By Geralyn Magan
The winter issue of Generations examines politics, policy, and America’s aging (and changing) population.
How will an increasingly diverse older population fare in America’s current and future political landscape? That’s the question 7 experts in the field of aging tackle in the winter issue of Generations, the journal of the American Society on Aging (ASA).
Robyn Stone, co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, is a guest editor of the “Politics and Aging” issue, along with Robert B. Hudson, a professor of social welfare policy in the School of Social Work at Boston University.
AGING POLITICS
Hudson leads off the issue with his take on “Aging Politics in the Age of Trump.” Older adults ushered in the era of Trump, and still skew conservative, he writes. But the older population’s conservative leaning is likely to change as the diversity of this older cohort becomes more pronounced.
Elders are already far from a homogeneous demographic, according to Hudson.
“They exhibit disparities in well-being along multiple dimensions, often exceeding those found among younger populations,” he writes. “These clashing political and population realities—formidable political standing mixed with widespread social and economic deprivation—have transformed and muddied our understanding of the place of older Americans in today’s politics.”
Hudson shines a light on what he calls the “contrasting realities” of the older population. “Advantaged elders” will fare well under prevailing political conditions, he predicts, while “dependent elders” will not fare as well in the face of Medicaid cuts, work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and cuts to the Social Security Disability Insurance program.
IMMIGRATION POLICY
Stone and her LTSS Center colleague Natasha Bryant explain how current immigration policies could have potentially dire consequences for the aging population.
“The Politics of Immigration: Who Will Care for Grandma?” lays out the characteristics of the immigrant direct care workforce, including how these workers get to the United States, the importance of immigrants to LTSS delivery, and implications of new immigration policy for current and future direct care workers.
Strict immigration policies that increase deportations and limit immigrants coming into the United States will result in a dearth of home care workers needed to care for older adults, and an increase in the costs of such care, suggest Stone and Bryant.
“Predictions of strong job growth in the LTSS sector, particularly in the direct care workforce, suggest the need for changes in the structure of immigration policy that differ dramatically from those implemented or proposed by the Trump Administration and Congress,” they write.
As an alternative, the authors call for policies that make it easier for people to work legally in the United States. These policies might include expanding the visa system to recognize direct care jobs as merit occupations rather than relying on immigrants who entered through family unification.
“This strategy would increase the number of direct care workers, put immigrant workers on an even playing field with native-born workers, and create fairer competition for jobs,” they write. “Also, it would be important for ensuring quality of care, as it allows for improved training and makes it easier to ensure that all direct care workers are doing their jobs effectively.”
DIVERSITY
Juan Fernando Torres-Gil and Courtney Demko explore why the aging of our increasingly diverse population requires a new narrative about how valuable immigrants, refugees, and minorities are to the well-being of elders. In “The Politics of Aging and Diversity: Moving Toward a Majority-Minority Nation,” the authors argue that Americans can eventually view our new majority-minority status as a demographic benefit.
OLDER WOMEN
In “The Presence of Older Women in Current U.S. Electoral Politics,” Judith G. Gonyea explores how sexism and ageism intertwine to influence which voices are heard during discussions that shape the nation’s agendas.
Gonyea worries that political polarization and increasing fragmentation of social groups could deepen inequality and further marginalize older American women. She advocates for the inclusion of the voices of older women in the Women’s Movement.
“The current national dialogue and growing anger about increasing income and wealth inequality in the United States represents a critical moment in our nation’s history,” she writes. “Within this movement, it is imperative that the individual stories of (older) women become public stories.”
GOING FORWARD
Robert Blancato and Marie C. Gualtieri end the Generations winter issue with “Aging Policy: Where Is it Now, and Where Is it Going?” The authors measure the wins and losses under President Donald Trump and analyze several “close calls” for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid during the first part of the Trump administration. They also predict how aging policy may be affected going forward, depending on who controls the legislative branch.
PURCHASING THE ISSUE
Individuals who are not ASA members or Generations subscribers can purchase single copies of the Politics and Aging issue for $20. Visit the ASA website for more information.