Colorado residents in assisted-living facilities could soon have the same protections in place under federal law at nursing homes.

Senate Bill 154 aims to protect some of the state's most vulnerable residents from being evicted or abruptly discharged, unless the resident needs a higher level of care than the facility can provide.

Mary Fries, volunteer legislative advocate for AARP Colorado, said the number one grievance at assisted-living facilities is improper eviction and inadequate discharge planning.

"Abrupt discharges are a safety issue, especially when a resident has dementia," Fries asserted. "Residents with cognitive impairments are at greater risk of suffering declines when abruptly moved to a new place. Moving is confusing because their environment, routines and support systems change."

The bill would require facilities to provide at least 30 days notice of discharge, and create a transparent appeals and grievance process. The measure also would ensure facility administrators are qualified and increase fines for violations.

Critics pointed out protections for residents already are on the books, and warn increasing fines could put smaller facilities out of business.

Sen. Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, the bill's sponsor, said the measure is necessary because some facilities are getting away with abuse and neglect.

Fries emphasized most residents do not know their rights, because they are buried in hundreds of pages of regulations. She added current fine caps for violations are too low to be an effective deterrent.

"Currently fines, on an annual basis, are capped at $2,000 a year," Fries explained. "Some people feel that this is too low; that fines must be sufficient to deter violations and to deter lax safety practices."

Fries noted fines for violations would be applied based on multiple considerations, including the size of the facility. The measure would also require operators to check Colorado's Adult Protective Services Data System prior to hiring workers responsible for the care and welfare of residents.

The bill has cleared the Colorado Senate and is under consideration by the House Appropriations Committee.

More than 40% of older Michiganders live alone, and studies show the pandemic has exacerbated loneliness for many.

The State of Michigan has renewed a partnership with GetSetUp, an online learning platform, which can help seniors learn how to stay social and connected from home.

Kayla Smith, health promotion and wellness coordinator for the Michigan Bureau of Aging, Community Living and Supports, said the program has supported many older people in getting the hang of Zoom in a safe environment, and from there, all kinds of classes become available.

"There are a lot of classes that focus on health and wellness, and other topics," Smith explained. "Like the Detroit Hustle, which is a Michigan favorite. There are various morning fitness classes, and even a class on decluttering your home."

Smith added Michiganders who want to join the platform can go online to getsetup.io/michigan. If anyone wants to help a family member or friend start their own account, they can visit the website getsetupfriend.com to walk them through the process. The platform can also be accessed at any library, where library staff can answer questions.

Lawrence Kosik, co-founder and president of GetSetUp, started the platform to empower older adults with online learning and virtual education. He noted since the program started, Michigan learners have become educators themselves, teaching other classes on the platform. And in the first year of the partnership with the state, more than 108,000 people signed up.

"That whole peer-to-peer live interactive piece has been really wonderful," Kosik remarked. "And you not only learn the things that you want and need to learn, but you make friends, and you form groups, and you come back and take classes with those friends. So, we like to say that people come for the learning, but often times, they stay for the socialization."

He added GetSetUp was started before the pandemic, but met a key need during those long months of isolation, helping people learn how to do things from ordering groceries and medicines online, to doing their banking and using telehealth.

Through Friday, Maryland is hosting Protect Week, to help protect against elder financial abuse.

That's when someone illegally uses an older adult's assets without permission.

Jacke Schroeder is the director of elder abuse awareness and provides services to the survivors at CHANA in Baltimore. She said sometimes scammers target seniors with reduced mental capacity.

And if they lose their small monthly Social Security checks, it can be devastating.

"They can often end up in the emergency room because they didn't have their medicine, they didn't have food," said Schroeder. "We are spending billions of dollars on medical expenses for people who are ending up in those situations."

Protect Week kicks off on Monday with a virtual event, featuring state Attorney General Brian Frosh and Comptroller Peter Franchot, along with representatives from Adult Protective Services and the Department of Labor.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is Wednesday, June 15. AARP Maryland will also host experts for a tele-town hall then on spotting and stopping problems.

AARP Maryland's Associate State Director of Outreach Jennifer Holz said loved ones should watch for signs - like sudden defensiveness, especially when asked about who they're speaking to on the phone.

"Another one would be an older adult going into a bank with an individual and withdrawing all of their funds from their account," said Holz. "That's very, very unusual. When you start seeing a lot of money missing from accounts, you should definitely be looking out for that."

She said when an older adult starts to experience cognitive decline or an inability to manage their finances, they can be much more vulnerable.

Throughout the week, AARP is hosting paper shredding, to safely dispose of sensitive documents. For more information, or to connect to the online events, go to AARP Maryland's Facebook page.

Ahead of next Tuesday's primary election, new polling shows many Mainers are extremely motivated to vote, and reveals the issues that matter most to them.

More than 90% of Maine voters said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate for Congress who supports protecting Medicare and Social Security from cuts.

Noël Bonam, state director of AARP Maine, which commissioned the poll, noted 88% of voters older than 50 said they plan to vote this midterm election, and said it is a big deal because usually, turnout is low in midterm elections.

"A lot of folks are really concerned about the increasing cost of everything," Bonam observed. "Inflation really came up as the number one issue across the board. Folks are very concerned about increasing costs, they're having to figure out how to pay for food versus gas versus utilities and prescription drugs."

He added with the cost of prescription drugs skyrocketing, many older Mainers take the question of allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices seriously. Among voters surveyed, 91% said they think the federal government should allow negotiations.

Among respondents, 60% said they plan to vote on Election Day, 12% said they'll vote early in-person, and 22% said they plan to vote by mail. Bonam pointed out for more information, voters can go to the Secretary of State's website, or aarp.org/mevotes.

"We want older voters to know how to vote and where to vote," Bonam explained. "And to know the position of the candidates before they vote. And it's also clear that older voters are looking for candidates who are coming to the table with solutions and not just talking about the problems."

According to the survey, Gov. Janet Mills narrowly leads her Republican opponent, former Gov. Paul LePage, 51% to 46%. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat from District Two, narrowly leads former Representative Bruce Poliquin 50% to 43%, and First District Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree leads Republican opponent Ed Thelander 42% to 25%.