Minnesota State Partner Lands Op-Ed!

Congrats to our Minnesota partner, the Minnesota Women's Consortium. Their op-ed is featured in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune and does a terrific job of explaining the Elder Economic Security Initiative!

Marie Nelson and Bonnie Watkins:
Older Women are Struggling in this State

Average incomes are near poverty, which is a poor measure to begin with.

When we talk about elder poverty, we're talking about our mothers and grandmothers. The generation of women now in retirement followed society's rules. They worked hard, usually as parents as well as employees. They saved money. Now, many live on Social Security and perhaps some personal savings or other income.

The average retirement income from all sources for Minnesota women is $12,691, compared with the average for Minnesota men of $24,041.The figure for women is only slightly above the federal poverty guidelines, set at $10,400 for a single person age 65 or older. Could you live on $10,400, or $12,691, this year?

For the complete article, CLICK HERE.

Happy 74th Birthday to Social Security!

Today, WOW celebrates the 74th Birthday of Social Security, the bedrock of economic security for so many elders! Read our official press statement on how Social Security can be strengthened to help more elders make ends meet in their communities.

Helping Elders Meet Their Transportation Needs

Kristen, our Elder Economic Security Initiative intern, writes about the reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Authorization Act and why this piece of legislation is important for elders.

Law makers are discussing opportunities to improve public transit through the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009. The legislation which delegates funding and transportation priorities for the United States is up for reauthorization. This gives advocates an opportunity to let federal policy makers know the importance of having multiple transportation options for older Americans, not only in densely populated areas but in suburbs and rural areas as well.

According to a report by the Surface Transportation Policy Project, over 20 percent of individuals 65 and older in 2004 did not drive due to reasons including their health, personal safety concerns, or lack of automobile access. More importantly, more than half of these non-drivers did not leave their homes on a given day because they did not have access to transportation. Individuals who live in rural areas and suburbs, those without automobiles, and communities of color are most affected by this lack of transportation.

Despite these barriers, elders continue to travel to meet basic needs. In 2001, elders as a whole took 310 million public transportation trips, as stated by the American Public Transportation Association. Doctor visits, trips to family members and friends, and grocery store trips all require adequate access to transportation. The Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index shows just how much it costs elders to meet their transportation needs based on their geographic location. For example, in the city of Minneapolis, MN, transportation costs a single elder $221 per month, and a couple, $390. In rural areas where destinations are farther apart, transportation costs a single elder $251 and a couple, $442!

Transportation advocates are working diligently to provide recommendations to Congress about how transit can best serve the needs of all citizens. Providing options like, “complete streets” that works to increase safe sidewalks and crosswalks will encourage other forms of mobility. In addition, more funding should be delegated to services specifically for older individuals and citizens with disabilities. Currently less than one quarter of a percent of federal transportation funding is given to the Specialized Transportation Program for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities. For transportation to be efficient, it must correspond to its riders’ needs. Older Americans must have affordable and accessible options for mobility in order to age in place.

You can keep track of the National Surface Transportation Bill by clicking here!

Spotlight on Supporting Elders: A Phone Call Makes a Difference

This week, we feature a post from our intern, Alla, on the importance of elder's emotional state during these tough economic times and ways elders can participate in their communities while aging in place with dignity. Stay tuned for an upcoming post next week that will discuss this in greater detail.

Many seniors struggle to make ends meet and suffer from economic hardship. Economic instability is a very serious problem; it often lends to significant stress and emotional vulnerabilitymaking it hard for seniors to enjoy their retirement. Given this, it is very important to check on older adults, especially those living alone, both to make sure their basic needs are met and to offer emotional support.

CheckMates is a program that does just this. CheckMates is a telephone reassurance program of AgeWell Pittsburgh led by seniors themselves. Older adult volunteers make weekly telephone calls to other seniors who may be homebound, isolated and lonely. Volunteers generally donate about an hour each week and make seven to 15 calls.

CheckMates gets some names and phone numbers of potential call recipients from children and concerned neighbors and also uses available demographic studies. While all seniors are eligible to receive calls, CheckMates targets the most vulnerable – people over age 85 living in their communities and assisted living facilities. If a volunteer notices an elder on a call that needs extra assistance, they simply notify a supervisor who will try to find an agency that can meet the individual’s need.

CheckMates illustrates how small things – for example, just a simple phone call once in a while – can make a world of difference for a person who feels lonely and vulnerable. Importantly, CheckMates volunteers are also elders. As a result, the program makes it possible for senior volunteers to feel fulfilled, needed and helpful. CheckMates volunteers often become friends with the people they call, creating a stronger sense of community and emotional support.

For more information about CheckMates, click here to read an article from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

Happy 44th Birthday to Medicare!

This week, we celebrate the 44th birthday of Medicare. Over the past four decades, the program has provided millions of elders with health care coverage. It is important that Medicare be strengthened to meet the needs of all Americans in their later years.

Opportunities to strengthen Medicare include the following:

• Placing a limit on catastrophic expenses
• Closing coverage gaps, such as through the Medicare Part D doughnut hole
• Expanding to younger populations, such as through a buy-in option
  

Data on what it takes elders to make ends meet in their communities, that looks at health and long-term care expenses, is now available through the Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index.

For more information, be sure to read WOW’s press statement on this commemorative week!

Action Alert: Low-Income Families in DC are at Risk - We Need Your Support

As the DC budget process unfolds, Mayor Fenty is proposing to keep the budget balanced by cutting funds to assist struggling families through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Rather than incentivize families to move toward work, the new penalties are likely to push at-risk families into even more dire circumstances, such as homelessness. Currently a family of three receives a TANF grant of $428.00 per month; the Mayor's proposal could result in terminating all support for these families if a parent fails to meet a work requirement without considering the families individual situation.

Why should aging advocates be concerned? Ensuring economic security across the lifespan requires protecting access to income supports for vulnerable families and elders. The proposed TANF cuts in Washington DC would impact the ability of working families to meet today’s basic needs and lend to increased economic vulnerability in late life. We need your help in telling the Mayor how crucial TANF is to so many in the DC area and how his proposal will ultimately hurt his low-income constituents, today and in the future. In these tough economic times, it is important for low-income women and their families to have access to services and supports that will put them on a pathway to economic security.

Support efforts to protect TANF benefits for Washington DC residents by:

1) Adding your organization to a sign-on letter that tells the Mayor why his proposal needs to be revised. Contact Katie Kerstetter (kerstetter@dcfpi.org) by noon on July 29th to sign-on.

2) Attending a meeting with Council Staff on July 29that 1 p.m. in the lobby of the John A. Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC.

3) Signing-on to an online petition organized by Save our Safety Net.

4) Spreading the word and sharing this pertinent information with your professional and social networks.

Thank you!

Questions? Please contact Debbie Billet-Roumell at dbroumell@wowonline.org or call 202-464-1596.

Older American Entrepreneurs

In the economic downturn, unemployment is on the rise, but so is entrepreneurship. According to a new study released by the Kaufmann Foundation last month, older adults age 55-64 have the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity. Older workers are using their skills to create small businesses to generate income.

Many workers are working longer to meet their financial needs. The Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index can serve as a useful financial planning tool for both older adults who want to know what it costs in their communities to get by, and also for younger generations as they look ahead to retirement.

Small businesses are a vital player in our nation’s economy and it will be exciting to see the new products and opportunities that become available due to the innovative ideas of older workers.