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.

As Michigan's senior population steadily increases, the need for communities that prioritize their well-being becomes more critical.

With nearly 2 million people in the state aged 65 and older, it's vital to ensure they have the resources and support systems in place to thrive in their later years.

In response, AARP Michigan, along with the World Health Organization, has created the Network of Age-Friendly Communities - a five-year program that develops and renews action plans to support aging populations, using what they call the eight domains of livability.

Sadie Shattuck, communications analyst for AARP Michigan, explained what they are.

"Those eight domains," said Shattuck, "are outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, civic participation and employment - communication and information, respect and social inclusion, social participation, health services and community support, and housing."

AARP stresses that safety is also at the top of the priority list for senior living.

Their communities should create a protective environment where they feel secure, both in their homes and out in the community.

AARP's Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities provides expert resources to help local and state leaders improve housing, transportation, and public spaces for aging in place.

Michigan is one of 11 states in the network, with a dozen participating communities, along with the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Shattuck emphasized that the goal is to create livable communities for all ages, not just seniors.

"I've talked to committee members from communities in Michigan that are part of the Network," said Shattuck, "that range from college students all the way up to someone who's in their 90s and is retired."

Statistics show that the majority of seniors live independently in private homes or apartments.

AARP Nebraska has increased its focus on educating people about cryptocurrency scams.

A measure tightening restrictions on crypto kiosks, often used by criminals trying to divert money, could face a vote in the state legislature as soon as today. Legislative Bill 609 requires operators of cryptocurrency kiosks, which operate a lot like ATMs, to be licensed under the state's Money Transmitters Act.

Jina Ragland, associate state director for AARP Nebraska, said the bill fits perfectly with the organization's savings and financial resilience initiative for the month of March, focusing on guarding against criminals who carry out financial scams.

"We know fraudulent activity targeting older Americans specifically is on the rise and even here in the state of Nebraska," Ragland reported. "A lot of that financial resilience and that education is learning about perpetrators of financial crimes."

Fraudsters typically foist romance scams on their victims, pose as government officials or offer phony online investment opportunities. Victims are often 50 years old or older. Ragland noted typically, if something appears too good to be true, it often is.

Ragland pointed out AARP Nebraska has advocated for tougher cryptocurrency kiosk regulation for several years and reminded older consumers not to overreact when they are presented with a crisis, even when it seems like time of is of the essence.

"Even in the heat of a moment when you feel emotionally involved and caught up, we always tell people 'Just stop and pause and step back from the situation,'" Ragland advised. "There is no situation no matter how dire it is that has to be solved in that immediate moment."

The city of Omaha has taken crypto kiosk regulation a step further. Businesses operating the machines have to post a written notice warning consumers of the potential fraud risks that accompany using them.

For many Mississippians, saving for retirement feels out of reach. Nearly 48% of private-sector workers in the state lack access to employer-sponsored retirement plans, leaving them with little to no savings for their later years.

AARP Mississippi is advocating for a solution with Senate Bill 2861, a state-facilitated retirement savings program which could help thousands of workers secure their futures. The bill would create an optional workplace retirement savings program for private-sector employees. Workers could opt to contribute a portion of their paycheck into a Roth IRA, with the state treasurer's office managing the program.

Kimberly Campbell, state director for AARP Mississippi, said the program is designed to help those who need it most, particularly moderate to lower-income individuals.

"They are not saving, and then that sector is also the sector later on that financially struggles the most, and they can't afford health care, they can't afford to live in safe places, they can't afford healthy food," Campbell outlined. "This program would help them build a nest egg for the future."

Critics argued the state should prioritize incentivizing private employers to offer retirement plans rather than creating a government-run program. However, a 2023 report from the National Institute on Retirement Security found that 57% of working-age Americans have less than $5,000 saved for retirement.

The bill has gained bipartisan support and is part of a multiyear effort by AARP Mississippi to address the state's retirement savings gap. Campbell emphasized the program would be entirely voluntary.

"It is not mandatory," Campbell stressed. "Our bill is that people would be able to opt into this if they are so inclined because research has shown us that entities that have a retirement savings program, by and large, more people will save that way than if not."

Advocates warned Mississippi's low retirement savings and aging population, of which more than 16% of residents are 65 or older, make the issue urgent. AARP Mississippi is pushing lawmakers to act, as the bill must clear the House Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committee today or it will die. Its companion bill in the House has already failed.