Chair Casey leaves mark on national aging policy. Leadership changes in DC and RI

Published in RINewsToday on December 16, 2024

Last week, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, held his last hearing, entitled “Empowering People with Disabilities to Live, Work, Learn, and Thrive, in SD 106. This hearing was his swan song as Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee.

The 3-term Democratic Senator, first elected in 2006, lost his reelection bid for a fourth term to Republican Dave McCormick, a West Point graduate, combat veteran and Bronze star recipient, and a national security expert, and former hedge fund manager. A recount of votes confirmed that Casey lost by 16,000 votes (3,398,628 to 3,382,423) and he conceded the race on Nov. 21st.

With the dust settling after the Nov. 5^th presidential election, Republicans will take control of the legislative agenda of the upper chamber, with a 53-47 majority, and control the house.

According to a Senate Aging Committee, during the upcoming 119^th Congress Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), a former Ranking Member, is expected to replace Casey as chairman on Jan. 3rd, 2025. Former Ranking Member Mike Braun (R-Ind) will leave the Senate after becoming Governor-elect of Indiana.

An advocate for America’s seniors

During the 118^th, the Senate Aging Committee under the helm of Casey held 18 full hearings, five field hearings, and one joint full hearing. His final hearing, lasting one hour and 46 minutes, highlighted his long record as a champion for people with disabilities, and laid out his vision for how Congress must continue to work to empower them.

“From the beginning of my time in the Senate, I heard a constant refrain from disability advocates that their needs were not being met—they faced barriers to save for their future, they were being paid well below a living wage, and they could not afford or access the care they needed,” says Casey in his opening statement. “Those refrains, including from some of the people we heard from at today’s hearing, are what inspired me to make people with disabilities a focus of my Senate career and time as Aging Committee Chairman,” he said.

During his 18 years in the Senate, Casey has been one of the foremost champions in Washington for people with disabilities. He created the Stephen Beck Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) program, which has helped hundreds of thousands of families save for long-term care for their disabled loved ones with a tax-advantage savings account. The Associated Press hailed this legislation as “the most important new law for [those with disabilities] in 25 years. He also made federal websites more accessible for people with disabilities, and propelled the fight for access to home care to the forefront of the national conversation.

In addition, the Pennsylvania Senator led efforts to improve care in nursing homes by expanding and strengthening oversight over poor-performing facilities while ensuring that nursing homes and long-term care facilities have the resources they need to provide high-quality care to residents. His work has led the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to publicly release information about nursing facilities with a documented pattern of poor care, ensuring older adults and their families have the information they

At the Dec. 12^th hearing, Chairman Casey also released a series of issue briefs documenting his record chairing the Aging Committee on making government technology accessible, expanding access to home care, improving nursing homes, lowering prescription drug costs, and ensuring economic security for older adults:

“We have made a lot of progress, from creating the ABLE program to making government technology more accessible,” Casey continued. “But as we heard today, there is still a lot more to do—from expanding access to home care to finally phasing out the subminimum wage,” he added.

Kudos to Casey’s advocacy for America’s disabled Seniors

At the hearing, witnesses from Pennsylvania and national organizations testified about the impact of Casey’s work impacting the disability community in the Commonwealth and around the country.

I want to thank Senator Casey for your leadership. None of the successes I outlined would have been possible without your steadfast championship, advocacy and partnership. It is daunting to think about facing the challenges ahead, particularly the threats to Medicaid, without you at the helm, but we have been emboldened to reimagine what is possible because of your leadership,” says Witness Ai-Jen Poo, President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Executive Director of Caring Across Generations.

Witness Neil McDevitt, Mayor of North Wales, Pennsylvania, noted: “Senator Casey, you have been a steadfast ally of North Wales Borough, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and millions of disabled and Deaf Americans. We owe you a debt that can never be repaid.”

“Things are actually changing. We are not yet where we need to be when it comes to disability access and acceptance, but we are getting there. It brings me great joy when I hear of disabled people in my community getting good paying jobs and not being relegated to sheltered workshops for less than minimum wage,” adds Erin Willman, CEO of White Cane Coffee in Warren, Pennsylvania.

Witness Lydia Brown, Director of Policy, National Disability Institute, told the attending Senators:“Ten years ago, Sen. Casey’s leadership in introducing and passing The ABLE Act changed the game. People whose disabilities began before age 26 can now access a savings vehicle that can conserve up to $100,000 total without their savings counting against them in determining eligibility for SSI and Medicaid. Money in an ABLE account can be used for a wide range of qualified disability expenses, including otherwise unaffordable assistive technology and health care, as well as educational and employment related costs. For many disabled people on Medicaid, an ABLE account is also their only available means to save for retirement.”

