A terrible senior secret

As an adult and a card-carrying member of the human race, you have a responsibility to help those who struggle to help themselves. Children are at the very top of the list, but right behind them are the elderly.

Unfortunately, out of sight is too often out of mind. Many of our citizens struggling mightily are invisible men and women. You don't see them because they're essentially shut in tiny apartments and shut out of mainstream society. When you're in your 80s and your net monthly income is less than $500, you probably lack the motivation and the means to do much of anything but subsist.

We're sorry to remind you that in Kootenai County, we still have many seniors who fit this description. It hurts to realize that things are worse, sometimes much worse, than we know or want to know.

The executive director of the Post Falls Senior Center, Alison McArthur, shared with The Press one of the darkest secrets some seniors keep. When they go to an area food bank and see children and poor young families in line, McArthur said, some of those seniors turn right around and leave empty handed. They decide they would rather go without food than take something that could help a child.

"There are some who would starve to death before they'd take food away from kids," she said.

Rick Currie, who manages Coeur d'Alene's senior center - called Lake City Center - spoke for the entire region when he said many of our elderly are too proud to ask for help, no matter how much they're hurting.

At the pinnacle of summer when most of us are worried about a little sunburn or the price of gas for a weekend getaway, a quiet crisis is crushing some of our most precious citizens. Senior centers are great gathering places, but if social interaction is the spice of life, then basic sustenance is the meat and potatoes. And right now, too many elderly tummies go to bed at night empty.

Your help is needed and wanted, even if nobody is sticking an open hand in your face.

On Friday we'll show you how you can help.