Bay
Area Senior Advocates Issues Brief
The mission of the Bay Area
Senior Advocates (BASA) is to support and enrich the lives of older adults
through collaboration, planning, and advocacy. BASA is a unique blend of both
public and private partnerships working together for the good of older adults,
families and caregivers in our region.
It is the wish of BASA that the following issues and recommendations be addressed and considered in the development of any strategic planning or service provision in our region.
A.
Connection to Community
Many seniors live in social
isolation and are unable to fully participate in their community. Community
engagement is connected to improved feelings of satisfaction and quality of
life. Affordable and accessible housing, transportation, and designing elder
friendly, “livable” communities help provide the infrastructure for
community connection. Encouraging seniors to engage in their community through
volunteerism, civic participation, leadership, and mentoring enhances the
feeling of attachment and successful aging.
Additionally, engaging the business and education communities to become
involved in creative ways to assist and support these initiatives is critical.
BASA
Recommendations:
1. Support and encourage
communities to adopt “elder-friendly” or ‘livable’ neighborhoods and
designs.
2. Support the development and
enhancement of programs that connect seniors to services in their community.
3. Work with aging community
partners to educate communities on the need to improve mobility options for
older adults.
4.
Develop a means to gauge quality of life improvements for area seniors.
5. Support efforts to assist
seniors in accessing transportation services.
6. Work with area Chamber of Commerce on workforce and marketplace assets, issues, and barriers.
Helpful Links:
Bikability:
http://www.bikewalk.org/
Senior Resources:
http://www.seniorguideandcompass.com
Senior Resources: http://www.seniorcorner.com
Visitibility:
http://www.zerostep.org/index2.htm
AARP
Livable Communities: http://www.aarp.org/research/housing-mobility/indliving/d18311_communities.html
B.
Long-Term Care
Long-term care is an array of
health and personal care/support services needed by people who have disabilities
or chronic health care needs. Services
may be short-term or long-term and may be provided in a person's home, in the
community, or in residential facilities. Many seniors rely on Medicaid programs
to provide them with the support services they need. Currently,
Michigan needs to have these options and the funding to support the entire range
of services available to Michigan residents.
BASA
Recommendations
1. Support the Governor’s
Long Term Care Task force recommendations that include:
• A full array of community
based care options for persons in need of long-term and short-term care,
• A single point of entry for
seniors and their families that will provide a “one-stop” process for
assessment, screening, and referring individuals to programs based on “person
centered planning” to find the best fit for individual needs,
• Allow the funding to follow
the person. The funding should not limit a person’s options but should be
applied to the services needed by the individual, and
• Provide a well-trained and
well-support long term care support service provider network that includes
consumer education and supports consumer choice.
• Develop consumer education
and family pre-planning mechanisms needed to bring awareness, information, and
choice to consumers.
2. Oppose cuts to Medicare and
Medicaid programs that limit funding for home and community-based care options.
Helpful Links:
Governor's LTC Task Force:
http://www.ihcs.msu.edu/ltc/
Long Term Care:
http://www.longtermcarelink.net/#answer_corner
Healthy Aging:
http://www.cdc.gov/aging/health_issues.htm
Office of Services to the
Aging: http:// www.miseniors.net
AAA of NW MI:
http://www.aaanm.org/
C.
Transportation
For many seniors, lack of
affordable, safe, accessible transportation prevents individuals from partaking
in daily living activities such as getting to and from medical appointments,
shopping, as well as participating in social and recreational activities. While
public transportation services exist in our Northern Michigan counties, there
are some individuals that require more specialized assistance and cannot access
the demand-response services or who may need to cross county lines outside of
the provider’s service area. Some seniors find the direct route bus service
confusing to use and have a fear of being stranded. Also, communities that
provide walkable and bikeable sidewalks and streets provide an additional option
for seniors to be mobile.
BASA
Recommendations:
1. Support the development of
alternative ride programs such as the Northwest Michigan Transportation Alliance
that is providing door-to-door assistance and rides from volunteer drivers for
individuals who are unable to utilize the public transportation services.
2. Support the development of
voucher programs that allow flexibility in providing rides for seniors who have
the greatest social-economic need.
3. Support the development of
cross-county connectors for regional public transportation systems.
4. Promote and encourage “walkable and bikeable community” designs.
Helpful Links:
Transportation:
http://www.aarp.org/research/housing-mobility/transportationin_brief_the_impact_of_federal_programs_on_transpo.html
Transportation:
http://www.unitedweride.gov/
D. Housing
The majority of seniors would
like to “age in place.” That
is, to live in a home that will serve their needs throughout their lives.
Unfortunately, most of the homes that are built do not incorporate accessibility
as a standard design feature; instead it is thought to be the exception.
Building homes that are “visit-able” is to incorporate simple design
features that ensure that if an individual comes to a point in life when they
need a wheelchair or a walker, that home will not become a barrier to that
person’s ability to live there. Simple changes in building design such as a
no-step entry, wider door and hallways, wider floor areas in kitchens and
bathrooms will ensure that the home will be usable for people of all ages and
abilities.
