others expansion, and many areas
still await action.

The achievement of a meaningful life presents our most formidable
challenge. To date our scientific and governmental achievements have
far out-paced our human advances on the problems of aging. In a
work-oriented society our citizens too often do not know what to do
with leisure time. As a youth-oriented society we have failed to pro-
vide a satisfying role for the senior citizen. And society is the loser
for we are not yet so affluent in human resources that we can afford
to dismiss the time or discard the talents of our elderly citizens.

Here is where local Commissions on the Aging become most im-
portant. Here is where you can be most effective. Isolation is the most
malignant misery of old age. Isolation and unnecessary institutionali-
zation are as debilitating as any single physical disease. Interest and
involvement are the answers to isolation. Only community organiza-
tions can provide the necessary personnel and personal approach to
reach the elderly. Only community organizations can provide the
proper planning of programs and services. And, I believe, these pro-
grams and services can flow in two directions: one from the com-
munity to help the elderly, one from the elderly to help the com-
munity.

This assignment is tremendous but so is the opportunity. Our na-
tion, our states and our communities must come to grips with this
problem. Old age is here to stay; it is very much a part of the human
condition. We cannot sweep the problems of aging away or ignore our
senior citizens. The problems are too real, the people too many. We
must respond to these problems with positive solutions which will
contribute to the life of the individual and the life of the community
This is our optimum goal and we should not settle for less.