More than 50 years ago, visionaries decided to develop housing options for returning missionaries and widows who needed care and were without financial resources. When the growing demand for such care came to the attention of elected officials, subsidies became available through Housing and Urban Development. Now government subsidies have all but vanished, and Medicare reimbursements have changed for many services, making it more difficult for continuing care retirement communities to fulfill their commitments to their residents. In addition, some states do not allow Medicaid funds for assisted living services. What are we to do? To make ends meet, retirement organizations are finding it necessary to build more high-end housing to attract people with substantial resources to offset the cost of care for those who have depleted their resources. This is in the face of a substantial waiting list of people who need subsidized housing. People with limited resources may be denied admission because it could mean they may soon need to apply for Medicaid. Medicaid funding does not cover the full cost of these services. As J Robert Charles said in the Dec. 22 AW article, “To a Mennonite Rip Van Winkle”: “This is not how things were supposed to go.”     

Ann Bender, Harrisonburg, Va.