By Alexandra Newman
Throughout my time working at Area Agency on Aging (AAA), I have met many wonderful people who credit us with helping them to stay living independently in their homes.
Just last week I spoke with a woman, Julie, who cares for her 90-year-old aunt. She told me, “Following a serious illness that required surgery and a lengthy stay in a nursing facility, my aunt’s greatest wish was to return home. Without the support of the Area Agency on Aging, that would not have been possible. Your services have allowed her to live independently with dignity, which is something no family members alone could provide.”
Julie lives 45 minutes away and isn’t able to be there for her aunt’s daily needs. That’s where an in-home caregiver, a fall button, home delivered meals, and the connection to AAA’s vast network of home and community-based service providers come in.
One of the common questions I get asked is: how are you funded to be able to provide these services?
The short answer is that our programs are supported through a mix of health insurance reimbursement, grants, contracts, private donations, and public funding under the Older Americans Act and Older Michiganians Act and are therefore closely tied to policy and budget decisions made by elected officials.
This Monday, April 13, kicks off nonpartisan Advocacy Season for us and our partners around the state of Michigan.
We are holding our 19th Annual Tri-County Legislative Forum from 2-4 p.m. at the Campus for Creative Aging, 2920 Lakeview Ave., St. Joseph.
This free community event creates an opportunity for residents and elected state officials to engage in conversation about policy priorities affecting older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers in Michigan, including:
- Rebalance State Medicaid Expenditures to Support Home and Community-Based Services
- Increase Access to Non-Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services
- Modernize and Enhance Access to MI Choice
- Support Unpaid Family and Informal Caregivers
Set to attend the Forum on April 13 are Representatives Joey Andrews (D-District 38) and Steve Carra (R-District 36), and Senator Jonathon Lindsey (R-District 17). Legislative staff for Senator Aric Nesbitt (R-District 20) are also scheduled to attend. Representatives from all state and national legislative districts covering Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties are invited to attend.
AAA leaders do a lot to advocate for these issues, attending policy briefings and office hours in Lansing and Washington D.C., but elected officials respond in a more immediate and personal way to individual constituents.
Your advocacy helps your legislators understand how policies affect real people in the communities they serve. It is this ‘voice of the voter’ that can make the issue real for legislators and have a big impact on decisions made.
While AAA will supply some client stories and impact statistics at the Forum on Monday, having you there to support the work we do, and as time allows, speak directly to your legislators, brings the importance of these issues alive.
“Programs like this are far more than convenience; they are lifelines that preserve independence, reduce healthcare cost, and honor the values of compassion and community care,” Julie said.
And if you can’t make it to the forum, there are a number of other ways you can get involved in Advocacy Efforts in the next few weeks.
Sign a letter of support
Visit www.areaagencyonaging.org/advocacy and submit an electronic letter of support or download, print, and return your letter to us. We take these letters with us to Older Michiganians Day and hand them directly to your specific elected officials.
Attend Older Michiganians Day
Older Michiganians Day is set for Wednesday, May 13 at the Michigan State Capitol. This event shines a light on the platform topics above, and gives people from all across Michigan an opportunity to meet with their elected officials and hear from Leaders in Aging.
AAA is taking a bus to the event and you’re invited to sign up to ride the bus for free with us! We will have three pickup spots in Dowagiac, St. Joseph and South Haven that morning. Lunch is provided. You can register at www.areaagencyonaging.org/advocacy.
Can’t make it to Lansing? You can join us from 10 a.m. to noon at the Campus for Creative Aging for a Live Stream Watch Party of the Older Michiganians Day presentation from Lansing. You can also find the link to watch from your home at https://areaagencyonaging.org/advocacy/.
We hope you’ll consider lending your support for these important issues impacting the quality of life of older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers in Southwest Michigan and all across the state and country. Your voice is important. Advocacy takes us all.
The Generations column appears each weekend in The Herald-Palladium.