At a recent meeting held in Branford, NH, seniors were addressed by a panel with State Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr. and State Reps. Lonnie Reed and Sean Scanlon. A discussion on the issues facing the elderly today, the event – sponsored by Shoreline Village CT – sought to elucidate the new legislation that impacts the elderly. Much of the meeting was dedicated to responding to questions posed by seniors on all related issues. Given that the event’s sponsor seeks to help the elderly stay in their homes as long as possible, the discussions on enhancing quality of life and independence for elderly followed suit.
Today, California, Oregon, Vermont and Washington have legislation permitting death with dignity for the terminally ill. This issue was discussed and religious beliefs were brought up by Kennedy and Scanlon, alongside the emotional dilemma and the freedom of personal choice. And what was encouraged was for seniors to ensure they had an easily accessible written health document that elucidated their end-of-life wishes, facilitating the process of loved ones. The benefit of the new legislation on this matter is the provision by the state of reimbursing the fee the doctor charges for discussing this issue, making the individual aware of the complexities of treatment that can lengthen the life.
Other issues brought to the table included how to improve transportation services; how to reimburse those family members who become full time caretakers; saving for retirement; staying at home as long as possible, among other issues. The seniors were each gave a 10-page copy of the summary of the 2016 Acts Affecting Seniors.