TESTIMONY
Cynthia Maurer, Executive Director of Visiting Neighbors, on Enhancing Senior Independence and Interagency Communication
2:00:52
·
3 min
Cynthia Maurer discusses the importance of interagency communication and the role of Visiting Neighbors in supporting senior independence.
- Maurer testifies in support of a law aimed at improving interagency communication, vital for senior care coordination.
- She highlights Visiting Neighbors' efforts to enable seniors to live independently, utilizing volunteers for a range of support services.
- Challenges faced by seniors, such as accessibility issues and navigating automated services, are addressed.
- Maurer emphasizes the necessity of hearing from frontline service providers and advocates for dedicated point persons for senior issues.
- The testimony concludes with a call to change societal narratives around aging, illustrating how a shift in perspective can encourage seniors to embrace aids like walkers and canes.
Cynthia Maurer
2:00:52
Hello.
2:00:53
First of all, I want to thank you for allowing us to say a few words.
2:00:57
We absolutely are visiting neighbors are in support of this law, and also the fact that having interagency communicating with 1 another very vital and it's wonderful to see this work going on, but we know that there's a lot more potential.
2:01:14
I'm Cynthia Bauer.
2:01:15
With visiting neighbors, we're a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping seniors independent and in their own home.
2:01:23
For as long as possible, and we provide variety of support services to do so.
2:01:28
And we utilize volunteers of all ages, so we are probably an amazing intergenerational program in many fronts, a 100, an older We serve majority, mostly the oldest, oldest, oldest.
2:01:43
We've helped people from 60 to a centinarian plus, and we have currently 25 seniors that have hit a 100, and we have a few more comings.
2:01:52
So we are definitely growing older as a population.
2:01:55
We have a couple of concerns when we wanna make sure that organizations like us who are on the front lines in the senior's homes, seeing what's going on are there to be able to make comments and suggestions about concerned, large and small.
2:02:11
Sometimes even for a caregiver, when there's an elevator that's out and they're trying to get their beloved one out to a medical appointment and that person is Elderly, and in a wheelchair, it's impossible to do it, and it's not always easy to reschedule a doctor's appointment, especially if it's urgent.
2:02:28
If a supermarket doesn't have a ramp and seniors need to get in and out, that could be a big concern.
2:02:34
There could be issues with medical billing and it's annoying when you're dealing with automated telephone services to get through.
2:02:42
So we're hearing large concerns big and small.
2:02:46
And basically, every one of them counts and matters.
2:02:50
So it's important to hear from the people doing the direct services and on the front lines.
2:02:57
Also, it's very important to focus on advocacy because we need point persons for these issues.
2:03:06
And if there could be somebody who could or in a group where you call for each individual thing, whether it's a housing problem, whether it's emotional issue, and that would make it really helpful.
2:03:17
I wanna just end on this note, my grandfather used to say to his doctor Now I'm having aches and pains at 80 84, and his doctor would tell him, Leo, I can't make you any younger.
2:03:31
Because younger, I wanna get older.
2:03:34
And that's the goal here is to age well and to have a safer, happier city for our seniors, and thank you for this oversight of all these groups because that's important to tear huts and we're thankful for that as well.
2:03:49
We wanna help seniors change perspectives and see a campaign.
2:03:53
This is one last suggestion.
2:03:55
On aging issues and not just the concern of having seniors that, you know, or looked at in a different way, but also having seniors view themselves in better ways.
2:04:08
We can't tell you how many situations we have where seniors are still using shopping carts instead of walkers and umbrellas instead of canes for going outside.
2:04:19
And when I asked a ninety four year old Sue, why she's doing that.
2:04:22
She goes, I don't wanna look old.
2:04:24
And when we change the narrative and perspective and say, well, we see somebody else who is looking very ground full, being able to do this, all of a sudden, they'll take the chance and use the right mobility equipment.
2:04:38
Or a senior who doesn't you know, think that they can do some walking and gets outside.
2:04:44
And now we have a, you know, ninety year old who's become a power walker and our volunteers can't keep up with us.