Welcome to the Light Keepers podcast. This week,
from the Bahama Islands, I'm Clayton Vandiver,
your Light Keeper, with a show dedicated to everyone
who wants to get the very most quality out of
life that they can. Join us for the conversation
this week about being in the Bahamas and traveling.
No, no, I'm sorry. I'm going to have to change
the topic on you. Okay, what are we talking about
today? Well, just because we're on vacation does
not mean that important current events stop happening.
And there are some things going on that I feel
it's important we talk about. On this edition
of the Light Keepers Podcast. So we're on a very
special edition, a travel edition of the Light
Keepers podcast here in the beautiful Bahama
Islands right off the coast of Florida. And,
of course, with my co -host as always, Charlene,
a licensed clinical social worker in the state
of Florida. And we'd like you to leave your questions
or comments below so that we can answer them
in the following episode. But we love to hear
from you. We want you to join this conversation.
This week we plan to talk a little bit about
travel and the things that you do to prepare
for traveling. And current events are happening
that Charlene would like to share some information
and insight about. So what's going on? So right
now the Supreme Court is hearing a case. A situation
coming out of Oregon, Grants Pass, where the
city, they started fining people that were homeless
and sleeping outside. They're referred to as
the unsheltered homeless, meaning they're homeless,
they don't have a shelter, they don't have anywhere
to go, so they're sleeping outside. The city
started fining these individuals $295 a night,
which basically, depending on how you look at
it, criminalizes being homeless. And if they
had that, well, somebody's excited. We're on
a cruise ship after all. Happy hour. But, you
know, if you're going to find someone who's already
had such financial hardship that they've found
themselves to be homeless, not those who choose
to be homeless, but those who, through the economy,
the... Problems that life can bring to you. Situations
outside of their control. And I'm going to give
you a great example. The reason we're talking
about this on the show today is because according
to the National Alliance to End Homelessness,
one out of four unsheltered homeless individuals
is a senior over the age of 55. Now, we're talking
about our older population. We're talking about
over 138 ,000 people. That's a lot of people.
are on a fixed income possibly, not able to keep
up with inflation, and now as a result of economics
and situations outside of their control, they've
lost their homes and they're homeless. And now
what we're talking about doing in some cities
and states is penalizing them even further by
writing them citations for being found sleeping
outside. Now, if you live in a city that is fortunate
enough to have ample homeless shelters for these
individuals to go to, that might not seem like
a big deal, but a lot of cities don't have those
resources. Well, if it's a growing problem that's
getting worse and worse, if it's in an epidemic
situation, how can cities stay ahead of it? It
is going to get worse. It is going to get worse.
By 2030, it is anticipated that the seniors over
the age of 65... It's going to go from 40 ,000
individuals to 106 ,000 individuals. Now, these
are people that maybe they can't go back to work.
Maybe they've exhausted all their savings. They
have no resources in sight. They have no way
to change their situation. And now what we're
doing is we're criminalizing it and we're penalizing
them for it. Now, of course, on the Light Keepers
podcast, our conversations are always sort of
aimed toward the solutions and the things that
will help. What can help this sort of situation?
So the reason I wanted to bring this up today
is because this is something that is just a piece
of a bigger problem. It's a small piece of a
puzzle that's a much bigger picture that needs
to be addressed. And the goal today is not to
find the solution. The solution's not out there
yet, but we've got to get the conversation started
because it's not until we start that conversation
that we can really... get things out in the open
and start working together to find solutions
because it's a bigger picture. We're not just
talking about homelessness. Some of these people
are homeless because of mental health issues.
And if they're mentally ill and they're not able
to hold down a job, they're not able to afford
their medications. It's a ripple effect. And
that ripple effect... It's an endless cycle.
It's an endless cycle, and we've got to break
that cycle. Now, whether it's through creating
maybe work programs or maybe even a shelter community.
where, you know, they help maintain the community
in exchange for getting to live there. I don't
know, but the conversation needs to be started.
And if there's a good place for it to start,
it's right here. You know, Franklin Delano Roosevelt
did a lot of things like that early in his, before
World War II. When we had the Great Depression
and there were people who were homeless, there
were people across America who couldn't find
work. And they made... programs, the Civilian
Conservation Corps or the CCC, I don't remember
all the letters, but it certainly found ways
to put people to work and to give people a little
bit of means of supporting themselves for those
who were able. Now that crowd above 55 is what
I worry about. Yeah, these are people with limited
resources and limited opportunities to change
their resources. And, you know, you bring up
a good point. During the Great Depression, were
the people who were struggling, were they penalized?
No, they found a solution. They found a solution,
and that's exactly what we need to do. A leader
stepped in and said there has to be a way to
put this country to work, to give them something
to do that is productive for the nation, but
at the same time, you know, so in other words,
we're not just handing them money. We're getting
something back for what we're giving. So they
can find value in the help that they're being
given. And I know some people are going to say
that this is a red line issue or it's a blue
line issue. And I'm saying no. It's a human issue.
It's a human issue. It's a human issue. We're
talking about lives. We're talking about individuals.
