Tag Archives for AARP

New AARP Report Takes a Look at Older LGBTQ+ Issues

Published in RINewsToday on August 26, 2024

The newly released, annual AARP report, “Dignity 2024: The Experience of LGBTQ+ Older Adults,” shows that four in five (78%) older adults who identify as LGBTQ+ are concerned about having enough support from family and friends as they age. At the same time, the researchers noted that nearly half (45%) are already living with a chronic condition, disability, or both – a figure that will likely increase as they age. The 53-page report examines top concerns of LGBTQ+ adults age 45 and over, from caregiving, to mental health, to finances.

The Dignity survey, first published in 2018 and repeated every year, examines the LGBTQ+ communities that have different life experiences than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Cisgender relates to a person whose gender identify corresponds with the sex registered for them at birth. 

About 7.6 percent of American adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or another non-heterosexual orientation, reports a 2024 Gallup poll.  Four years ago, this percentage was 5.6.

Understanding aging LGBTQ issues

“The unique needs and realities of older LGBTQ+ Americans are still too often overlooked in society,” said Cassandra Cantave Burton, Senior Research Advisor for AARP in an Aug. 12 statement announcing the report’s findings. “AARP’s research has consistently shown that the majority of LGBTQ+ older adults are concerned about having adequate social supports to rely on as they age.”

Three-in-five LGBTQ+ respondents age 45 or older (58%) are a caregiver or have been one in the past, which can add additional challenges to their lives, say researchers, noting that 78% of respondents say they are stressed emotionally due to caregiving responsibilities. The study findings indicate that some feel obligated to care for someone who is not accepting of their identity (14%).  

Almost half of all study’s respondents (45%) expressed they lack companionship, with more (48%) saying they often or sometimes feel isolated from others. LGBTQ+ respondents with a disability say they are also more likely to be extremely or very concerned (51%) about having adequate social support compared to those without a disability (33%).

Most (77%) LGBTQ+ older adults say they have been physically active and health is important. But they face unique challenges when it comes to healthcare.

Sixty one percent of the LGBTQ+ caregivers say they find it difficult to get enough rest or exercise, while 45% find it hard to visit their doctors.  Fifty percent report that they struggle to maintain a healthy diet, while 85% take a prescription medication on a regular basis.

When asked about access to health care, respondents felt that age discrimination (25%), sexual orientation discrimination (21%), or gender identity discrimination (20%) have an effect on health.

Here are few more notable findings gleaned from AARP’s LGBSTQ study. 

When considering future employment prospects among those who are employed, age-based discrimination is feared by nearly half (45%) of LGBTQ+ adults 45-plus.  Almost all respondents (94%) say maintaining financial security is very or extremely important. And between all LGBTQ groups, transgender/nonbinary individuals are least likely to have $75,000 or more (34%) in household income.

The report also offers recommendations to improve outcomes, including increasing access to health care and providing health care providers tools and training for increased awareness of issues related to the LGBTQ+ community.

 LGBTQ Rhode Islanders weigh in

“The report’s findings are heartbreaking and highlight the social and health disparities that for so long have impacted our LGBTQ+ Community,” says Yesenia Rubio, calling for the creation of intentional legislation that would eliminate prejudice and disparities once and for all due to sexual orientation.  “We need to develop more resources within our healthcare system and communities across Rhode Island, said Rubio, Pawtucket City Councilwoman at-large who is the proprietor of Pawtucket-based Notes Coffee Co.

 “The release of this report is a call to action for all of us to ensure that the LGBTQ+ community can age with the dignity, equal care, and community support they deserve,” says Rubio.

“When my wife and I tried to get pregnant with our son Julian, our insurance would not cover our fertility treatment because we were a gay couple and not a heterosexual or “man and woman” couple,” says Rubio. “Where is the equity in that? It violates our civil and constitutional rights. Everyone should have the right to create a family regardless of their sexual orientation,” she adds. 

