We are living in a time of deep uncertainty. Policymakers continue to attack the programs older adults rely on for health care, housing, food, and basic economic security. These attacks affect our families and our communities every day.
As we begin a new year, it’s important to remember one thing: nothing lasts forever. Not even this moment.
At Justice in Aging, we have a plan to build a future where all of us, especially those who are most marginalized, can age in dignity, security, and justice. Achieving that future will require us to think big. It will require bold, collective action grounded in a belief in our shared power to create change.
Making that change will require us, as an aging advocacy community, to do three things at once.
First, we must defend and sustain older adults and the programs they depend on to meet their basic needs. That includes Social Security, SSI, Medicare, Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, housing programs, and more.
This is a difficult moment, and none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. But we do know this is not a time to retreat or give up on our collective vision of aging with justice.
Second, we must build an affirmative policy agenda for the future. We will push this and future Administrations and Congresses to take action that advances the rights of older adults nationwide. That means rebuilding programs that are being broken today and reimagining systems, so they better reflect the realities and promise of longer lives.
Finally—and just as importantly—we must work together in new ways to build power. Power for older adults. Power within the aging advocacy community. We need strong, connected networks of local and state advocates who can lift up the voices of older adults through the media, in the courts, and with policymakers.
These three efforts are inseparable. Each depends on the others to succeed.
We can defend programs when communities have the power and tools to push back against harmful proposals. We can build strong policy for the future when we understand today’s threats and listen closely to how they affect people’s lives. And we can build lasting power by engaging older adults directly—centering what matters most to them.
Done together, these three things will set us on course for a future where our systems are better positioned than ever before to meet our needs as we age.
This is a difficult moment, and none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. But we do know this is not a time to retreat or give up on our collective vision of aging with justice. This is a time to act boldly.
I can’t wait to reimagine and build that future with you.
