California Democrats are committed to ending systemic ageism in our society, and to recognize the importance of older adults and the diversity of perspective they bring to our society. As the fastest growing age group in the nation, people over the age of 65 are a strong driving force in our collective future and are deserving of respect and dignity. We recognize that people age in different ways with different needs.
California Democrats affirm and support the California Master Plan for Aging’s five goals; Housing for All Stages & Ages, Health Reimagined, Inclusion and Equity, not Isolation, Caregiving that works, and Affording Aging to close the equity gap and increase elder economic sufficiency. We must all have lifelong opportunities for work, volunteering, engagement, education and leadership in order to be protected from isolation, discrimination, abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
To honor older adults, California Democrats will:
- Ensure adequate housing options that are age, disability and dementia friendly as well as climate and disaster ready;
- Affirm the right of all who need it to manage their attendant care allowing them to live with dignity in one’s own home and community;
- Work for additional retraining for those 55 to 65 in order to remain in the workforce, extend unemployment, housing and health care benefits to individuals 55 and older and their immediate families;
- Oppose mandatory retirement;
- Work to expand public transportation and other transit services for those on limited incomes, with or without health concerns, to travel freely and enjoy a good quality of life;
- Support housing security for seniors and adults with disabilities by prioritizing public housing initiatives over privatization;
- Advocate for stronger oversight of reverse mortgage programs;
- Demand greater focus on investigating and prosecuting financial crimes against seniors, and other forms of elder abuse, and that all existing penalties for crimes against seniors be strictly enforced;
- Work toward universal, comprehensive, single-payer health care, and until that is achieved, reform Medicare Part D to make it affordable and easily accessible to people of all income levels, specifically addressing eligibility problems and the private drug plan choices as well as advocating for Medicare to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies;
- Continue to support the delivery of HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program) services to all counties in California;
- Ensure affordable mental healthcare and secure housing for those on fixed or low income;
- Ensure access to quality affordable caregiving when needed;
- Support programs that encourage trained professionals to specialize in senior care by creating rewarding and high quality caregiving jobs;
- Support increased, stable funding, and expansion of service hours for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and residential care, giving consideration to the special challenges in isolated, rural communities;
- Fight to preserve and protect programs serving low-income seniors such as: Adult Protective Services, Senior Community Employment, Multipurpose Senior Service Programs, Alzheimer’s Day Care Resource Centers, Home- Delivered Meals, Long Term Care Ombudsman, California Senior Legal Hotline, renter’s assistance, homeowner property tax discount assistance, and property tax postponement;
- Ensure that all seniors have economic security;
- Support Medicare as a guaranteed right;
- Support legislation to remove the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) income limit so all wage earners contribute to Medicare and Social Security;
- Push to strengthen Social Security and preserve hard-earned pensions as the bedrock of a dignified retirement; and,
- Advocate for maintaining Social Security Field Offices so that beneficiaries can access services in a timely and easy manner.
