Seniors Economic Roundtable

On May 26 the Seniors Task Force hosted our first roundtable on Seniors and the Economy. Collaborating with advocacy organizations and think tanks, the roundtable provided an opportunity to present ideas on how to improve our outreach to and policies for aging Americans.

It was obvious from the roundtable that the recession continues to weigh on the minds of aging Americans, even as we have seen recent signs of growth. Older Americans have seen their retirement and savings depleted. They face barriers to entering the workforce, from age discrimination to transportation challenges getting to and from work. And they are increasingly caring for ailing spouses, while at the same time financially supporting their own children and grandchildren. America’s seniors are juggling more responsibility than ever before, and they need help.

Yet aging Americans also bring unique assets to the economy and to our communities, as was made clear by many of the organizations present. Worker reliability, institutional knowledge, volunteerism, and civic engagement – this is the message that we need to take with us as we move forward in our work.

Over the months ahead, we look forward to continuing the work of the Seniors Task Force. We will soon announce this summer’s calendar of events, which includes drill-down sessions on the topics that were raised during our roundtable. Livable communities, improving long-term care, workforce support, and increasing seniors’ access to technology – these issues and others will be explored in-depth, and will provide an opportunity to build upon the work of this Congress for our nation’s seniors.