Elder Issues
- Elders are increasingly being targeted by predatory lenders. I recently learned of a lawsuit brought in my area on behalf of a woman in her 80s who had been talked into refinancing her home more than 12 times over several years. She ultimately could not pay her mortgage bills and her home, which she had initially owned free and clear, was foreclosed. The elderly are often vulnerable to the pressures of predatory lenders because they are frequently on fixed incomes and are short of cash. They deserve the protections I describe in the Economics portion of my platform.
- In addition, elderly people are often discriminated against in hiring and forced into retirement before they are ready or can afford to retire. This discrimination should not be tolerated.
- Elders are vulnerable to elder abuse by caregivers and in nursing homes and are often forced into nursing homes and living situations they find dehumanizing and degrading. I would support health care reforms which included home-based care for elders along with senior villages and adult day care which allowed elders to stay in their homes and near friends and families.
I would also support:
- Increased funding of meals on wheels and similar services for the elderly;
- Prioritizing accessible public transportation by funding “kneeling” and wheelchair- and walker-accessible buses;
- Simple public campaigns which emphasize the importance of honoring the elders in our communities. Honoring our elders improves the quality of life for all of us, infants through elders, and it is completely free.
