Seniors Plank

General Preamble

Ventura County Democrats recognize the importance of our seniors, the fastest growing age group in the world.  Seniors are a bridge to our past and our future.  We acknowledge that seniors who are economically secure, who remain in good health and are politically active continue to exert a major influence within our county and beyond. Other seniors are not as fortunate.  We have a responsibility to see that they continue to enjoy a dependable quality of life.

To work on behalf of Ventura County seniors in the following areas, Democrats will:

Statement of Principles

Employment

• Oppose mandatory retirement in occupations where physical or mental ability is not an issue;
  
• Encourage businesses to hire and retain seniors in appropriate positions;
  
• Advocate retraining for seniors who need and/or want to remain in the workforce;
  
• Work to strengthen Social Security and preserve hard-earned pensions as the bedrocks of a dignified retirement;
  
• Reform insurance laws to prevent long-term care insurance companies from defaulting on their contractual obligations and require them to maintain sufficient reserves to do so;
  

Healthcare

• Medicare as the Defined Benefit Plan;
  
• Work toward universal, comprehensive health care, and until that is achieved, advocate for appropriate reforms to the Affordable Health Care Act, particularly as it affects low-income seniors;
  
• Affirm the right of all seniors to manage their healthcare so they may live with dignity in their own homes and communities;
  
• Support increased, stable funding, and expansion of service hours for In Home Supportive Services (IHSS);
  
• Provide earlier testing and treatment for age-related cognitive disorders including Alzheimer’s disease;
  
• Encourage seniors to utilize food banks for those who lack basic, adequate nutrition;
  

Crime/Exploitation

• Investigate and make it a priority to prosecute and enforce all existing penalties for crimes against seniors, including white-collar and financial exploitation schemes as well as elder abuse/neglect issues;
  

Housing

• Encourage local government to increase emergency and permanent low to moderate income, affordable senior housing;
  
• Encourage local government to keep prefabricated manufactured housing communities as an integral component of low to moderate income, affordable senior housing;
  
• Promote and encourage seniors to utilize community-sponsored advocacy organizations  to serve less able members of their senior community by creating volunteer senior-managed programs to sever the isolation of seniors living alone and help prevent self-neglect;
  

Programs Serving Seniors

• Preserve and protect multi-purpose programs that serve low-income seniors such as: VCAAA (Ventura County Area Agency on Aging), Senior Day Care Centers, Ventura County Adult Protective Services, and Senior Meal Programs;
  
• Educate and sensitize staff members of institutions that serve the senior gay, lesbian and transvestite populations to the unique needs of these individuals; and
  

Transportation

• Improve availability of public transportation and other transit services to support seniors so they can travel freely and enjoy a quality lifestyle.