Public Policy

SAGE Celebrates Major Victory in Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act

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This release originally appeared on the SAGE website on March 26, 2020.

[New York, NY] Today, the Older Americans Act reauthorization was signed into law with provisions that will help ensure that LGBT elders get the services and support they need to remain independent. SAGE, the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT older people, has spent years working with our allies in Congress, the LGBT community, and the aging sector to push for this inclusion and celebrates this victory for the LGBT community. This legislation is especially timely given the sobering risks LGBT elders face during the current COVID-19 pandemic and their heightened need for inclusive services and care.

The.... Read More

             

National Nutrition Month: Highlight on the Elder Index and Food Insecurity

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Developed by the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, the Elder Index tool is used to measure the income older people need to meet their daily living expenses while staying independent in their own homes. The Elder Index tool is specific to household size, location, housing and health status, unlike the Federal Poverty Level, another index used to assess income level.

Additionally, the Elder Index accounts for the cost of healthcare, transportation, miscellaneous essentials, and food. After attending the webinar “Promoting Better Communities for Older.... Read More

             

Diverse Elders Coalition Urges Policy Changes to Protect Diverse Elders from COVID-19

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARCH 13, 2020

CONTACT: Jenna McDavid, National Director
jmcdavid@diverseelders.org
646-653-5015

Diverse Elders Coalition urges policy changes to protect diverse older adults from COVID-19

New York, NY — Today, the Diverse Elders Coalition (DEC) issued a plea to Congress in support of policy changes and protective measures to limit the impact of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, on older adults from communities of color, American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities.

“People 60 years of age and older and those with underlying health conditions (e.g., diabetes, HIV, heart disease, and lung disease), are most vulnerable to getting sick or even dying from COVID-19. Many of the communities we represent already.... Read More

             

Why The New ‘Public Charge’ Rule Could Hit Older Immigrants Hard

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by Jaya Padmanabhan. This article originally appeared on Next Avenue.

Devyani Dave immigrated from India to California in 1995 in her early 60s to live near her son and his family. Her green card was sponsored by her son (who prefers not to reveal his name), a citizen who came to the U.S. in 1973. When Dave arrived to start her new life, she had no health insurance and relied on her son to support her. Now, sitting on a bench at Priya Living, a senior community facility in Santa Clara, Calif., Dave said she feels fortunate to be in close proximity to her only child, especially as she ages.

But some immigration experts say the.... Read More

             

Recent State of the Union Highlights Unfinished Work on Paid Family Leave

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By Jason Resendez and Stephanie Monroe of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s.

During the State of the Union, President Trump touted his administration’s progress on expanding paid leave for parents who work for the federal government. According to the President, “As we support America’s moms and dads, I was recently proud to sign the law providing new parents in the Federal workforce paid family leave, serving as a model for the rest of the country.” While this accomplishment is undoubtedly worthy of praise, it also highlights the unfinished work of establishing a comprehensive paid leave policy that values diverse forms of caregiving, from the cradle to later life. 

Our nation’s 41 million family caregivers remain shamefully undervalued, even as our.... Read More

             

Aging in Massachusetts is Getting Harder

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by Tibisay Zea. This article originally appeared in El Planeta, New England’s Spanish-language newspaper. Haga clic aquí para leer este artículo en español.

One of the biggest challenges of aging is securing economic stability while productivity progressively decreases. This seems harder to achieve in Massachusetts, as it has the worst financial security numbers for older adults, shows a recent study by the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston (UMass Boston).

More than half of people 65 or older in the state live alone, and a third of those living as a couple do not have enough money to cover their basic needs on their own (housing, transportation, health care.... Read More

             
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