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Living simply is at the heart of Alex Morisey's Quaker religion.
簡(jiǎn)樸的生活是亞歷克斯·莫里西的貴格會(huì)的核心。
The 82-year-old graduated from a good college and spent years working in nonprofit organizations.
這位82歲的老人畢業(yè)于一所好大學(xué)，曾在非營(yíng)利性組織工作多年。
He helped farmworkers, people living in public housing, and the mentally ill.
他幫助過(guò)農(nóng)場(chǎng)工人、住在公共住房的人和精神病患者。
He was also an aid worker in Central and South America.
他還曾在中南美洲從事過(guò)援助工作。
Now he lives in a nursing home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
如今，他住在賓夕法尼亞州費(fèi)城的一家養(yǎng)老院里。
But halfway through the month, he has almost no money.
但到了這個(gè)月的中旬，他幾乎沒(méi)有錢(qián)了。
Morisey is one of many Americans living in nursing homes who face a difficult situation.
莫里西是許多生活在養(yǎng)老院里的面臨困境的美國(guó)人之一。
To stay in the nursing home, they must hand over all their income and only receive a small payment, as low as $30 a month, to buy the things they would like.
為了留在養(yǎng)老院，他們必須交出所有收入，而每月收到的錢(qián)低至30美元，用來(lái)購(gòu)買(mǎi)他們想要的東西。
The payment is called the personal needs allowance, also called a PNA.
這筆錢(qián)被稱(chēng)為個(gè)人需求津貼，即PNA。
Nearly two-thirds of Americans living in nursing homes have their care paid for by Medicaid.
住在養(yǎng)老院的近三分之二的美國(guó)人的醫(yī)療費(fèi)用是通過(guò)醫(yī)療補(bǔ)助計(jì)劃支付的。
Medicaid is a health insurance program that is administered by the states.
醫(yī)療補(bǔ)助計(jì)劃是一項(xiàng)由各州管理的醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)計(jì)劃。
It is paid for equally by state governments and the federal government.
它由州政府和聯(lián)邦政府均攤。
In exchange for the coverage, all retirement and other income people on Medicaid would receive is used to pay their nursing home costs.
為了換取保險(xiǎn)，享受醫(yī)療補(bǔ)助的人將所有退休收入和其他收入都用于支付他們的養(yǎng)老院費(fèi)用。
That means the only other money residents receive from the government is the PNA.
這意味著居民從政府那里獲得的唯一其他資金是個(gè)人需求津貼。
The allowance is meant to pay for anything the nursing home does not provide.
這筆津貼是用來(lái)支付養(yǎng)老院不提供的其他東西的費(fèi)用的。
This can include telephones, clothes or a birthday present for a grandchild.
其中包括電話、衣服或給孫子孫女的生日禮物。
In some states, the PNA can be only $30 a month and it cannot be higher than $200.
在一些州，個(gè)人需求津貼每月只有30美元，不能高于200美元。
"It's really one of the most humiliating things for them," said Sam Brooks, a lawyer for The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care.
全國(guó)優(yōu)質(zhì)長(zhǎng)期護(hù)理消費(fèi)者之聲的律師薩姆·布魯克斯說(shuō)：“對(duì)他們來(lái)說(shuō)，這真的是最丟臉的事情之一”。
"It can really be a point of shame," he added.
他補(bǔ)充道：“這真的會(huì)讓人感到羞愧”。
Medicaid is meant to pay health care costs for poor adults and children or those with other special needs.
醫(yī)療補(bǔ)助計(jì)劃旨在為貧困的成年人和兒童或有其他特殊需求的人支付醫(yī)療費(fèi)用。
Medicaid was created in 1965 along with Medicare, the federal government health insurance program for retired Americans.
醫(yī)療補(bǔ)助計(jì)劃于1965年與聯(lián)邦政府為美國(guó)退休人員提供的醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)計(jì)劃一起創(chuàng)建。
In 1972, the U.S. Congress established the personal needs allowance, and set the lowest amount at $25.
1972年，美國(guó)國(guó)會(huì)設(shè)立了個(gè)人需求津貼，并將最低金額定為25美元。
Had the PNA been linked to inflation, it would be about $180 today.
