To the Editor:
''The Middle Class Struggles in the Medicaid Maze'' (news article, July 9) demonstrates the complexities of coping with the emotional and financial considerations confronting our aging population.
As an elder-care specialist, I am aware of the challenges that long-term care presents and the overwhelming costs to meet that need.
The Depression-era elderly and their baby boomer children face the labyrinth of regulations while still trying to preserve their right to self-determination, independence and control.
Our health care system is in crisis, and the government must redirect policy to efficiently meet the increasing demands to provide affordable and safe long-term care.
Teri Koff
New York, July 9, 2005
The writer, a social worker, is an elder-care specialist.