A fond farewell

“Bob Casey served honorably as the chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging. He held a wide range of hearings intended to develop a record that could be used to help shape future legislation,” says Max Richtman, President & CEO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare who also is a former staff director of the Senate Special Committee on Aging. Casey had held numerous hearings on issues facing older adults that helped build support for components of the Older Americans Act reauthorization – which just passed the Senate and may be included in the end-of-year package, noted Richtman.

“Senator Casey also held hearings on disabled older adults, including one with former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley to discuss what the Social Security Administration (SSA) is doing to make the application process easier,” added Richtman, noting that other hearings were held on scammers preying on the elderly – designed to help older adults and their families know what to look for — and protect against.

“We can only hope that when Republicans assume control of the Senate in January, this committee will continue the serious work of looking after the interests of seniors, who have contributed so much to our society and yet are among our most vulnerable citizens,” says Richtman.

“Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) thanks Senator Bob Casey for his leadership and dedication to improving the lives of older Americans through his work on the Senate Aging Committee,” said Debra Whitman, LCAO Chair. “We look forward to collaborating with incoming Chairman Rick Scott to continue addressing the needs and enhancing the well-being of our nation’s growing aging population,” she says.

“As Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Senator Bob Casey was a critical champion for seniors. He fought to strengthen Social Security and Medicare, stop elder abuse, and improve conditions in nursing homes. Casey will be greatly missed in the Senate by everyone who cares about senior issues. We urge the next chairman of this invaluable committee to continue his legacy.” Says Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works.

“It is wonderful to have a Senate Aging Committee and Senator Casey’s terrific advocacy but inexcusable for the House not to restore its counterpart, which Chairman Claude Pepper proved is indispensable,” said Robert Weiner, former Chief of Staff of the House Select Committee on Aging and later a senior White House spokesman.

Announcing job transitions and retirement – in Rhode Island

Two well-known aging advocates have announced their departures.

The Alliance for Better Long-Term Care announces the retirement of Kathleen “Kathy” Heren. She dedicated 26 years to serving Rhode Island’s seniors. For the past 15 years, Heren has served as the Rhode Island State Long Term Care Ombudsman, tirelessly advocating for the rights and well-being of residents in long-term care facilities across the state. She is known for her “fierce dedication, wisdom, and compassion have made her an unwavering champion for those in need.”

After serving as Executive Director of LeadingAgeRI for over 16 years, James P. Nyberg is leaving the nonprofit to become Senior Advisor at the Boston-based Public Consulting Group. He will provide his expertise to the company on home and community-based services.

During his tenure, he significantly advanced aging services by advocating for quality, affordable care and fostering partnerships with state and national stakeholders. His leadership has driven innovative initiatives addressing the needs of older Rhode Islanders while supporting workforce development and professional growth among member organizations.

Nyberg ably served as Chair of the state’s Advisory Commission on Aging for over six years.

The Second Fifty: Seniors are happy, expect lives to improve, hold optimistic views

Published in RINewsToday on November 4, 2024

It seems that America’s older adults are not fearful of aging. With optimism they are embracing it. That’s what the findings of a new AARP survey reveal in exploring the second half of life. AARP’s 2024 survey of adults ages 50 and over reveals that older adults have an optimistic view and outlook on life and expect their lives to even improve as they grow older. Nearly 9 in 10 are at least somewhat optimistic about their future, with half being extremely or very optimistic, note the study’s finding.

AARP new survey, “The fountain of happiness: Older adults’ outlook on life and optimism toward the future,” exploring the second half of life serves as an update to the original second half of life study released in June 2022, which inspired the publishing of The Second Fifty authored by Debra Whitman, AARP’s Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer.

These and other findings are explored further in Whitman’s new book, The Second Fifty. The tome takes readers on a search for answers at a critical time in the nation’s history: by 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be age 65 or older, and by 2050, the U.S. is projected to have nearly 1 million centenarians.

Taking a Look at “The Second Fifty”

“The Second Fifty provides a roadmap for navigating and celebrating the second half of life, emphasizing the importance of mindset to living well as we age,” said Whitman, in an Oct. 4, 2024 statement announcing the release of the 2024 survey’s findings. “Whether you are approaching 50, well into your later years, or caring for someone who is, The Second Fifty provides practical steps, grounded in research, to help us all create a better second half of life for ourselves and our loved ones,” she says.

