Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Visits Akwesasne, Discusses Master Plan on Aging

By Isaac White.

On Thursday, April 6, New York junior senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D) made an historic visit to Akwesasne, marking a significant event in the community's history. Senator Gillibrand visited the Senior Center and the Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club, speaking at both venues and focusing on her Master Plan on Aging, which aims to improve the well-being and care of senior citizens across New York and nationally.

The event at the Senior Center began with opening remarks from Chief Michael Connors, who commented this was the first time in recent memory a sitting U.S. Senator had visited Akwesasne. Connors expressed gratitude and acknowledged the presence of various community leaders and members, including representatives from the tribal council, the Senior Club, and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, as well as visiting officials from outside the community.

Senator Gillibrand took the opportunity to discuss her Master Plan on Aging during her address at the Senior Center. The plan is a comprehensive effort to improve the care and quality of life for seniors across New York and the United States.

Senator Gillibrand emphasized the challenges facing seniors and those who work to care for and advocate for elders during her visit to Akwesasne. "We have been talking about our challenges seniors have been facing for a long time. We understand that for older Americans there are a lot of impediments in place to getting the healthcare you need, to getting the services you need," said Gillibrand.

Gillibrand's Master Plan on Aging is, according to the Senator, an effort to truly improve the lives of senior citizens. She stated, "To really show older Americans that we not only care about them, we want them to not just survive, but to thrive."

The first part of the five-point plan includes a strategy to guarantee that seniors have access to healthy meals. Speaking in the hall of a facility that provides those meals and services was an opportunity to highlight the need for such venues, as Gillibrand praised the Senior Center for providing meals to Akwesasne's elders and further emphasized the crucial role of such facilities. She noted that some seniors are unable to prepare their own meals due to various reasons, making centers like the Senior Center vital resources for these individuals.

Senator Gillibrand pointed out that providing meals for seniors is not the sole benefit of having a place where meals are served. She also highlighted the importance of providing seniors with a place to gather and share those meals. "Being able to come together at a senior center like this makes a huge difference," she told the audience at the event.

A proposed farm bill was mentioned during her speech, as Gillibrand explained that the legislation could greatly contribute to ensuring that seniors have enough to eat and reduce concerns about food insecurity. In addition, she touched upon the expanded role food banks would play if the new legislation were to be passed in a divided House and Senate.

Gillibrand's Master Plan on Aging places a strong emphasis on healthcare, including affordable access to prescription medications for seniors. She mentioned the recent passage of a bill that allows Medicare to negotiate lower prices for five commonly used medicines. Although this number is small, Gillibrand touted it as a significant achievement. The senator also mentioned a cap on seniors' medication expenses at $2,000 per month and a $35 maximum cost for insulin, both aimed at reducing seniors' financial burdens.

Gillibrand further advocated for the expansion of Medicare coverage to include hearing, vision, and dental care. "They've always been left out, they're very expensive and you need to be able to see and hear and have a healthy mouth so that you can live and be able to participate in your community. So, it's essential we get those things included," she said.

Financial well-being for seniors was another key topic in Gillibrand's speech. "We're going to make sure that older adults have economic security in their retirement. That means they have money so that they can support the resources they need," she said. There was no mention of increasing Social Security benefits or the ever-increasing threats by Republican lawmakers to end the retirement social safety entirely.

The senator discussed general efforts to combat scams targeting seniors, such as the notorious IRS fraud schemes and criminals impersonating their grandchildren to extract money from them with Gillibrand stating that seniors are often targeted because they possess wealth.

The senator specifically called out Russian and Indian criminal organizations as some of the perpetrators behind these scams and mentioned a new bill aimed at creating more resources to address these issues. No specific details about the bill were provided during her speech.

Gillibrand then discussed the concept of aging in place, which refers to senior citizens' ability to stay in their own homes as they age. Home health aides play a crucial role in elders' rights to remain in their homes, and the senator emphasized their importance in her Master Plan on Aging. "We want to increase the pay for home health aides. They don't get paid enough so we don't have enough of them," Gillibrand explained.

The senator also addressed the issue of family members who perform home health aide duties without pay, which prevents them from contributing to Social Security. Gillibrand's plan aims to rectify this situation, enabling family members to care for their elderly loved ones without sacrificing their own retirement benefits. Although this provision is not currently law, the Senator claims it is a goal in her Master Plan on Aging.

Gillibrand's final point centered on housing and transportation infrastructure for seniors. She aims to ensure that seniors everywhere can move freely to lead fulfilling lives. Additionally, Gillibrand touched on age discrimination in the workplace, asserting that seniors who wish to continue working often face challenges. She indicated that she is collaborating with a Republican colleague to address this issue.

Lora Lee La France, Director of SRMT OFA, stated, "Our mission at the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Office for the Aging is to provide excellent service to seniors by promoting: health, happiness, an active lifestyle, engagement, independence, and long life. On a day to day basis we see how the challenges Senator Gillibrand discusses impact elders in our community. A Master Plan for Aging at both the State and Federal level will us help meet the needs elders have today, but also ensure future generations of elders a choice of dependable and affordable services that meet their needs."

Chief Michael Connors spoke to Indian Time and said, "We're happy to have Senator Gillibrand here today. It was an historic day, we believe it is the first time a sitting Senator has been on the territory of Akwesasne. She's a champion for Indian country and obviously today she's a champion for seniors and as we'll see she's a champion for youth as well. We're honored to have her in the community."

Sub-Chief Agnes Jacobs commented, "It's an historic honor to have Senator Gillibrand here. All the work she's been doing, she's taking into account our elder population and she's going to visit the Boys and Girls Club."

Gillibrand continued her tour of Akwesasne with a stop at the Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club, delivering some brief comments.

In a quote to Indian Time Chief Michael Connors said, "All were honored to host Senator Gillibrand at the AB&GC. Senator Gillibrand has shown her commitment to Akwesasne's youth with her approval (along with Senator Schumer) of a $1 million donation to the AB&GC Capital project campaign. With the Senator's dedication, our youth, who are our future, are that much closer to their new building. Tribal Council thanks the Senator, as we have been cultivating this relationship for year and are seeing positive results."

Senator Gillibrand's complete Master Plan On Aging is available at https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/press-releases/