After reviewing AARP’s study, Deborah DeBare, 63, board member of Pride in Aging – RI (formerly SAGE-RI), questioned the age cutoff for the report. “Although it is great to see people between ages 45 and 60 being included in this study, the experiences  elated to health access, caregiving, social isolation and discrimination are significantly different when looking at elders,” she notes.

“I think that this skews the results. If the survey had been conducted among LGBTQ+ people who are 60 or older, I believe the results would have shown an even more alarming rate of social isolation and difficulties accessing care, feeling safe, and being discriminated against, says DeBare, who serves as Senior Deputy Director at the National Network to End Domestic Violence. 

The high percentage of women identifying as caregivers among the LGBTQ+ population is not surprising, adds DeBare, noting that women as a whole are disproportionately relied on for caregiving (with parents, children, adult children with special needs, with partners, and within social networks). “It would have been interesting to compare the rates reported in this survey with rates among the heterosexual population of women,” she says. 

According to DeBare, the AARP report does not dive deep enough into questions about abuse, exploitation or discrimination. “These are serious risks for LGBTQ+ elders. When they move into nursing homes or assisted living spaces, or participate in senior center activities/spaces, they are not able to “screen” the environments to ensure that the staff or fellow residents/participants are going to treat them with dignity and respect,” she warns.

“After having been “out” for many years or decades, it is an emotional burden for LGBTQ+ elders to have to approach their lives in the cloak of “the closet” to assess the safety of their new environment, says DeBare. “There are way too many stories of people having been insulted, treated disrespectfully, and discriminated against by caregivers, staff, and fellow residents,” she notes.  

Dignity 2024: The Experience of LGBTQ+ Older Adults was fielded online in April, 2024. A total of 2,212 LGBTQ community members age 45 and over participated, including 1,013 cisgender gay and bisexual+ men, 868 cisgender lesbian and bisexual+ women and an oversample of 331 transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) participants. The study oversampled Asian (106), African American/Black (276), and Hispanic/Latino(a/x) (269) individuals.

Resources

All reports in the Dignity series can be found at   https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/social-leisure/relationships/lgbtq-dignity-series/?CMP=RDRCT-PRI-HOMFAM

To download a copy of this report, go to  chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/topics/social-leisure/relationships/lgbtq-dignity-series-2024.doi.10.26419-2fres.00805.001.pdf.

For AARP’s LGBTQ Community Caregiving Guidelines, go to chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/caregiving/pdf/family-caregiving-guide/lgbtq.pdf?intcmp=AE-HF-VC-LGBT-R2-C3

Find more News, finance, wellness and other topics of interest for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, go to https://www.aarp.org/home-family/voices/lgbtq/?cmp=RDRCT-LGBTQ-03022023

House Select Committee on Aging has new life

Published in RINewsToday on July 29, 2024

Just a month ago, the Washington, DC-based Leadership Council on Aging Organizations (LCAO), a coalition of 68 national nonprofit groups committed to representing seniors in Congressional policy making, formally endorsed Cong. Seth Magaziner’s (RI-2) H. Res. 1029, reestablishing the House Select Committee on Aging (HSCoA).  

The freshman congressman picked up the baton from former Cong. David Cicilline, who resigned his seat and now heads the Rhode Island Foundation.  The former Congressman had introduced a resolution to bring back the HSCoA during the 114th-117th Congresses.

At press time, Magaziner’s resolution, introduced on Feb. 23, 2024 (with 26 Democratic co-sponsors and no Republicans on board), has been referred to the House Committee on Rules for mark-up, and if passed, will be considered by the full House.

LCAO endorsed Cong. Magaziner’s 213-word resolution in a June 25th letter. H Res. 1029 amends the Rules of the House to establish a HSCoA.  Although the panel will not have legislative jurisdiction, it’s authorized to conduct a continuing comprehensive study and review of a myriad of aging issues, from income maintenance, poverty, housing health (including medical and research, welfare, employment, education, recreation, to long-term care.