We're talking about somebody's mom, somebody's
dad, somebody's sister, somebody's daughter.
somebody's son now then in the issues where we
have folks who do have mental health issues what
do we do with that so i know that there was a
time when we had uh institutions designed for
the mentally ill and i know they were shut down
because of egregious abuses and i i agree with
that but i do believe that there are people in
our society that cannot cannot function in society
and there needs to be a place for them I do believe
that it should be privatized. So there are overseers,
there's oversight, there's governances. There
needs to be, a lot of people don't trust the
government and there's good reason for that.
They need to not be involved in things. Yeah,
there was a team for the nursing homes and the
skilled nursing facilities. Ombudsman program.
Ombudsman program in the state of Florida. And
that was a state of Florida. division that went
around and basically did surprise visits. They
basically kept records on all the facilities
and kept them up to standards. They kept them,
you know, essentially they were in eye to make
sure that things were being done properly. And
I'm sure there were programs like that throughout
the nation in the ship program. which is part
of the Area Agencies on Aging across America,
is not the Ombudsman Program, that was another
division, but it was all part of the Agency of
Aging that most states have. And they did a wonderful
job of governance. So I'm sure that they could
do the same for mental health facilities. Mental
health facilities, we need those. We need a place
for those in our society that can't function
in our society. They need a place to go. Because
right now what's happening is they're being picked
up by the police, they're being taken to the
hospital where they're held under what's called
a Baker Act, and 72 hours later they're being
discharged right back onto the street. And usually
with nowhere to go. With nowhere to go. Because
when they're sent out on the street, they don't
have a home. As a hospital social worker, I have
been there. I have given them the bus passes
to get them to the homeless shelter downtown.
I've been there. I've done that. And it's a horrible
thing to have to do to someone. But they can't
stay in the hospital. Our hospitals are not designed
for that. And in terms of our seniors, yes, a
lot of people say, well, there are nursing homes
they can go to. Those nursing homes cost. They're
not free. And even if someone is on Medicare,
guess what? Medicare doesn't pay for nursing
homes. We've talked about that on previous episodes.
We sure have, so that wouldn't offer them any
help. Correct. Medicaid can step in and offset
the cost. But now you're getting into facilities
that are no better than the mental health facilities
that were shut down in the days of old. I keep
thinking that Robin Williams, if he were still
alive, would certainly be championing. He would
be at the very forefront of this entire issue
and would probably have already spoken to Congress
and perhaps to the Supreme Court. because he
was so passionate. Robin Williams was a saint.
He made sure that no matter where he was working,
the local homeless were employed on the set.
He would put them to work as extras on a set.
Not a handout, a hand up. They would be helping
both ways. It was a win -win for everyone. And
he spent a lot of time on the streets with the
homeless at times when he wasn't working. I know
that I've heard stories of him going around and
just being found among the homeless, sharing
stories, helping them out, having a meal with
them. And, you know, that was probably a great
source of his inspiration for his character in
The Fisher King. If you've never seen The Fisher
King, I highly recommend it. Make sure you have
tissues on hand. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. He was a
brilliant, brilliant actor. And we miss him every
day. Absolutely. Ultimately, what can we leave
our audience with? We're in a beautiful setting
here in the Bahamas on a cruise ship. And I said,
you know, we have to bring a show to the audience
with the opportunity of this beautiful backdrop.
And yet then things happen in the world and we
find ourselves talking about a really depressing
topic. Well, and I know it's depressing, but
it's a conversation that needs to be started.
And the sooner we start it, the better. That's
what we do. Even if it's from the Bahamas, we
want to let you know we're still in touch and
we're still maintaining reality. And what I would
recommend to our listeners and to our viewers,
get in touch with your representatives. Find
out what bills are going on in your Congress,
in your Senate. Get involved in your community.
Get involved in your community. Start the discussion
if one's not already taking place. If one's already
taking place, jump in there and make sure your
voice is heard. And, of course, this and every
conversation we have on the Light Keepers podcast
is a highly personal one and one that you should
have with your professional advisors, your medical
care team, those legislators, and those leaders
in your community to see what they might be able
to do on topics like this to help not just you.
but perhaps the entire community and and it's
all very uniquely specific for your situational
needs that's why we always recommend you know
don't take our word for anything join the conversation
and help us find solutions, creative solutions
from any source for problems like this. Because,
you know, the more information we have, the more
we talk about it, the more the conversation goes
on, the more informed decisions we can help make.
And together we can find a solution. That's right.
And we can help our legislators find solutions.
So that helps get us all thinking because...
Most people are not prepared at all when things
like this happen, when they come about. Our legislators
are certainly not. Our Supreme Court didn't quite
see this coming, I'm sure. But some are well
prepared indeed, sometimes from listening. and
joining the conversation here on the Light Keepers
podcast each Wednesday at 7 p .m. Eastern. This
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so grateful for your support. So that's it for
this week. From the beautiful Bahamas behind
me, the beautiful blue -green waters of these
islands, that really offers a cognitive disconnect
from all that we're talking about of homeless
people. And, you know, I wish we could just give
them all a few of these ships that aren't being
used anymore and let them all live aboard and
get the kind of meals that we're enjoying and
see the kind of scenery that we're enjoying.
It might clear up some of the mental health issues.
Very possibly. I don't know. I'm being idealistic.
But still, we're very glad to have you with us,
and we wish we could have them with us. And that's
it for this week from the Bahamas. I'm Clayton
Vandiver, your light keeper. We'll see you next
time. Thanks for watching!