Respecting your elders is a timeless virtue. In fact, when it comes to honoring your own folks, God issued it as the Fourth Commandment (not the "Fourth Recommendation").
We all have people who are older than us who have sacrificed for us, taught us and loved us.
We want them to be treated well.
And, when it comes to your own parents be very careful ... your own children are watching.
It appears North Carolina Senior Tar Heel legislature (NCSTHL) agrees.
As reported by the Salisbury (NC) Post in “Senior legislature seeks to improve conditions for older adults,” the legislature recently met one last time for this year to make some decisions directly impacting its elderly citizens.
After discussing budget cuts and the urgency of protecting seniors, the lawmakers adopted five priorities from the 42 resolutions submitted in 2016.
What are these five priorities?
Despite budget cuts, they agreed to:
Increase Home and Community Care Block Grant funding.
What will this accomplish?
The grants help provide the elderly with community-based aging services while being cost-effective.
The current waiting list for this includes about 10,000 individuals.
Increase funding for senior centers.
As the population ages, these will be in higher demand.
Fund the Adult Protective Services program.
With more than 24,000 reports of abuse, exploitation or neglect, strengthening such programs is vital.
Resurrect the Study Commission on Aging.
By doing so, the government will have an accurate picture of current services and how to better meet the needs of the elderly population.
Increase the scope of Project CARE (Caregiver Alternative to Running on Empty).
The CARE program gives a break to those providing care to a relative with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition to voting, the committee heard from several experts regarding the senior population of North Carolina.
According to these speakers, more than 3,800 cases involving long-term care facilities were resolved in 2015 and about 30 percent of seniors suffer from malnutrition.
With numbers like these, the legislature committed to making their elderly citizens a priority.
The Tar Heel state is not only respecting but taking concrete steps to love, serve and protect its senior citizens.
Remember: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When making your financial, tax and estate plans, do not go it alone. Be sure to engage competent professional counsel.
Reference: Salisbury (NC) Post (October 10, 2016) “Senior legislature seeks to improve conditions for older adults”
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