Advocacy
What:
We ensure that the unique needs of diverse elders are addressed at the Federal, State, and Local levels.
How:
We work with policy experts across our organizations to address the needs of American Indian/Alaska Native elders; Asian American, Pacific Islander American, and Native Hawaiian elders; Black and African American elders; Hispanic and Latino/Latina elders; and LGBTQ elders.
Why:
As the Diverse Elders Coalition, we produce original policy analysis and resources, speak with policymakers and advocates to highlight the issues of our communities and share solutions, and work to ensure the needs and perspective of diverse elders are at the forefront of national and local conversations on aging.
Advocacy Areas
Health Reform
As the 115th Congress debates whether to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the Diverse Elders Coalition is committed to raising awareness about the value of the ACA to our communities and making sure that everyone in our communities who needs to access appropriate health care coverage is able to do so.
Family Caregiving
The Diverse Elders Coalition is working to increase support for family caregivers, who are providing unpaid labor to ensure that their family members, friends, and neighbors can age with health and dignity. We’re also closing the competency gaps that prevent paid caregivers from providing the best care to elders from diverse backgrounds.
Civic Engagement
We are engaged in an ambitious civic engagement project to bring the needs — and the voices — of our communities to policymakers and service providers. We’ve compiled our findings into a new report, “Aging with Health and Dignity: Diverse Elders Speak Up,” which will inform our work in the years ahead.
Public Education
We use our shared research and collective voice to produce reports, fact sheets, webinars, and other resources about the needs of diverse elders, and we share these resources with policymakers, advocates, and funders.
Policy Areas
Older Americans Act
The Older Americans Act (OAA) is the country’s leading vehicle for delivering services and supports to older people nationwide and was reauthorized in March 2020. We will be pushing for our nation’s leaders to move for reauthorization in 2024.
Immigration Reform
Immigration reform presents a key opportunity to strengthen our programs and policies to better support older immigrants. Our families deserve to be united, not divided.
The Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Act
The RAISE act provides for the establishment and maintenance of a National Family Caregiving Strategy. The DEC annually submits comments to the RAISE Advisory Council to ensure the inclusion of diverse communities in national strategies
Our Member Organizations
