House Policy Committee addresses need to bolster support of seniors

WILKES-BARRE — With 3.4 million older adults, Pennsylvania has the fifth-oldest population in the nation, and that number will continue to rise.

On Tuesday, the House Majority Policy Committee convened a hearing at the Queen of the Apostles Parish Hall in Avoca to discuss ways the state can boost support for its senior population.

The hearing was hosted by Rep. Jim Haddock, D-Pittston Township, and Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre.

In addition to Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich, testimony was offered by Mary Schell, deputy director of the Area Agency on Aging for Luzerne and Wyoming Counties; Teresa Osborne, state advocacy director for AARP Pennsylvania; and David Johnson, line manager for CARIE, the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of Elders.

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging helps manage the commonwealth’s 52 area agencies on aging, which serves our older population.

Secretary Kavulich testified about his department hosting more than 200 listening sessions conducted statewide to gather feedback from senior citizens. Those listening sessions resulted in more than 20,000 comment submissions.

Secretary Kavulich detailed the main areas where older Pennsylvanians say they need assistance, including affordable housing, transportation, and community services.

“In just my first term as a state representative, I fought hard to help seniors pinched by rising costs through property tax rebate expansions and lower prescription drug costs,” Rep. Haddock said. “But there’s more we can do to make sure our older adults are properly supported. We gathered vital information from advocates and experts today that shows we need to make continued investments in community services and health care for seniors.”

Rep. Pashinski said many older adults often volunteer in the community, serve as caregivers, and contribute to the local economy.

“We need to make sure we’re properly investing in and taking care of our older adults and keep them at the forefront of our minds when creating policy that will ultimately impact them,” Pashinski said. “We owe it to them to ensure they are safe, financially stable, and have access to care.”

Testifiers also noted the need to protect older adults from various financial scams. They said bad actors are targeting vulnerable older adults through phone calls, email and social media attempting to scam them out of money. This includes updating the Older Adult Protection Services Act.

“Although we recognize vulnerability at all ages, we need to put safeguards in place to protect older adults from falling victims to scams, whether its through education initiatives or stricter penalties for scammers,” said House Majority Policy Chairman Ryan Bizzarro. “It’s no secret that seniors have helped take care of us, so we need to continue to take care of them.”