To the editor:

As seniors become the largest population in Kansas, it is important for residents to be aware of issues the elderly face.

Fact: The aging population will be the largest population in the state of Kansas within the next 10 to 15 years.

Fact: Some nursing homes practice discrimination by denying seniors admission based solely on their funding source.

Fact: It is illegal in Kansas for admissions staff to ask for payment type before the person is admitted to the facility.

Fact: If a nursing home takes any Medicaid funding, they are a Medicaid facility. They are not allowed to make a quota system or allow only a certain number of Medicaid users into their facility.

Fact: Medicaid pays less to nursing home facilities than they can get from private-pay clients.

Fact: Seniors are illegally denied admission to nursing home facilities every day based on their pay source.

Fact: The senior population is involved and contributes a great deal to our society.

Fact: Senior issues should be at the forefront of our policy development.

You may not personally have any contact with seniors right now, but the odds are that either you will or you will be a senior in the near future. Having some knowledge about senior issues is necessary to navigate the Medicaid and nursing home systems. As constituents and concerned citizens, we should be looking into more choices for the elderly to have the best care possible.

Pamela Martin,

Lawrence