Picard honored by senior group
Local lawmaker Roger Picard awarded by AARP
WOONSOCKET – Sen. Roger A. Picard (D-Dist. 20, Woonsocket, Cumberland) won praise on Tuesday for his legislative assistance in helping families support an elder family member at home.
Picard and Rep. Brian P. Kennedy (D-Dist. 38, Hopkinton, Westerly) were honored with the 2016 Capital Caregivers award from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) during a ceremony at the Statehouse.
Kennedy was recognized for his sponsorship of the Telemedicine Coverage Act, a law that provides caregivers easier access to the medical help they need through technology allowing consultations when the patient is not in the doctor’s office. The technology provides another tool to doctors to help patients stay healthy and to recover from illnesses.
Picard’s legislation allows the owner of an owner-occupied single-family home to build an accessory dwelling unit to accommodate a family member 62 or older without having to obtain a special permit from the city or town in which the family is located so long as the plan meets setback and other local building requirements.
Picard said on Tuesday that he favored the legislation because it provides families with another option for keep- ing an elderly family member at home.
“We have a population that is aging and housing can become a critical expense for those who can’t afford to live on their own,” Picard said of his bill.
The law, passed in the last session, streamlines the process for a family to create a residence in their home for a family elder, he said.
“If you want to create an apartment for a family member that is 62 years old or older this will help,” he said.
As for being recognized by the AARP, Picard said he viewed that as “quite an honor” given all the work the AARP does on behalf of seniors.
“They come up with all the possible solutions for the problems facing seniors and they do a lot of work both at the state and national levels to see these things passed,” he said.
The group presented the legislators with their awards in the State Room of the Statehouse.
“AARP thanks these members of the General Assembly for championing passage of legislation that supports caregivers,” Kathleen Connell, AARP Rhode Island state director, said of the awards.
“They provided integral leadership to pass bills in 2016 and helped make the huge responsibilities of family caregivers in Rhode Island a little easier,” she said.
Picard and Kennedy join a group of legislators so honored that includes former Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed, House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello, Sens .Gayle L. Goldin and Joshua Miller, and Representatives Eileen S. Naughton, and Joseph M. McNamara.
Family caregivers carry a huge responsibility, according the AARP’s Public Policy Institute. At various times during a year, an estimated 148,000 Rhode Island care- givers are providing millions of hours of care for aging loved ones and helping them to live independently on their own.
Their care responsibilities can include help with bathing and dressing, meal preparation, managing finances, transportation, grocery shopping and even to provide medical tasks such as wound care, injections and medical management, according to the AARP.