I spent the morning in Westchester with my mom. Once a week, my mom helps out a woman that she used to know in the Bronx. My mom pays her bills, fills out all her paperwork, drives her to doctors' appointments, and listens to the woman's woes. Since this woman has no family of her own, my mom has been burdened with this job, which is stressful and thankless. Without my mom's help, this woman would have died penniless in an old age home that over medicates its patients.

This isn't the only old woman that my mom helps out. This is a rant for another day. There are lots of people out there, who are ignored by their children and by their neighbors.

This woman is suffering from bone cancer and from Parkinson's disease. She is immobile, unable to walk or even turn her head. She requires 24 hours care. Medicare and her insurance cover nearly all of her medical expenses; she is a retired NYC school teacher with excellent benefits. However, it doesn't paid for her aides, who cost her $3,000 per week. This woman pinched pennies her whole life and now her life's savings is being spent on medical care.

What's the alternative to in-home aides? Medicare covers three months in one of those death trap, old-age homes, and that is what lots of old people do. Their insurance pays for three months, and after that, it's out of their pocket. They have to spend all of their savings, sell their house, and have basically not a cent to their name before Medicaid kicks in and starts paying for the old-age homes.

You know what goes on those places? Let me just say, you should be very, very nice to your kids.