Fighting for Underserved Seniors
I am proud to announce that my legislation ( A.880 ) providing increased planning and services for seniors has passed both houses of the Legislature and has been sent to Governor Cuomo for his signature.
My legislation requires the New York State Office for the Aging to report on the delivery of services to and needs of traditionally underserved senior populations in their annual report to the governor and legislature.
By the year 2025, it is projected that there will be 4.4 million New Yorkers 60 years of age and older. The experience of marginalization places traditionally underserved senior populations at a higher risk for isolation, poverty, homelessness, and premature institutionalization. Due to these factors, many seniors avoid accessing elder programs and services, even when their health, safety, and security depend on it.
My legislation also authorizes the Office of the Aging to make grants in aid to organizations that provide technical support to a particularly underserved population: lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) seniors. Many LGBT seniors lack social and familial support networks that are more commonly available to non-LGBT seniors-they are twice as likely to live alone as compared to heterosexual seniors, and more than four times as likely to have no children. These seniors often face stigma from senior care providers who may not consider that their older clients are LGBT.
Steps must be taken by senior services in New York State in order to prevent these and other underserved seniors from being left without a place to turn to in their time on need. I hope that this bill will go a long way in improving the services and support systems so many older New Yorkers need and deserve.