Elder advocates set legislative priorities
To keep up with the state’s growing elderly population, aging advocates are making affordable independent housing and transportation two of their major priorities for the 2020 General Assembly.
The Georgia Council on Aging and CO-AGE (Coalition of Advocates for Georgia’s Elderly) also will again press lawmakers to increase funding for Home and Community Based Services, such as home-delivered meals and transportation to the doctor. About 7,000 seniors are currently on waiting lists for these services.
The two organizations want to increase affordable living options for seniors. CO-AGE members also are pushing for funds to launch a twoyear pilot program, addressing behavior health needs of older residents in subsidized living communities.
“We are experiencing explosive growth in our older population,” said Vicki Johnson, chair of
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She says she’s taken two intense speech therapy programs (16 sessions in four weeks), and feels that this Parkinson’s Choir has been even more beneficial for her.
“The choir chooses songs that address different types of voice problems,” Goodman says. “For example, we practice with warm-up exercises to expand our lung capacity,” she says.
“The director’s goal is to improve the tone, the pitch and the quality of our voice, and I believe that these singing exercises do just that,” Goodman says.
Picking the songs carefully
“We have very specific goals and objectives that pertain to communication symptoms of Parkinson’s disease,” says music director and licensed music therapist Claire Morison. The vocal warm-ups and the music itself are designed to enhance neurological music therapy techniques, she says.
Impaired speech quality and slowed speech are problems for many Parkinson’s patients. Morison keeps that in mind and “selects music that will help clients improve their breath support, articulation, and tone quality, as well as reinforce muscles that open and close the mouth.”
The members of the choir just enjoy what they are doing, says Morison. Most are too focused on the piece they’re singing to stop and consider how therapeutic the whole process is.
And that’s good, because the choir members are experiencing the music and bonding with one another instead of dwelling on their own individual struggles. “We see an amazing amount of camaraderie within the group and positive social interactions,” Morison says.
Of course, any choir is better off when its members get along. But for these singers, socialization with other patients who understand the disease process is a real benefit.
Goodman encourages other people with Parkinson’s disease to stay involved with the things they care about. In her case, it’s the choir of fellow patients.
“It can be quite a debilitating condition, and attending Parkinson’s choir practices and recitals makes my day brighter,” she says.
“I love to sing, but honestly, I am terrible,” Goodman adds. “I’d never joined a choir or been part of a chorus group before, but when I come to this class, I never feel like I am terrible.”
While she’s modest about her own vocal abilities, she says several people in the choir have “awesome voices.”
“I may never sing like Adele,” says Goodman, referring to the acclaimed British recording artist, “but I am strengthening my voice and improving my quality of life.” the Georgia Council on Aging. “Without more funding and programs, Georgia’s seniors will end up in the lessappealing and more costly option of nursing homes.”
CO-AGE established its 2020 legislative priorities based on voting by its members, including representatives of organizations that work with older adults and seniors. Hundreds participated in the voting which ended Wednesday.
GCOA and CO-AGE members will back a House transportation bill addressing the needs of more than 260,000 Georgians age 70 and older who no longer drive.
“Accessible and affordable transportation is one of the most unmet needs seniors have, and the most requested,” Johnson said. “Not having access to transportation can lead to critical social determinants of health, leading to medical problems, social isolation and depression.”
During the 2019 General Assembly, HB 511 was introduced to supply regional collaboration for transportation resources and create new “Mobility Zones” throughout the state to help older Georgians, especially those in rural areas. The transportation bill was passed in the House and now awaits action in the Senate.
CO-AGE members also voted to support tougher Personal Care Home requirements that address elder abuse, such as increased penalties and sanctions for homes not following existing regulations.
Home and Community Based Services continues to be a top funding priority for GCOA and CO-AGE. More seniors are asking for help with in-home tasks, such as bathing, and dressing, and are looking for programs like respite and adult day care that promote independent living.
In-home care cost a fraction of the cost of a nursing home bed, and in-home services can help delay nursing home care by an average of 51 months.
Funding for a Behavioral Health and Housing initiative would help to keep the independence of residents needing aid in subsidized senior living communities and keep them from having to move into higher levels of care, or from becoming homeless.
The program — which involves providing behavioral health coaches and getting residents to clinicians for treatment — has been successful as a pilot project with the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Area Agency on Aging. With state funding, this service could extend to affordable housing sites in multiple areas of the state.
Creating more affordable senior housing options, such as allowing Medicaid funding to pay for Assisted Living facilities, is another top legislative priority for GCOA and CO-AGE. Currently, 46 states and DC use Medicaid waivers to supply some level of supportive aid for individuals in assisted living.
A House Study Committee on Innovative Financial Options for Senior Living, chaired by Rep. John LaHood, R-Valdosta, will begin meeting in September.