WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JANUARY 7, 2021 13
We must invest to protect our seniors
BY SANDRA UNG
As New York’s older population
continues to grow, we must be
proactive in building a city that
takes into account the needs of seniors
and their families. As the daughter and
primary caretaker for my father, who
has Parkinson’s Disease and lives at
home, I know the struggles many working
families face in providing care for
their loved ones. Like my father, most
seniors prefer to age in place.
There are many barriers standing
in the way. A fi rst step is building a
more accessible city by making our
infrastructure inclusive for individuals
who require mobility assistance.
From subway stops that lack elevators
to crosswalks that are piled high with
snow, we must eliminate physical
obstacles.
We also need expanded healthcare
services for individuals living at home.
Home health aides can assist people like
my father to live at home with quality
care, but Medicare doesn’t cover this
expense. For working families like
my own, this option is unaff ordable. It
instead falls to children or loved ones
to step up to provide assistance, but we
need the wider support of our society
to ensure our elders’ basic needs are
met.
Unpaid care work is particularly
onerous for working families who must
juggle an endless number of tasks while
struggling to pay the bills, and COVID
has only exacerbated the struggle. This
burden has real eff ects on the health
and job outcomes of caregivers across
the United States, especially women
who perform a disproportionate
amount of care work. 865,000 women
have opted out or left the workforce
compared to 216,000 men just this fall.
New Yorkers paved the way forward
when we passed the Paid Family Leave
Policy, which is funded by deductions
from employee wages. Employers
should embrace PFL given its ability
to improve staff morale and increase
productivity.
Moving forward, we need to explore
options around increasing the
wage replacement rate, especially for
low-income New Yorkers. Low-income
workers oft en live paycheck to paycheck
and may be unable to survive
on 67 percent of their wage, which is
the maximum they can get under New
York’s program.
We also need a culture shift . Employer
acceptability continues to be a major
obstacle for employees seeking to take
advantage of family leave. Employers
are prohibited from discriminating
against an employee for requesting
leave. However, many workers are
OP-ED
reluctant to take leave, concerned it
may harm their potential for a promotion
down the line. And while leave for
new parents has become more widely
accepted, we must still work on building
recognition of value for elder care.
Many of us, including myself, live
in multigenerational homes with
parents or grandparents who need
assistance. Whether it’s taking them
to the doctor’s offi ce or helping them
apply for government programs, that
time is valuable. We should embrace
building a more holistic care system
that recognizes the many diff erent
forms American families take. This
won’t just help employees, it will also
allow more New Yorkers to age in place
with dignity.
By investing in paid family leave and
increasing employer acceptability, children
and family members can be freed
to provide care for their loved ones
without fearing the loss of economic
security. That is a better and more just
system for all New Yorkers.
Sandra Ung is an attorney, community
advocate and candidate for City Council
in District 20, which includes Flushing,
Mitchell-Linden, Murray Hill, Queensboro
Hill, Auburndale and parts of Fresh
Meadows.
SNAPS
A WALK THROUGH FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY LEANN BUGARIN
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