A New Day for 50+ Washingtonians
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-11-30 15:10:01.362895-05:00
AARP DC looks forward to working with the new Mayor and Council to improve the experience of aging in the District of Columbia.
At this summer's AARP DC Mayoral Forum, a panel of AARP DC volunteers asked candidates how they would address the issues 50+ residents have told us they care about most. Here's what Mayor-Elect Adrian Fenty had to say.
On increasing long-term care options:
- The future of healthcare is really giving clients the ability to choose - and we want to give clients as many choices as humanly possible.
On expanding the Grandparent Caregiver Subsidy Pilot Project:
- I want to congratulate AARP in bringing this issue to the council 2 years ago. Yes. You absolutely have my commitment that will we continue to expand it until we get to that point where all of the affected grandparents … have all of the resources they need.
On improving the quality of care in District nursing homes:
- (Under a Fenty administration) no longer would the Department of Health get to wait until the budget year to decide whether or not they're meeting all of their goals including the monitoring of our nursing homes. They'll have to do it at least once a week by coming into my office with my city administrators … (until) all of our nursing homes are monitored, they're all in compliance, and the same is true with the rest of the government.
On ensuring that all agencies (not just the Office on Aging) consider the needs of older residents:
- There should be many more agencies that are judged by whether they are spending the dollars of the tax payers well by how they are caring for their seniors — the Department of Health, by how senior's health is improving; the police by how they are engaging seniors in our new volunteer program or protecting them; the Recreation Department, how we are creating more senior opportunities; schools, how we are getting more seniors to volunteer; and obviously housing, how we are providing more affordable housing for our seniors.
On being accessible to AARP and other community groups:
- I'm glad to commit just as I had as council member to frequent meetings with AARP and other senior led organizations to ensure that the government's priorities reflect what our community priorities reflect with regard to seniors.
If you are interested in volunteering with AARP DC to further these issues, please email Louis Davis or call him at (202) 434-7712.
preview