A Cleveland man's crusade to help Ohio families better protect their loved ones in nursing-home care from abuse and neglect will soon come to fruition.
Esther's Law goes into effect March 23. It allows patients in Ohio long-term care facilities to install cameras or other electronic monitoring devices in their rooms.
Steve Piskor, founder of Elderly Nursing Home Abuse Advocates, explained the measure is named after his mother, whom he said suffered abuse at the hands of eight nursing-home workers in 2011.
"I would have never known that the abuse was going on if I didn't put a camera in," Piskor recounted. "One aide went to prison for 10 and a half years; one aide went to jail for six months; three aides were fired, and three aides were disciplined. And the nursing home was fined $357,000."
Since then, Piskor has been advocating to allow the use of cameras in nursing homes. Under Esther's Law, the resident or their guardian is responsible for the cost of the device, as well as installation, maintenance and removal. There were an estimated 15,000 reports of abuse, neglect or exploitation of adults over age 60 in Ohio between 2017 and 2018.
About one in ten caregivers handles those care-giving responsibilities long-distance.
Veronica McCreary-Hall, advocacy volunteer for AARP Ohio, said she drove more than 30 minutes, five to seven days a week, to visit her father in a nursing facility. She believes electronic monitoring would have brought her peace of mind.
"Every time I left, he would always look so sad and say, 'I hate to see you go,'" McCreary-Hall recalled. "It would have been absolutely wonderful for both of us to know that we could see each other, and that I knew exactly what was going on with him."
McCreary-Hall noted COVID-19 underscored the importance of the measure, when nursing-home facilities had to restrict visitations for months on end.
"People who are in facilities, a lot of them cannot advocate for themselves," McCreary-Hall pointed out. "Esther's Law will make so many people comfortable and feel safe, not only on the end of the facility, but also on the end of the loved one."
Piskor encouraged families to start the process of getting a camera installed now.
"Make sure you get a good camera," Piskor urged. "There's a good variety of cameras out there today. And nursing homes are required to let you use their public Wi-Fi, if they have it. And internet providers, they do offer free and low-cost Wi-Fi for people that are low-income and people that are on Medicaid."
Esther's law passed with unanimous support. Ten other states have similar laws, and Piskor said he hopes to see more. A ceremonial signing of the bill, scheduled for this week, was delayed due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.
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Oregonians have saved nearly $350 million for retirement through OregonSaves, a program allowing employees without workplace plans to automatically contribute to an individual retirement account.
Now, more than 60% of Oregon workers have access to a retirement savings plan, one of the highest rates in the country.
Bandana Shrestha, state director of AARP Oregon, said the group helped launch OregonSaves in 2017, the first program of its kind in the nation.
"It really is very wonderful that we were able to innovate and lead the country in a program that's so meaningful and so impactful," Shrestha emphasized. "I hope that people really take advantage of it."
Although more than 1 million private sector workers across the country have enrolled in state retirement savings programs, research shows nationwide one in five Americans over age 50 has no retirement savings.
Ryan Mann, executive director of the Oregon Treasury Savings Network, which oversees OregonSaves, said research shows people are 15 times more likely to save when it happens through a payroll deduction at their job.
"OregonSaves is attempting to fill that gap by providing a free way for employers to help their employees save," Mann explained. "Once they're enrolled in the program, an easy way for the workers to have it happen automatically."
Shresthra said retirement savings are not only important for individuals, they can also alleviate some of the financial pressures extended family or friends may feel who are providing care as people age, which can be costly.
"It gives you choices," Shresthra pointed out. "Both in terms of how you lead your life, but also how you are able to extend generosity and to give to your community, to your family. "
Research shows women, people of color and lower-wage workers are all less likely to have access to a traditional retirement account, and Mann said OregonSaves is designed to help close intergenerational wealth gaps. State residents can sign up and find more information at OregonSaves.com.
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Pennsylvanians over age 50 are voicing concerns about the Department of Government Efficiency plans to cut 7,000 jobs from the U.S. Social Security Administration as part of its efforts to shrink the federal government and curb what it describes as waste and fraud.
More than one in five Pennsylvanians get monthly Social Security payments, according to AARP, almost 3 million people.
Nora Dowd Eisenhower, volunteer state president of AARP Pennsylvania, said all the changes have left many beneficiaries confused and worried about potential office closures, employee layoffs and reduced services.
"We are working to make sure that Americans receive the Social Security they have worked hard for and paid for over their entire working lives," Dowd Eisenhower emphasized.
Social Security benefits contribute almost $63 billion a year to Pennsylvania's economy through retirement, survivors and disability payments, according to AARP, all of which boost consumer spending, business sales, and job creation across the state.
Dowd Eisenhower pointed out the Social Security Administration had planned big changes to its phone services in March that would have caused delays and hassles but the decision was reversed this month after intense pushback. She noted AARP members have long been vocal about the need for better customer service from the Social Security Administration.
"Last year, four out of five older Americans, across party lines, supported increased funding for the Social Security Administration as a way to improve customer service," Dowd Eisenhower reported.
President Donald Trump's senior adviser Elon Musk claims Social Security could be cut by $500 billion to $700 billion without reducing benefits.
Dowd Eisenhower added AARP is urging Congress to make sure the Social Security Administration makes payments on time, as it has for nearly 90 years, and provides quality customer service by phone, online and in person.
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Back-and-forth decisions on Social Security policies have created confusion, which may leave some Virginians more vulnerable to scams.
Last month, the Social Security Administration announced in-person or online appointments would be required to sign up for benefits, instead of customer support by phone. The decision has now been reversed.
Jim Dau, state director of AARP Virginia, said the changes give con artists room to come up with new scams. He noted they often start with a phone call, text or email about something "urgent." If you receive such communication saying it is from the Social Security Administration, Dau warns, it is a scam.
"This is the perfect kind of recipe for financial predators to step in and escalate Social Security scams to defraud beneficiaries of their money," Dau stressed. "Social Security scams are effective in this kind of environment -- where people are getting information from here, and bits of information from here -- where we are going to see more and more Social Security scams."
Trump's billionaire adviser Elon Musk has said Social Security has "massive" amounts of fraud, but a review by the Social Security Administration's Inspector General has found the agency has made improper payments less than 1% of the time.
More than 1.6 million Virginians receive Social Security benefits. Dau emphasized the monthly income is a lifeline to people across the Commonwealth. He added the administration's initial changes which would have required people to sign up for benefits in person would have negatively affected seniors.
"The prospect of having to go to an in-person meeting at your local Social Security office, hopefully get there on time at a point where the line isn't too long and you have a reasonable chance of actually seeing somebody that day," Dau outlined. "And of course, hopefully your Social Security office is open that day - or at all anymore."
The administration has announced lease terminations of nearly 4% of Social Security field offices. An analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities finds nine percent of Virginia seniors already live more than 45 miles from the nearest office.
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