According to the AARP’s recently released survey’s findings, older adults are optimistic and happy about growing older. Over four in five say they are optimistic (89%) about their future and feel happy (86%). Age 60 year and older respondents reported higher levels of happiness than those persons ages 50-59.

The study’s findings also indicate that old adult’s optimism about the nation’s future has grown, with 61% reporting they feeling more hopeful today than two years ago (54%). The researchers noted that the initial study released in 2022 was conducted following the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to researchers, health, gender and chronological age are three key factors that shape the aging experiences of older Americans. They say that gender differences are evident in the older respondents happiness about their future. A higher percentage of older men reported being very happy (24%) than women (17%). The study’s findings also indicated that older men are more likely than women to be very optimistic about their future (43% t0 34%, positive about the future of America (20% to 12%) and the world (15 % to 9 %).

Expecting longevity key to one’s outlook on aging

Expected longevity is key to one’s outlook on aging, say the researchers, noting that with a self-reported life expectancy of 85 years, older adults would choose to live even longer, to the ripe old median age of 93. At the same time, the study reveals that most older adults (74%) are currently afflicted with a chronic or serious health condition, and more than half (53%) are living with two or more chronic conditions.

As to viewing one’s longevity, researchers note that the older someone is, the longer they expect to live. The study’s findings indicated that those adults age 70 and over (39%) are more likely to hope to age into than nineties than their younger cohorts (50 plus-28 %, ages 50-59-19%, ages 60-69-26%).

As people grow older, they then begin to value each decade of their adulthood different, says the study’s findings. While most are currently happy and optimistic about their future, over two-thirds (67%) say their best decade came before age 50. For those ages 50-59, they most likely to consider their 20s (34%) as their best decade. But for those persons age 60-69, they value their time in their 30s. For those age 70, 22% favor their 30s, 20% consider their best decade the 40s and 21% favor their 50s and 19% remember their 60s as the best.

And the researches found that relationships tend to get better, improve and more meaningful with growing older. Over the past five years, more than 28% of the older respondents experienced improved relationships. Almost half (45%) expect their relationships to become more meaningful, too. The findings also indicated that persons ages 50-59 are significantly more likely to believe their relationships will become more meaningful in their future (51%) compared to those ages 70 and older (38%).

Taking a look at the study’s implications

As to implications, the study’s researchers note that existing health and gender disparities in aging are risk factors to older adults to age with hope and dignity. They call for local, state and national policies to address these disparities by improving access to affordable and quality healthcare (by increasing access to health insurance, primary care and preventative services). Policies should address gender-specific needs and support systems must ensure that older men and women equality benefit from improvements, they say.

Researchers also stress the importance of understanding that each generation of adults age 50 and over value different life stages and this is essential for providing support to these individuals as they age. Designing effective policies, interventions, and support systems can be accomplished by recognizing “diverse and evolving needs, values and priorities of older adults.”

As recognized by the U.S. Surgeon General, relations are importance to your health and well-being. The researchers recognize that “reliable and meaningful relationships are central to aging well.” The AARP study calls for “policies to prioritize the development and funding of programs that foster social connections among older adults.” These programs, recognizing that older men and women experience social connections different, might include creating accessible community centers and social engagement initiatives.

To download the original second half of life study released in June 2022, go to https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/life-leisure/2022/second-half-life-desires-concerns-report.doi.10.26419-2Fres.00538.001.pdf.

AARP Says Age Discrimination Robs $850 Billion from Nation’s Economy

Published in the Woonsocket Call on February 9, 2020

In 1985, my 71-year old father was ready to leave his job, looking for greener pastures. After working for Dallas, Texas-based Colbert-Volks for over 33 years as Vice President, General Merchandise Manager, he knew it was time for a job change.

After telling me of his desire to find a new employment, I told my father that he would bring over three decades of experience in the retail sector to a new company along with a vast network he had accumulated. I remember saying “You would be a great catch.” His curt response: “Nobody will hire me at my age.”

Thirty-five years after this conversation, AARP releases a report charging that age discrimination is still running rampant in America’s workplaces and it even negatively impacts the nation’s economy, too.

Last month, AARP and the Economist Intelligence Unit released a report, The Economic Impact of Age Discrimination, reporting that the age 50 and over population contributed 40 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2018, creating 88.6 million jobs and generating $5.7 trillion in wages and salaries through jobs held directly or indirectly.

