Guest Editorial: Seniors often isolated, ignored despite being society’s most precious living commodity

America has come a long way since declaring its independence from England and establish­ing a new country based on such lofty ideals as “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” But securing and living up to its initial prom­ise of “justice for all” has not always been easy —and certainly not without pain and suffering, particularly for those fighting to cash the check written and signed by America’s Founding Fa­thers. As freedom fights still occur, one population where prejudice continues is for older Ameri­cans. When it comes to ageism, unlike racism or sexism, America still has a long way to go as we lag behind other leading countries on the planet. In Japan, for example, citizens are revered for being older and wiser. In India, the elderly are cared for by their families, live in their chil­dren’s homes and are often acknowledged as the spokesperson for and head of the family. However, these ideals are not the custom in America. A recent special produced by Scripps News assembled a seasoned group of business pro­fessionals who all agreed that the last accept­able form of prejudice in America is “age.” In fact, a poll conducted by AARP in January 2023 showed that...