Where will you be living circa 2040 or 2050? 
 
Okay, so if you’re a born-again believer, you’re probably gleefully envisioning heaven or are at least adding “if the Lord tarries” to the question. And if you’re not, and you’re over 40, you may be counting on moving in with your children or enjoying a living arrangement like the Golden Girls’ of 1980s TV fame.  
 
But just say none of these alternatives pans out, and you find yourself unable to live on your own. Will a decent nursing home be an option for you? 
 
The truth is that only God knows for sure. If our economy crashes and modern-day Huns overrun our country, all bets are off. But let’s assume that America’s still the Beautiful and we still have some viable financial resources to work with. What’s likely to be available?

It turns out to be a disturbing scenario.

On the one hand, the demand for nursing-home care is expected to more than double by 2050, according to a study released in 2013 by JAMA and the Kaiser Foundation. 
 
On the other hand, the supply looks like it’s destined to dwindle. Skilled nursing facilities are becoming less and less profitable, according to a recent report.  The reasons include sagging occupancy and reimbursement rates--with occupancy declines perhaps related to a boom in building for the assisted-living arm of the eldercare industry.  
 
What will happen to those of us who eventually need skilled nursing care, 24x7?
 
“It’s literally schools versus nursing homes,” columnist Robert J. Samuelson wrote a few years ago. “We need a better balance between workers’ legitimate desire for a comfortable retirement and society’s larger interests. Instead, our system favors the past over the future. Things could be done to mitigate the bias. None would be easy or popular. But it’s first necessary to acknowledge the bias and discuss it openly. This we are far from doing.”

If you don’t find this commentary chilling, you might want to ponder exactly what this columnist has in mind. Let's hope it won't ultimately turn into yet another case of our wanting to be "just like Europe," birthplace of a brave new world that exalts eldercare "solutions" from assisted suicide to euthanasia.  

There’s a very nice documentary available from some kind folks in Seattle. Called “The Growing Season,” it features the interaction of very young children and very old nursing-home residents. ​

(Reading this via email? Please click on the title above to be taken to the original post, where you'll be able to access the video trailer.) 

It's bad enough that there are people who support assisted suicide. As sick as that is, at least it's supposedly voluntary. Far more troubling are those who think it'd be a great idea to put old people "to sleep" in order to reduce healthcare costs. Think it couldn't happen here? Take a look at this 2013 "man on the street" video from Mark Dice; then think again.   

I suppose this shouldn't be surprising, considering what the polls reveal about Americans' willingness to play God. A 2017 Gallup poll, for instance, found overwhelming support for euthanasia for "terminally ill" patients--shockingly, even among church-goers. 

It really makes you wonder how far we can be from the end of time. As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:1-2, "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron..."

In the meantime, fellow seniors, look out! Way too many people figure it's our duty to die just as soon as we become a drain on the healthcare system. Even worse, many of them seem to be happy to help us do it.  

Have you ever let the ungodly discourage you in your work on behalf of the Lord? Fortunately, the Bible has plenty to say on the subject—and once again, Chris Carrillo has delivered a powerful message to make His solution clear.
 
The occasion: the most recent Christian Music Hour at Care-age of Brookfield. Using Nehemiah 4 as his primary text, Chris showed us how cruel the unbelieving world can be in trying to undermine our godly endeavors. But with the Lord, there’s always good news! If we simply remember how great He is, and cry out to Him in faith, He will help us overcome the opposition. He will fight our battles for us. And He will frustrate the enemy’s plans.  
 
Feeling the need for His intervention today? Then don’t miss this message: 

If you like what you hear, visit our Messages from Chris Carrillo page for more from this outstanding speaker.

(If you’re reading this via email, please click on the title above to be taken to the original post. Here, you’ll be able to listen to the entire message.)