If passed, the Magaziner’s resolution would authorize the HSCoA to study the use of all practical means and methods of encouraging the development of public and private programs and policies which will assist seniors in taking a full part in national life and which will encourage the utilization of knowledge, skills, special aptitudes, and abilities of seniors to contribute to a better quality of life for all Americans.

Finally, H. Res. 1029 would also allow the HSCoA to develop policies that would encourage the coordination of both governmental and private programs designed to deal with problems of aging and to review any recommendations made by the President or by the White House Conference on Aging in relation to programs or policies affecting seniors.

LCAO Calls for Passage of H. Res. 1029

“As we all age together as a society, we see the need to find solutions as demand grows for paid and family care workers, along with finding opportunities to address retirement security. Addressing these demands in a fiscally responsible, bipartisan manner deserves greater attention, understanding and public engagement, says LCAO Chair Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance of Retired Americans, in a June 25 letter written to Cong. Magaziner endorsing H. Res. 1029.

In the endorsement letter, Fiesta explained that while authorizing standing House Committees “perform exemplary oversight and legislative functions over matters within their respective jurisdictions, the HSCoA would have an opportunity to more fully explore a range of issues and innovations that cross jurisdictional lines, while holding field hearings, convening remote hearings, engaging communities, and promoting understanding and dialogue that would contribute to the solutions that present themselves as the number of older people in our nation increases.”

Looking back, LCAO’s letter noted that HSCoA, under Chairman Claude Pepper, closely worked with standing committees, in a team effort and a bipartisan manner, holding many joint hearings with them and helping to pass the end of mandatory retirement, 359-2 in the House and 89-19 in the Senate.”

Additionally, HSCoA “worked to protect Social Security, expose nursing home abuses and set transparency standards, expand home health care benefits as a way older people could often delay or avoid the need of entering into long-term care facilities, and so much more,” said Fiesta, noting that The Ways and Means, Education and Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Space, Science and Technology were other committees that benefited from the partnership,” Fiesta said.

Finally, Fiesta stresses that HSCoA would also “complement the strong bipartisan work of the Senate Special Committee on Aging which has effectively promoted member understanding on a range of issues, including the concerns of grandparents raising grandchildren, elder abuse and fraud, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on older Americans and their families, the importance of financial literacy in planning for retirement, and the costs associated with isolation and loneliness.”

Magaziner talks turkey about H. Res. 1029

“Older Americans have worked hard their entire lives, and they deserve to retire and age with dignity,” says Magaziner, noting he became the primary sponsor of H. Res. 1029 because it “ensures that seniors in Rhode Island and across the country have their voices heard, needs met, and can enjoy their golden years with peace of mind.”

Magaziner was recently on parental leave and was unable to meet with former HSCoA staffers and aging advocates. He notes, however, that “my staff was able to listen to and gain valuable insight into the successes of the Committee and its role in fighting for America’s aging population.”  

According to Magaziner, his staff is working hard to tell other offices about the benefits of the proposed Committee and will continue to look for ways to raise the profile of this resolution to encourage other Members to become co-sponsors. “I am proud that this resolution received the recent endorsement from the LCAO, along with other prominent organizations including the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, AARP, Alliance for Retired Americans, Social Security Works and Meals on Wheels America,” he said, stressing that the support of advocates is important to encouraging House lawmakers to cosponsor the resolution. 

Magaziner stresses that getting bipartisan support for H. Res. 1029 is important to him.  “I’m ready to work with anyone, from either party, to deliver results for Rhode Island—and that includes finding common ground on important legislation like H. Res. 1029,” he says.  “There’s still room for bipartisanship, and ensuring we address issues for seniors across the country should be an area where we can all agree,” he adds, calling on his Republican colleagues to work together with Democrats to move our country forward.

If not this year, push for next Congressional session

But with 98 days left before the upcoming presidential election, can Magaziner push H. Res. 1029 across the goal line?

With the House beginning its 6-week August recess, Bob Blancato, former Staff Director of the, Subcommittee on Human Services, urges voters to ask their lawmakers to support H. Res. 1029 if they are not a cosponsor. “Find them at public events and raise [the importance of their support], he suggests.  

