DAYS OF OLD

While Social Security, Supplemental Security and Medicare have substantially improved the economic well-being of older adults, the wealthy elderly portrayed in the article are far from typical. D’Antonio fails to explain that the statistics about “asset rich” senior citizens are skewed by the inclusion of the small percentage of very wealthy elderly. D’Antonio doesn’t introduce us to the many people I have met in 12 years working with older adults--people who take only half of their blood-pressure or heart medication because Medicare does not cover prescription drugs and they cannot afford hundreds of dollars each month for drugs.

JOAN MITHERS

Los Angeles