Having a loved one with limited income in need of memory care, I am personally affected by the glaring inequality in our current system. Our only option is a nursing home, which feels more like an institution than a place my loved one can call home. This experience is not isolated but is a heartbreaking reality for many families across New Jersey.

In New Jersey, we believe in affordable housing for families. It's a principle we plan for and protect with great effort. However, when seniors require assisted living—a place that should serve as their final home—this same principle of equity often evaporates.

The current dynamic is brutally inequitable:

- If you can pay, you get dignity and a nurturing, home-like environment, but usually at the cost of your home and life's savings.
- If you cannot afford it, you may be relegated to institutional care, losing the essence of dignity that should accompany aging.

This is not how dignity in aging should work.

Assisted living care should not be a privilege only for those with substantial means. Equity in aging must extend to all economic backgrounds, preserving dignity without financially devastating families.

We urge the New Jersey state legislators to introduce and pass the Fair Access to Assisted Living Care Act to ensure that all seniors, regardless of income, can access dignified and decent assisted living solutions without the fear of losing their homes or life’s savings.

This Act must include provisions for:

1. Establishing a subsidized model for assisted living care, where government and community support can make these vital services accessible for low-income seniors.
2. Protecting the assets and homes of seniors so that they do not have to sacrifice their lifetime savings to access adequate care.
3. Expanding Medicaid and state support options to cover more assisted living and memory care facilities.

It’s time to align New Jersey’s principles of equity with the urgent realities faced by our aging population. Let's create a future where dignity in aging is a right and not a privilege.

📞 Call upon our legislators to act now to ensure all seniors in New Jersey can age with dignity and security. Please sign this petition to make this crucial change a reality for our loved ones and ourselves.