My assignment was to imagine that the Social Security system was about to go bankrupt and to create a plan or program to replace it.
Outline
1. Institute more job training programs for disabled.
2. Many disabled individuals are punished for working. Their social security checks are halted if they are employed. Even the paycheck from a 40 hour workweek is not enough to cover their medical and special assistance needs. Perhaps decrease their payments without canceling them so they can maintain a reasonable standard of living.
3. Starting with companies that receive federal funding, encourage the creation of an objective evaluation system. Each employee will be evaluated every six months. If deficiencies in the average performance of their duties are detected a meeting will be set up. At this meeting the deficiencies will be brought to the attention of the employee. Remedies to the deficiencies (becoming a part-time employee, additional training, adaptive training, etc.) will be offered. If the remedies are accepted, the employee will be evaluated in six months. If the deficiencies in their average performance have not been significantly decreased they will immediately become part to half-time employees for one month. They will be dismissed at the end of this month.
4. Full-service retirement adaptation centers will be established in all communities. These will be staffed by volunteer and paid retirees. If a retiree is interested in enrolling in college the center will assist them in filling out application and financial aid paperwork. Retired teachers and professors could provide tutoring for fellow retirees and other pupils in college and the public school systems. Every class in the public school system could have a foster grandparent. Retired aerobics instructors and exercise physiologists could conduct physical fitness programs. Retired mental health professionals could conduct group and individual therapy sessions.
5. The home-bound and seriously ill elderly could receive hospice-style nursing care and medical evaluations from retired nurses and doctors. Retired rehabilitation specialists (P.T.s and O.T.s) could also visit the home-bound elderly to make sure they lose as little physical functioning possible. Retired mental health professionals could also visit. Retired plumbers, electricians, housekeepers, landscape artists, and construction personnel could also offer their services. All the in-home personnel would be volunteers. The volunteers would be assured that if they ever became home-bound and ill, they would receive the same services they are providing now for no cost. Those retired persons who did not volunteer would be charged a small monthly fee for services provided. This fee would help run the retirement adaptation centers and cover the traveling costs of in-home volunteers.
6. Hopefully the volunteers could reduce the number of elderly in nursing homes and hospices.
7. Meals could be provided by the centers. Most of the food could come from restaurants. They throw away a LOT of food that is still good.
Word Count: 472
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