State Representative Candidates Talk About How to Help Senior Citizens

This is a series asking the six state representative candidates, running for the 10th Suffolk District seat, about issues like education, helping seniors citizens and how to help local businesses. The primary election is on Sept. 14. There are no other candidates besides the six in the Democratic primary.

Question: Statistically West Roxbury is the oldest community with many seniors trying to stay in their homes as rising taxes affect them. What would you do at the State House level to help seniors stay in their homes?

Pamela Julian: I support a progressive income tax, which would act as a circuit breaker for seniors and working families, saving them money without costing the state. I also support the "Community First" Olmstead Plan released by Governor Patrick, which helps provide community resources for seniors and other citizens who would like to live independently but need some form of assistance. This is an example of a public-private partnership and funding mechanism; I would like to see more of these types of solutions.

In addition, I support a single-payer heath care system. Health care and prescription drug costs are among the highest expenses that seniors face. As long as health care is a private sector product, these costs will continue to sky rocket. A single payer health care system will reduce costs for seniors and for all citizens. If single payer is not politically possible, I would support a system that creates a public option for health care, while allowing residents who want to keep their private insurance to do so.

Health care is an issue that is deeply important to me, which is why I am hosting an informal forum with Dr. Patricia Downs Berger, single payer health care policy expert, on Friday, September 10^th at 7 pm at the VineRipe Grill at Putterham Meadows. I would be happy to discuss this with any interested parties at that time.

Ed Coppinger: After a lifetime of work, raising a family and making valuable contributions to our community, seniors should not have to be worried about how they are going to pay their energy bills, afford their health care, or stay in their home. As State Representative, I will join efforts to expand the eligibility for the senior circuit breaker tax credit and perhaps more importantly, I will work with the state's revenue department to improve outreach efforts so that more eligible seniors become aware of their opportunity to enroll in this important, but currently underutilized, tax relief program.

Another way to help seniors on fixed incomes stay in their homes is to help ease their other financial burdens, including energy and health care costs. Even at the record appropriations levels passed by Congress in the last two years, demand for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assistance continues to exceed funding. As State Representative, I'll work with the Massachusetts delegation to maximize funding for this important program and also support measures that allocate state funding to supplement LIHEAP.

For many seniors, having affordable home health care allows them to stay in their home. That's why I'm a strong supporter of home health care and will work with legislators at both the state and federal level to shore up funding for home health care. In addition, I support measures to amend MassHealth in order to allow for a person providing care to a spouse to be treated as a paid caregiver.

Kelly Tynan: If elected as State Representative, I will be proactive and not reactive to senior issues in our neighborhood. Providing for our aging neighbors and family members will be a leading priority for me. This is why I will file legislation to create public funding for a neighborhood-based NORC WOW program (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) and I will publicly advocate for a neighborhood based NORC designation for West Roxbury.

With this NORC designation, West Roxbury will be more advantageous in seeking access to services to aid those needing assistance, thereby retaining the highest quality of life for all residents as they age. Allowing seniors to age in their home is one-third the cost of institutionalized care.

NORC programs around the country, for a nominal fee, offer such amenities as chore service, informational and referral assistance, entitlements counseling, case assistance and management, public health nursing and chronic care management, emergency and preventive health-care programs, health screenings and health education, continuing education programs, meal programs, information and counseling, outside maintenance and referral services, social and recreational activities, and transportation and adult day programs. Programs like these respond to changing needs over time and promote independence and healthy aging while engaging seniors before a crisis develops.

Allowing our seniors to age in place will save taxpayers money, but most of all it will allow our neighbors to age comfortably in their homes, which they deserve.

Bob Joyce: Seniors rightfully want more than just to "stay in their homes." And what seniors really want is not just what is economically good for them, but what is good for their children and grandchildren. It is undeniable that terribly stressful economic issues are rendering many middle-aged residents unable to give the time and attention they would like to give to their aged parents and other seniors.

As a 10th Suffolk District representative, I would work to free up time for children to spend with their aged parents. This can only be accomplished with a much stronger economy. I am the only candidate in this race calling for lower taxes and for stopping our first in the nation per person ranking for state debt.

Following this common sense approach, as the late President John F. Kennedy believed, will stimulate the economy and job growth. This will inure to the benefit of seniors and their children and grandchildren.

Seniors, like all of us, want to be loved without being a burden on others. Strengthening our economy will help us free up time so that we can voluntarily and lovingly attend to our seniors.

Matt Benedetti: I certainly think we need to contue support progams like Ethos in Jamaica Plain that enhance seniors' quality of life. Or programs with visitors to seniors homes. Seniors don't want to necessarily depend upon people, but if we can create an environment that allows them to live in their homes, but also make sure they're safe and comfortable. Seniors worked very hard throughout their lives they're faced with a position that they can't earn additional income. We have to be careful about pension reform, I think there are some abuses, but we have to take a look at seniors who worked hard, we have to make sure how we look at these pensions. They've earned these pensions and they deserve them.

Paul Sullivan: I think it's important that seniors age in place and those who choose to stay in their home have every right to do it. I'd be willing to fight for homecare funding. After doing my own research it's of the utmost important at the state level to fight for homecare funding. Any sort of property tax break that I can put forth for seniors I would definitely fight for that.