Blancato sees the importance of Cong. Magaziner sending another “Dear Colleague” letter to House lawmakers in soliciting cosponsors. “They should also target some of the House Caucuses, such as the bipartisan Congressional Woman’s Caucus and the Assisting Caregivers Caucus,”  he recommends.

According to Bob Weiner, former Chief of Staff, House Select Committee on Aging under Chairman Claude Pepper (D-FL), the timing to push this resolution is after the upcoming presidential election.  “Most important will be to hit the ground RUNNING at the start of the next Congress, with the agreement by Cong. Magaziner to introduce the first new session day, and give him and the allied groups and supporters the immediate opportunity to build cosponsors at that time,” he says, stressing that the count for the next Congress begins in the next Congress, which could well be a different party majority. “This is a terrific resolution which can have significant impact helping older Americans to protect and build their health and livelihoods, he adds.

Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) and a long-time member of the LCAO, agrees with Weiner’s assessment.  “Historically, the House Permanent Select Committee on Aging served as a unique venue that allowed open, bipartisan debate from various ideological and philosophical perspectives to promote consensus that, in turn, helped facilitate the critical work of the standing committees.  We believe that issues affecting seniors would be best advanced by the re-establishment of such a Committee in the House. Reestablishing a Select Committee on Aging in the House would also complement the strong bipartisan work of its counterpart in the Senate.”

“As was emphasized in the LCAO endorsement letter, we need Cong. Magaziner to tactfully work for bipartisan support of his House Resolution — a commitment he made to the voters in a 2022 campaign press conference that I attended,” says Vin Marzullo, former federal civil rights & social justice administrator and a Board member of Senior Agenda Coalition.

“Additionally, since the Magaziner resolution has less than half of the cosponsors obtained by former Cong. Cicilline, both the Congressman and his staff must step up their outreach efforts to Congressional members on the floor, related House Committee Chairs, House Caucuses, & the House Minority Leader,” he said, noting that grassroots efforts led to the support of Cong. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus”, stated Marzullo, also a former AARP RI President.  

For details about the HSCoA, go to https://rinewstoday.com/congressman-magaziner-takes-baton-on-bringing-back-house-aging-committee-herb-weiss/.

New report re-examines workplace policies and caregiving

Published in RINewsToday on June 10, 2024

As a newly released AARP and S&P Global report notes, working while being a caregiver is complicated.  While the researchers say that since the previously issued report in 2020, US employers have stepped up to the plate to offer access to caregiving benefits.  However, much more must be done. 

Since the 2020 AARP and S&P Global’s last report, employers have become attuned to the needs of working parents over the past decade and especially during the pandemic, and are now moving from awareness to action in providing support for employees with adult caregiving responsibilities.

Taking a look at caregiver employees

The report’s authors say this study “explores the workplace experiences of caregivers and how they use employer provided benefits and policies to remain successful at work while providing care at home. It reveals not only the challenges of balancing work and caregiving, but also how the right workplace policies can ease the burdens.”

According to the new analysis conducted last December by AARP and S&P Global, the unpredictable nature of caregiving for an adult is one of the biggest stressors the caregiver employee faces.  Sixty seven percent of family caregivers have a very difficult time balancing work with their caregiver responsibilities.  

Half of the working caregiver respondents reported having to make work scheduling changes, (including going in early, leaving late, or just taking time off because of caregiving responsibilities), the findings indicated.

The findings indicate that workers are even reducing hours at work.  Twenty seven percent of working caregivers have shifted from full-time to part-time work or have even reduced hours, while 16% have turned down a promotion.

Meanwhile the findings indicated that 16% have stopped working entirely for a period of time — and 13% have changed employers — in order to meet their caregiving responsibilities.

With the nation’s number of adults ages 65-plus projected to surpass the population of children by 2030, the report warns that US employers must continue to offer policies and benefits that are friendly and supportive of adult caregivers to keep them in the workforce.

