Seniors nationwide may feel they're hurting economically, but elderly residents in Passaic County have even more reason to feel like stepchildren.
If anyone could understand the plight of the county's frail, elderly and disabled it would be Mary Kuzinski, director of the Passaic County Department of Senior Services.
"At present, the retirement income of 6,908 seniors in Passaic County is $13,607, which is 22 percent less than the state average of $17,406," she says.
"Because of rising costs and low incomes, older adults in the county are finding it more and more difficult to maintain individual residences. These seniors have very few options. Due to prohibitive costs, they can't even move into assisted living facilities."
According to the 2003 U.S. updated Census, there are currently 78,993 seniors in Passaic County. Projections indicate that within the next four years, the elderly population will increase by 8 percent to 84,100.
"The expected dramatic increase in the elder population and minority statistics continues to support the need for more funding," Kuzinski explains. "Not only will there be more healthy seniors in need of support services, but the fastest growing elder population, the 85 plus cohort, will require quality care that is affordable."
Concerned about the crisis, Kuzinski plans to bring the matter before President Bush and members of Congress at the 2005 White House Conference on Aging in Washington Dec. 11 to 14.
After making recommendations to help guide aging policies for the next 10 years, Kuzinski says delegates will vote on 50 resolutions that they feel are most important for current and future generations of senior citizens. They will also develop plans for each of the resolutions to identify strategies that can be executed at a local level.
The conscientious, compassionate senior advocate says she will seize on the opportunity to speak out loud and clear on the situation in Passaic County.
One of her objectives will be to support resolutions that will provide incentives and tax credits to expand housing available to low and/or moderate income older adults, increase the supply of senior housing and modernize current housing units.
"We desperately need to allocate increased funding for accessible, affordable and integrated housing annually for the elderly and disabled," she exclaims.
"A critical step in providing affordable housing is financing, but the paperwork required for developers to apply for any type of subsidy is very complicated and takes a long time for approvals," she explains. "Additionally, current housing options rarely allow intergenerational housing for grandparents raising grandchildren or seniors caring for younger disabled family members. Subsidies and tax incentives should be provided to public and private entities that remodel and alter existing buildings for alternate housing."
"There is a growing need for more home delivered meals, yet as currently written, the Older Americans Act limits the amount of funds that can be transferred between congregate and home delivered meal titles," she says. "Passaic County delivers 1,050 daily home delivered meals, 242 congregate meals and 350 weekend meals.
"Members of the Passaic County Board of Freeholders supplement federal funding by matching dollar for dollar to meet the increasing demand for Meals-on-Wheels.
"A proposed solution would be to reauthorize the Older Americans Act to provide continued support with a minimum 10 percent expansion in funds to eliminate waiting lists for services."
"Throughout our nation, 80 percent of all home care services are provided by family and informal caregivers and currently provide $257 billion of unpaid care annually," she says.
"I will support proposed resolutions that would increase supports for the family caregiver by doubling the initial $125 million appropriation for the National Family Caregiver Support Program.
"I will also endorse the plan to offer a range of financial and other incentives, including tax credits/deductions and cash vouchers to all family caregivers, and affordable health insurance to guarantee retirement security for individuals who leave the workplace to provide care to a family member."
Since assuming her post, she has lobbied aggressively for programs relating to state legislation for seniors. Thanks to her work in Passaic County, home care agencies were able to stop the passage of the Public Authority Bill, which would have diminished in-home health care services and put home care agencies out of business.
The bill would have also affected all home health aides by forcing them into a state monopoly, while eliminating their choices, benefits, seniority and safety, all with little or no wage improvements.
Kuzinski has also sponsored educational forums for the elderly, conducted bilingual outreach programs and implemented "Vial of Life" and Passaic County CARES.
Before becoming head of senior services in Passaic County, she spent 13 years as chief of staff for state Sen. Joh Girgenti, D-Hawthorne. During that time, she served as liaison with county and state departments in matters of senior issues and programs.
The Totowa resident received a "Helping People Move Forward " Award from New Bridge Services this year, and was named recipient of Home Care Options' Abe S. Berliner Community Service Award in 2004.
While juggling duties as executive director of the Passaic County Department of Senior Services, Disability and Veterans Affairs, she serves on the executive committee of the New Jersey Association on Aging and as a member of Passaic County's Aging Task Force and Senior/Disability Transportation Committee.
Word has it that actor Vanessa Montesano, known professionally as Vanessa Laine, was nominated for a Perry Award for her performance as "Jack" in the World Premiere musical, "Journey," written by former Guiding Light actor Kathleen Kellaigh and composed by Grammy Award winner Michael Huseman.
The Passaic County native, who attends the Action Theatre Conservatory, wowed audiences with a quick wardrobe change in a number called "Read Between the Lines."
Considering that NJ ACT (New Jersey Association of Community Theater) sent judges to more than 250 plays and musicals to scout talent, the Cliftonite deserves to take a bow.
A complimentary letter from Donald Trump was read at an airing party Oct. 6 at the Pompton Plains campus for middle income people over the age of 63.
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