BASA
Recommendations:
1. Support and promote changes
in building practices that improve accessibility for home and residential units.
2. Provide educational programs
for seniors and builders on visit-ability, accessibility, and universal design.
3. Support policy changes that incorporate visit-ability concepts in building practices; support and encourage Certified Aging In Place
(CAP) Programs.
4. Help area seniors understand all their housing options. There can come a time when "aging in place" is just not practical. People need to understand and know what signs signify the need to be in a safer environment.
Helpful Links:
Housing:
http://www.zerostep.org/index2.htm
E.
Medicare/Medicaid
Medicare/Medicaid is an
essential part of maintaining the health of seniors and persons with
disabilities. Medicare must be protected from budget cuts that would lead to
decreased quality of care for our seniors and persons with disabilities. Any
reform to Medicare must ensure that the program will be able to continue to
provide affordable, quality health care coverage.
BASA
Recommendations:
1. Protect Medicare from budget
cuts that will decrease the quality of care for seniors and persons with
disabilities
2. Support measures that
strengthen the program.
3. Provide feedback to policy
makers on Medicare’s ability to meet the needs of the senior population.
4. Work more closely with MMAP
(Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program) and get more seniors to use their service
and more volunteers to be trained to offer assistance.
Helpful
Links:
AARP:
http://www.aarp.org/research/
Medicare:
http://www.medicare.gov/
AAA NW MI:
http://www.aaanm.org/
F. Senior
Abuse and Exploitation
Every year we hear stories
about seniors who are abused and exploited. Senior abuse includes, not just
physical abuse, but also emotional, and mental abuse. Many seniors are
vulnerable to physical abuse and financial exploitation. To better protect
seniors from criminal activity it is important to educate seniors, their
families, and community groups about fraudulent consumer practices, abuse and
exploitation, and senior rights. This also includes electronic media and
identity theft issues.
BASA
Recommendations:
1. Work with local law
enforcement and the media to educate seniors, senior residential agencies, and
community groups on consumer protection and legal rights.
2. Provide information on abuse
and exploitation and senior rights.
3. Identify legal services
available to low-income seniors.
4. Educate business communities
on ‘best practices’ that encouragehigh standards of business ethics,
customer service, and buyer satisfaction.
Helpful Links:
Catholic Human Services: http://www.caregivernorth.org/
Currently, fourteen percent of
Michigan’s population is age 65 or older.
By the year 2030, it is expected that Michigan’s senior population will
increase to 25 percent of the population. According
to the Michigan Department of Community Health, 84 percent of Michigan’s
seniors live with one chronic disease or disability.
Since nearly 80 percent of healthcare spending is on treating chronic
conditions, the impact that the growing aging population will have on the
healthcare and community support systems will be substantial.
Disease prevention and early detection efforts to deter or delay chronic
disease or disability are important strategies to reduce the economic burden to
the healthcare systems while improving the quality of life of Michigan seniors.
Disease prevention is best achieved through healthy lifestyle choices,
such as, no tobacco use, moderate alcohol consumption, good nutrition, increased
physical activity and positive mental health.
BASA
Recommendations:
1.
Support efforts to engage seniors in physical activity initiatives such
as “Let’s Get Moving, Traverse City.”
2.
Provide education on proper nutrition, tobacco cessation, and physical
safety.
3.
Provide sensitivity training for health care professionals on working
with elders.
4.
Educate seniors, family members and caregivers on the importance of
understanding critical health care information.
5. Provide information on mental health issues and local services.
In Grand Traverse County nearly
six percent of persons over age 65 lives in poverty.
Poverty can lead to poor health, poor nutrition, lack of adequate housing
and transportation, increased social isolation and decreased quality of life.
1.
Ensure that seniors are represented in the area’s on-going “Poverty
Reduction Initiative.”
2.
Support efforts to maintain the “Meals on Wheels” and other programs
that deliver basic needs services to area seniors.
3. Support efforts such as “Senior Companion” and intergenerational programs that decrease social isolation and improve quality of life.
I.
Employment and Work Force Issues
An increasing number of seniors
are delaying retirement to start a second career for financial or personal
reasons. An older worker can bring
a wealth of knowledge and experience to the job that is often underappreciated
and underutilized. It is becoming
more common for seniors to continue to work past retirement age for financial
reasons. This trend is expected to
continue as baby-boomers begin to “retire.”
1.
Educate employers about the value of hiring older workers.
2.
Provide incentives and
opportunities to encourage seniors to participate in the workforce, through paid
or volunteer positions.
3.
Offer ongoing training and benefits which encourage seniors to remain in
the workforce.
4.
Educate employers on the care-giving, respite, and related senior issues.
5.
Offer career counseling, training and entrepreneurial assistance to
seniors who want to re-enter the workforce.
Helpful Links:
Michigan Works! www.michworks.org
Michigan Career Portal: www.michigan.gov/careers