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State Senator Winnie Brinks honors GR senior home, talks issues facing older adults

Brinks hit on issues surrounding racial disparities, affordable housing, senior home staffing and more.

The needs of older adults were thrust into the spotlight during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but as conversations slow down, state leaders are trying to hold the focus.

Michigan State Senator Winnie Brinks visited Beacon Hill at Eastgate, a retirement community in Grand Rapids, on Tuesday. Along with honoring the home for its 62 years of work with Kent County’s seniors, she addressed determinants of health she feels are leaving older adults, particularly those in assisted living facilities, vulnerable.

“We need to focus on ensuring we have the workforce necessary. It’s only going to get worse. We can’t make the math work the way it is,” Brinks said.

Brinks, a democrat, explained staffing at nursing homes is proving to be the single-biggest issue, saying employers can’t pay salaries that keep people in the doors. For seniors living outside of these facilities, she said sky- high rent prices are making it difficult to age in place and for those entering retirement years to save.

“This is a huge issue. I’m 54 years old, and I know so many people in my age bracket who are not prepared for retirement,” she said.

Brinks said she’d like to use state and federal dollars to mitigate the stress in these areas. Her list of to do’s also include addressing mental health impacts many experiences due to isolation, racial disparities and the ongoing threat of COVID-19 variants.

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