如果個(gè)人需求津貼與通脹掛鉤，如今的個(gè)人需求津貼應(yīng)約為180美元。
Congress raised the minimum only once, to $30, in 1987.
美國(guó)國(guó)會(huì)只在1987年將最低金額提高至30美元。
The small allowance is difficult for nursing home residents who do not receive support from family or friends.
對(duì)于沒(méi)有家人或朋友支持的養(yǎng)老院居民來(lái)說(shuō)，這筆小額津貼很難拿到。
Marla Carter visits her mother-in-law at a nursing home in Owensboro, Kentucky.
瑪拉·卡特在肯塔基州歐文斯伯勒的一家養(yǎng)老院看望她的婆婆。
She sees how poor some residents are.
她看到了一些居民有多窮。
With a $40 allowance, they are dressed in clothing that is the wrong size.
雖然領(lǐng)到了40美元的津貼，但是他們穿的衣服尺碼卻不合適。
Some have no socks or shoes.
有些人沒(méi)有襪子和鞋子。
Basic supplies run low.
基本物資供應(yīng)不足。
"That's what was so surprising to us," Carter said, "the poverty."
“讓我們?nèi)绱梭@訝的原因是，”卡特說(shuō)，“貧窮。”
She was so upset that she and her husband started a nonprofit, Faithful Friends Kentucky, to give out needed supplies to nursing home residents in the area,
她非常沮喪，于是她和丈夫創(chuàng)辦了一家名為“肯塔基忠實(shí)的朋友”的非營(yíng)利性組織，向該地區(qū)的養(yǎng)老院居民發(fā)放所需物資。
"You bring a soda or a toothbrush and they'll get so excited," she said. "It's so sad to me."
“即使你帶來(lái)的是蘇打水或牙刷，他們也會(huì)很興奮，”她說(shuō)。“這讓我感到很難過(guò)。”
Several states have increased allowances.
有些州已經(jīng)增加了津貼。
But most remain low.
但大多數(shù)州的津貼數(shù)額仍然很低。
The American Council on Aging, a non-profit group, says 28 states have allowances of $50 or less.
非營(yíng)利組織美國(guó)老齡委員會(huì)表示，有28個(gè)州的津貼數(shù)額不超過(guò)50美元。
Five states give residents $100 or more each month, including Alaska, which offers $200 monthly.
有五個(gè)州每月給居民100美元或更多，其中包括阿拉斯加州，該州每月發(fā)放200美元。
Four states – Alabama, Illinois, North Carolina and South Carolina – remain at $30.
阿拉巴馬州、伊利諾伊州、北卡羅來(lái)納州和南卡羅來(lái)納州這四個(gè)州的津貼數(shù)額仍為30美元。
Morisey, of Pennsylvania, entered a nursing home after a fall and, once here, learned his income would no longer be his.
賓夕法尼亞州的莫里西在跌倒后住進(jìn)了一家養(yǎng)老院，一到這里，他就知道自己的收入將不再屬于他。
Pennsylvania's allowance is $45, and after a monthly $20 haircut and $5 tip, it is difficult to decide what he should buy with the remaining $20.
賓夕法尼亞州的津貼數(shù)額是45美元，除去每月20美元的理發(fā)費(fèi)和5美元的小費(fèi)后，他很難決定用剩下的20美元買(mǎi)什么東西。
"It's the little things," he said.
他說(shuō)：“這都是些小事”。
"You don't think about these things until you no longer have them."
“直到你不再擁有這些東西，你才會(huì)去想它們。”
His small savings are nearly gone now.
他微薄的積蓄現(xiàn)在幾乎快用完了。
Without help from his church, he could not pay for a phone.
沒(méi)有教會(huì)的幫助，他都付不起電話費(fèi)。
I'm Andrew Smith. And I'm Caty Weaver.
安德魯·史密斯、凱蒂·韋弗為您播報(bào)。
譯文為可可英語(yǔ)翻譯，未經(jīng)授權(quán)請(qǐng)勿轉(zhuǎn)載！
