Letter to the Editor by Becky Huck

To the Editor:

Nursing homes are closing. Dependent seniors are having their home, their caretakers, their sense of life’s balance and security pulled out from under them when they are at a vulnerable stage of life. Now, let’s go to the other end of life in regards to being dependent and vulnerable, grandchildren.

Currently, Iowa does not recognize the continued importance of grandparents in grandchildren’s lives, even if the grandparents have played a key role in the grandchildren’s lives. If, for some reason, the connection, communication, etc. between grandparents and grandchildren is broken, short or long, Iowa gives grandparents, even vital grandparents, little recourse in keeping that connection intact.

This is devastating to grandchildren. It breaks their heart. They learn to build a protective wall around themselves and bottle up what is going on inside them. In time, this will callous and harden the grandchildren.

Plus, parents to these children need to understand how this is negatively affecting their bond with these children. These children know that their parents play a key role in keeping the grandparents and grandchildren’s connection intact.

Now these grandchildren are of working age and the grandparents are of nursing home age. Why should we expect these grandchildren to take care of us when we are now dependent, when we were not there for them when they needed us?

Voters - all voters - need to thoroughly question all candidates in regards to recognizing the importance of vital grandparents in grandchildren’s lives. Everyone needs to hold all politicians accountable for this. All selected candidates must see to it that this is corrected.

Right now, things may be fine for you and your grandchildren. However, in an instant, that can change.  If your grandchildren were pulled out from under you, how will that affect them? We need to make sure Iowa has a safety net for all vulnerable grandchildren when something happens.

Becky Huck
Waukon