Welcome to The Senior Alliance's advocacy newsletter, COLLOQUY!

This monthly e-mail is a look at the issues, legislation, and policies impacting aging.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer Signs Bills to Create Medication Aides

On Thursday, December 7, 2023, Governor Whitmer signed off on two bills that create a new job position in Michigan’s nursing homes known as “medication aides." Under Public Acts 273 and 274 of 2023, medication aides will be able to dispense routine medications that are prescribed by physicians and prepackaged for skilled nursing facilities. 

Advocates for the new law, originally introduced as House Bills 4923 and 4885, say creating this professional position will combat the current worker shortage in healthcare by freeing up time for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses to focus on other aspects of patient care. Additionally, this position will serve as a career stepping stone for entry-level nurse aides, who are some of the lowest paid in the healthcare industry. When a similar position was created in Ohio, nurse aides who trained to become medication aides earned up to $6 more an hour.

The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) will be responsible for establishing and administering registration, training, and permit programs for medication aides and medication aide trainers. Only nurse aides with at least 2,000 hours of experience in a skilled nursing facility during a two-year period would be permitted to train. The aides will not administer intravenous medications or controlled substances.

The sponsors of the bills, State Rep. Joe Aragona (R-Clinton Township) and State Rep. Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit), are considering proposing similar legislation next year that would expand the role of medication aides to hospitals and other health settings.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer Signs Bill to Protect Vulnerable Adults

On December 14, 2023, Governor Whitmer signed House Bill 4197, a bill to protect Michigan's vulnerable adults from financial exploitation. The bill was sponsored by State Rep. Angela Witwer (D-Delta Twp.) and had officially passed through both chambers as of early November.

Under Public Act 306, brokers-dealers and financial advisors will be allowed to delay the disbursement of a vulnerable adult's funds if they suspect the vulnerable adult is being financially exploited. A vulnerable adult is defined as an adult who, because of mental or physical impairment or advanced age, is unable to protect themselves from manipulative, deceptive, or coercive financial exploitation.

AARP Releases New Report on Food Insecurity and Retirement Savings in Michigan

A new report by AARP explores food insecurity and the availability of workplace retirement savings programs in Michigan, as well as inequalities of retirement access and food security for women and people of color.

Key notes of the report:

• The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn statistical area is estimated to be home to more than half of the older adults struggling with food insecurity in Michigan, or about 75,675 seniors.
• Roughly 30% of U.S. households with individuals over the age of 55 have no retirement savings.
• Michigan ranks in the bottom third of states for the rate of food insecurity among older adults.
• Black Michiganders are three times more likely to experience food insecurity than white Michiganders, with roughly 30.5% of black Michigan residents reporting some form of food insecurity in the past 12 months. That compares to 9.1% of all other races, on average.

Harvard Report on the Future of Housing and Care for Older Adults

The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies released its Housing America’s Older Adults 2023 report in November. The report contains an array of interesting data about the United State's aging demographics and the growing need for assistance to afford housing, in-home care, and more.

Some highlights of the report:

• Nearly 70% of adults who reach age 65 will require long-term care (LTC) services for an average period of three years, and 20% will need care for more than five years.
• Since 2011, the number of renters aged 62 and over eligible for rental assistance reached 5.9 million, an increase of almost 50%.
• In the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metropolitan area, 90% of those 65 years of age and older cannot afford assisted living and 89% cannot afford daily home care.
• Over 30% of older adults are paying more than half of their income for housing in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metropolitan area.
• 41% of those 80 and older live alone, as well as 25% of those aged 65-79.
• The number of older adults experiencing sheltered homelessness increased by 10,000 between 2019 and 2021. The number now stands at a total of more than 60,000 individuals.
• In 2021, the median cost of a home health aide was $27 an hour, and with services typically being purchased at a four-hour minimum, the resulting cost is over $100 per day.
• Nationally, the median wage for home health workers was $14.07 per hour in 2021. Of those workers, mostly women of color and immigrants, 43% relied on public assistance during that year.
• Approximately 623,000 older adults in the U.S. reside in assisted living facilities. Annual costs of these facilities average $63,000 nationwide, but range from $43,000 to $98,000.

To view the full report, a summarized fact sheet, or interactive maps of the U.S., click here.

Advocacy Questions: Please contact Nikki Hartley, Government Relations and Outreach Specialist, with any advocacy or public policy questions via e-mail at nhartley@thesenioralliance.org.

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