In order to get a handle on the needs of working caregivers and understand the importance of employer benefits for balancing work and family care obligations, in 2023 AARP and S&P Global surveyed 1,200 self-identified caregivers who worked full-time or part-time at large US companies (employing more than 1,000 employees) and who provide at least six hours of care each week to an adult.

It’s complicated – being a working caregiver 

There were other key highlights from the Working while caregiving: It’s complicated report.  

Eighty percent of the survey caregiver respondents believe that companies were more understanding of childcare issues – rather than adult caregiving responsibilities.  The researchers say that this is particularly the case among caregivers who have an under-18 child at home and they have recent experience of both caregiving situations. Those caregivers without children reported less satisfaction with company support than caregivers with children (69% versus 89%, respectively).

For those working remotely, the survey’s findings indicate that they were more likely to feel penalized or discriminated against at work because of caregiving responsibilities when compared to in-office or hybrid workers (49% versus a combined average of 29%). The researchers say that this might reflect employer challenges in assessing and engaging with remote employees’ work-life needs.

Finally, the study found that among working caregivers providing more than 21 hours of care a week, 37% say they are experiencing significantly increased difficulty due to inflation. And for those providing fewer than 10 hours of care, 25% say inflation has made providing care significantly more difficult.

According to AARP, previous AARP research shows that of the nearly 48 million family caregivers in the US, 61% are juggling both work and caregiving responsibilities, including assistance with daily living activities, medical or nursing tasks, coordinating services and supports, transportation, shopping, and serving as an advocate for their care recipient. Most family caregivers provide at least 20 hours of care each week, equal to an unpaid part-time job.

The new report’s findings found that access to a flexible work schedule at the time of caregiving increased from 32% in 2020 to 45% in 2023. Additionally, the availability of caregiving policies or benefits increased in every category except unpaid leave. 

“As the backbone of America’s long-term care system, providing $600 billion every year in unpaid labor, family caregivers need and deserve greater support from their own employers,” said Susan Reinhard, Senior Vice President and Director of AARP Public Policy Institute, in a May 16th statement announcing the release of the 21 page report’s findings.  “As our population ages, it’s critical that employers support family caregivers in the workforce with the policies, such as paid leave, that can ease their everyday burdens,” she said.

“Despite the progress observed since 2020, the latest data shows the majority of employees with adult caregiving responsibilities continue to face barriers at balancing work and caregiving obligations and need greater support from employers through enhanced benefits and policies to stay engaged in the workforce,” noted Alexandra Dimitrijevic, Co-chair of S&P Global Research Council. “Employers can help by paying forward-looking attention to employee needs and the demographics shift of the workforce in the coming years,” she added.

Best Practices to support working caregivers

The report’s authors say that employers can do more to support working caregivers and detail best practices that companies can take to support their employees. 

They call on companies to consider offering and support flexible schedules and flexible work locations either hybrid/remote. Employer-supported access to support groups, career coaching and financial advising resources could be offered.  Paid leave specifically for caregivers and/or flexible leave can be used to help with caregiving duties, they suggest.

Yes, information is power.  Companies could host free sessions to highlight how caregiving employees can optimize employer benefits and policies, as a way to address the lack of awareness in using benefits.  Senior leaders could be asked to share their stories as to how they have used the company’s caregiver-supportive benefits and policies, signaling to both people managers and their teams that they are encouraged to use them.

The report’s authors urge companies to train people managers on caregiver-inclusive managerial practices and ensure that they are aware of caregiver-supportive benefits and policies. They must make it clear that it is safe to use them all without incurring career risk.

Finally, companies can start or support an Employee Resource Group (ERG) for parents and caregivers or create a caregiving initiative across all ERGs. 

To view the full 2024 report:

https://www.spglobal.com/en/research-insights/featured/special-editorial/working-while-caregiving.

To view the 2020 report:

Click to access somethingsgottagive_spgiaarp.pdf

For details on caregiving: 

Click to access full-report-caregiving-in-the-united-states.doi.10.26419-2Fppi.00103.001.pdf