But older workers would have contributed a massive $850 billion more in 2018 to the GDP if they could have remained in or re-entered the labor force, switched jobs or been promoted internally, notes the AARP study.

AARP’s new study shows that the elimination of that bias in 2018 would have increased the contribution of the 50-plus cohort to the GDP from $8.3 trillion to $9.2 trillion. It also projects that the potential contribution of the older population could increase by $3.9 trillion in a no-age bias economy, which would mean a total contribution of $32.1 trillion to GDP in 2050.

“This important report shows the cost to the entire economy of discriminating against older workers,” said Debra Whitman, AARP’s Executive vice president and Chief Public Policy Officer in a Jan. 30, 2020 statement announcing the release of the 22-page report. “The economy in 2018 could have been 4 percent larger if workers did not face barriers to working longer,” says Whitman.

“Studies have shown that older workers are highly engaged, with low turnover, and often serve an important role as mentors,” Whitman added. “Their expertise helps businesses and pays big dividends for the economy as a whole. Employers who embrace age diversity will be at an advantage,” she says.

House Moves to Combat Age Discrimination

The groundbreaking AARP report comes on the heels of the House of Representative’s recent passage of HR 2030, “Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act,” to combat age discrimination.

The House chamber’s action comes as older workers play an increasingly important role in the workforce. Estimates are that by 2024, 41 million people ages 55 and older will be in the labor force, nearly an 8 percent increase from the current number. In addition, next year the oldest millennials will start turning 40 and then will be covered by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).

The legislation, passing with bipartisan vote of 261-155, restores anti-discrimination protections under the ADEA that were weakened by the Supreme Court’s 2009 decision in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. The decision changed the burden of proof for workers to be the sole motivating factor for the employer’s adverse action, making it much harder for workers to prove age discrimination.

In the Senate, the bipartisan companion legislation (S.485) is sponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Bob Casey (D-PA).

“The House vote sends a strong bipartisan message that age bias has to be treated as seriously as other forms of workplace discrimination,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. “Age discrimination is widespread, but it frequently goes unreported and unaddressed,” charges LeMond.

Thoughts on Age Discrimination

AARP’s new report includes survey findings gleaned from a study conducted last July and August, interviewing 5,000 people age 50-plus to identify how they have experienced age discrimination at work or while looking for work.

The researchers analyzed: involuntary retirement due to age bias; 50-plus workers involuntarily in part-time jobs; missed opportunities for wage growth; lost earnings following involuntary job separation; longer periods of unemployment compared to younger workers; and people age 50 and older who dropped out of the labor force, but want to continue working.

The study’s findings indicate that the age 50 and over labor force has grown by 80 percent since 1998, about 40 percent of workers age 65 over intend to continue working into their 70s. While 80 percent of employer’s support employees working into their later years, nearly two-thirds of older workers say they have experienced or seen age discrimination in the workplace.

As to gender, the study’s findings note that men who retire between ages 50 and 64 are most likely to feel that they are being forced into retirement because of their age. Older women bear the double burden of age and gender discriminate, say the researchers. Those age 50-64, especially women, experience longer unemployment than other groups

The study also found that lower-income workers are more likely to feel trapped in their present role as a result of age discrimination.

AARP’s report warns that “in order to benefit from age ‘inclusion,’ employers need not only to recognize age bias, but actually “actively” stop it; they need to “bust myths” about older workers, be it that they cost too much or are not tech-savvy; they need to recognize the value that experienced workers bring to the workplace, like their dependability and ability to problem-solve and remain calm under pressure, and they must build and support a multigenerational workforce.”

Final Thoughts

We have worked for years to raise awareness of valuing people in the workforce, regardless of age,” said AARP Rhode Island State Director Kathleen Connell. “This isn’t AARP rhetoric. Data repeatedly proves that age discrimination is not only is unfair to older workers, but something that also has a negative impact on the economy.

“Employers should take advantage of the best talent available without dismissing equally capable employees at a certain age or by choosing not to hire new workers simply because of their age,” Connell added. “Companies with a diverse cultural often laud that as a business asset. That philosophy should not exclude older workers. They can bring experience and wisdom into the mix and should be judged only on their performance.”

For information on AARP workforce-related resources, go to http://www.aarp.employers.

For a copy of AARP’s report, go to http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/econ/2020/impact-of-age-discrimination.doi.10.26419-2Fint.00042.003.pdf.

Herb Weiss

Aging Issues

Tag Archives for Debra Whitman

AARP Says Age Discrimination Robs $850 Billion from Nation’s Economy