FEATURE
Preparing for Our Golden Years BY KIM BIANCO MAJERI ON BEHALF OF THE NAD-DSA TASK FORCE ON AGING The number of Americans that are 65 years old or older is expected to nearly double from 52 million people in 2018 to 95 million in 2060. By 2030, people aged 65 or older will be 20% of the population. Life expectancy has increased from age 68 in 1950 to age 79 in 2017 and continues to increase. Currently, there are approximately 78 million people in the “Boomer” generation and 83 million people in the “Millennial” generation. With waves of people getting older and living longer, our thoughts often turn to issues facing our Deaf Seniors population. One of the greatest challenges facing Deaf people is access. Access to healthcare, access to facilities, access to communication and access to information. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and Deaf Seniors of America (DSA) formed a Task Force on Aging workgroup as a result of a motion proposed at the 2018 NAD Conference that became one of the top priorities for the NAD to work on during 2018-2020. The task force is comprised of people from the NAD, DSA, Gallaudet University, Council de Manos, and Deaf Women United. NAD-DSA Task Force on Aging: Priorities The task force identified three priorities: a) update our online senior resources, b) develop three checklists, and c) update our lists of range of housing choices such as assisted living, nursing homes, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) apartments and so on.
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A. Online senior resources We have an online webpage dedicated to a list of resources for deaf senior citizens – it is currently being revamped: nad.org/seniors/senior-resources. This page will be an on-going project, with information updated as we receive it. B. Checklists After much discussion and research, the task force decided to develop three checklists to support the decision-making process in preparing for the future: 1. Personal – “All About Me,” helps deaf seniors gather all of the important information and documents and recommends keeping them in one place. Oftentimes people keep important documents in different locations and they do not write down where they put them. This checklist may also assist you in determining if you are missing any items, as you read through the list. 2. Access to Living Spaces – “Residential Facilities,” lists accessibility considerations to keep in mind when considering moving to a skilled care or assisted living facility, or in staying in your own home. It allows a person to evaluate whether that facility is an appropriate fit. 3. Caregivers – lists some of the expected duties and qualities of a caregiver. This checklist may be used to help determine if you or a loved one needs a caregiver and can assist in the interviewing process. The checklist also can serve as a guide to someone who may wish to become a caregiver. There is also information on training requirements for becoming caregivers in individual states.
