Sunday was National Grandparents Day – and this year, we can do more for our grandparents than send candy or flowers. Let’s take action to improve the health and economic security of our grandparents — and all of America’s grandparents. Here are five things you can do to show grandparents that you care:
Protect Social Security. Our grandparents have worked for a lifetime and they deserve to retire in dignity. Taking away their economic security by pushing back the retirement age — or cutting the benefits they count on — will hurt seniors and all families. Let the Deficit Commission know that our budget shouldn’t be balanced on the backs of hard-working seniors. Sign the petition
Support the Paycheck Fairness Act. Too many women in this country have worked hard all their lives, and taken home lower wages because of discrimination. Pay discrimination costs women for a lifetime, reducing wages as well as the savings, pensions and Social Security benefits that we rely on in old age. Tell the Senate that it’s time to vote for equal pay. Send a message
Join the Campaign for Better Care. More than three in four Americans age 55 or older (78 percent) are dealing with at least one chronic health condition like diabetes, heart disease or arthritis. The Campaign for Better Care is working to ensure that health reform is implemented in ways that will give the older patients who rely on the system most the coordinated, quality care they deserve. Join the Campaign
Recognize that grandparents are key caregivers, and often need care themselves. Grandparents are a vital link in strong families and increasingly, they help care for our nation’s children. Their role has only increased during this recession, as more grandparents are serving as primary caregivers and more grandchildren are living with their grandparents. But too often our laws fail to recognize grandparents’ central role. The Department of Labor has taken important steps that will help some families, but we need laws that give workers the time they need to care for their seriously ill grandparents or grandchildren. It’s time for our country to do more! Read our fact sheet
Pass the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. The Supreme Court has made it harder for older workers who face discrimination on the job to prove they’ve been discriminated against because of their age. Learn more
