Assuming(and that's a big stretch) that this is true, I'd like to know how heated and involved the conversation was to that point. People have a tendency to stay stupid crap like that when they are angry to shut someone up.
I have a suggestion though to this whole thing. Maybe families could start footing the load again for their old folks. If someone is elderly and has family, it's their family who should be shamed, not the general public. My dad and I are estranged, however I would never let him walk around hungry on the streets of his neighborhood when he's elderly. The thought to me is so repugnant and this is even after the man left me to fend for myself as a teenager.
The reality though is that we all know we may potentially be elderly at some point and should be planning for that eventuality. It is not like having a child born with a disability or a life-changing accident as a young person. Those things can not be planned for to the same extent. But we all know that we potentially may age to the point of fraility. That sobering reality should encourage everyone to plan for such a future. If only to help their families make their final days more comfortable.
