Hand-holding? Get a grip

Re “The comfort prescription,” Opinion, March 19

Ira Rosofsky suggests that we stop giving elderly patients costly and ineffective prescription drugs for dementia and other conditions. He suggests investing instead in hand-holding and personal support for patients and their families, which might also result in savings and research for meaningful improvements and even cures.

In his dreams! There is no powerful lobby representing hand-holders in Washington. Hand-holders don’t get multimillion-dollar bonuses as officials of major corporations they’re running into the ground. Hand-holders don’t get government subsidies while spending hundreds of millions advertising their services on national TV.

We’re a long way from having any high-cost drugs replaced by the hand-holders of America -- or the companies that employ them at the lowest wages possible. But thanks anyway, Ira, for the good intentions.

Judy Balaban Quine

Beverly Hills