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THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2024 Page 15 for housing and transportation. Those investments are much more important than tax cuts for our economic future.” (A “Yes” vote is for the reduction in the short-term capital gains tax. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Lydia Edwards No JUVENILE JUSTICE AGE (S 2856) Senate 31-9, approved an amendment that would raise from 17 to 18 the age at which a person can be tried as a juvenile. The hike would apply to many crimes for which 18-year-olds would be tried as juveniles instead of as adults. The amendment would not change existing law that allows 18-year-olds charged with the most serious off enses, including fi rst- or second-degree murder, to be prosecuted and sentenced as adults. Similarly, a juvenile 18 or younger could be charged as an adult for any felony if the he or she had been previously committed in the Department of Youth Services, committed an off ense that involves serious bodily harm or violated certain fi rearm laws. “We will never achieve racial equity in Massachusetts without addressing the systemic biases in our systems, including our criminal legal system — and giving our children a fair shot at life from birth onward,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “By raising the age today, I am proud that the Senate is making the commonwealth a fairer place for young people who should not be judged for their whole life by a mistake they made as an 18-year-old.” “As the former Senate Chair of the Joint Task Force on Emerging Adults in the Massachusetts Criminal Justice System, I heard from stakeholders across the juvenile and criminal justice systems about the countless public safety benefi ts of raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction,” said Sen. Cindy Creem (D-Newton). “Including 18-year-olds in the juvenile system will help ensure all high-schoolers have access to the high-quality rehabilitative programming available through the Department of Youth Services, which will help reduce recidivism and have a long-term positive impact on public safety.” “This amendment to an Economic Development bill sought to raise the juvenile age of criminal prosecution to 19 years old,” said Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) who opposed the amendment. “First, criminal justice policy shouldn’t be snuck into an economic development bill. Second, the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Trial Court identifi ed numerous concerns about raising the juvenile age … including increased fi nancial costs to the court system; increased delays with justice in the juvenile court, including child welfare and protection cases that are already backlogged by 13,000 cases; and concerns about the mixing of minors and “emerging adults” in a juvenile detention center causing challenges with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act which is supposed to prevent children from being in ‘sight and sound’ contact with adults.“ Fattman continued, [“There are] concerns from numerous law enforcement agencies that raising the juvenile age of criminality emboldens young people to commit crime, as other off enders may use this law to make young people pawns in the dangerous criminal activity in which the older adults engage. (A “Yes” vote is for raising the age to 18. A “No” vote is against raising it.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL PRESERVE SPECIAL NEEDS TRUSTS FOR DISABLED SENIORS (H 4841) — House approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would restore the ability of disabled seniors to receive support from special needs pooled trusts for care and needs that are not covered by MassHealth. Sponsor Rep. Kate Hogan (D-Stow) said she fi led the legislation in response to a new MassHealth regulation that eliminated this support for seniors. “Pooled trusts allow persons with disabilities to maintain dignity and quality of life when confi ned to a nursing home or receiving home care,” said Hogan. “The trusts help provide for companion services, uninsured medical care, dental and pharmacy care, transportation, clothing, personal needs and household items, assisted living and many other kinds of support that MassHealth does not provide. Current MassHealth regulations penalize disabled seniors over 65 for using pooled trusts since they are counted in determining eligibility. This legislation would allow this vulnerable population to use the exemption for the purposes of determining MassHealth eligibility.” REDUCE THE SHORTAGE OF DENTAL HYGIENISTS (H 4842) — The House approved and sent to the Senate a bill that supporters say would streamline the process for foreign-trained dentists to obtain a dental hygienist license in the Bay State. These dentists would have to have at least fi ve years of experience as a dentist in their country and must have obtained a certifi cate of registration, certifying them as a dentist, from their country’s board of dental examiners or similar board. Massachusetts would only license the dentist as a dental hygienist if it determines that competency requirements in the foreign country are equal to those required of applicants in the Bay State. “This proposal would benefi t immigrants who are foreign-trained dentists, providing them with an accelerated pathway towards a hygiene license and helping to alleviate the labor shortage in the fi eld of dentistry,” said sponsor Rep. Tackey Chan (D-Quincy). “Massachusetts continues to contend with a shortage of qualifi ed dental hygienists, and this bill would create a new pipeline for foreign-trained dentists to help stem the workforce shortage,” said Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) President Dr. Abe Abdul. “Oral health is critical to overall health. IncreasKitchen Ideas for Aging-in-Place Dear Savvy Senior, My 77-year-old mother, who loves tocook has had several kitchen-related accidents over the past year. What tips can you recommend for making a kitchensaferand more practical forseniors, without doing a big expensiveremodel. Inquiring Daughter Dear Inquiring, There are a number of small improvements and simple modifi cations you can do that can make a big diff erence in making your mom’s kitchen safer and easier to maneuver. Depending on her needs, here are some tips for diff erent aspects of her kitchen. Lights: If the lighting in your mom’s kitchen needs improvement, replace the old overhead fi xture with a bright new ceiling light, and add LED lighting under upper kitchen cabinets to brighten up her kitchen countertops. Floors: If she has kitchen throw rugs, to reduce tripping or slipping, replace them with non-skid fl oor mats or consider gel mats, which are cushiony and more comfortable to stand on for long periods. GelPro.com and WellnessMats.com offer a nice selection. Cabinets and drawers: To reduce bending or reaching, organize your mom’s kitchen cabinets and drawers so that the items she most frequently uses are within comfortable reach. You can also make her lower cabinets and pantry easier to access by installing pullout shelves or lazy susans. And, by installing pull-down shelves in her upper cabinets (see Rev-a-shelf.com) so she doesn’t have to get on a stool to reach things on high shelves. I also recommend replacing her cabinet and drawer knobs with “D” or “C” shaped pull-handles because they’re more comfortable for arthritic hands to grasp than knobs. Faucet: If your mom has a twist-handle kitchen faucet, replace it with an ADA compliant single handle faucet, or with a touch, motion or digital smart faucet. They’re easier to operate, especially if she has hand arthritis or gripping problems. And, for safety purposes, set her hot water tank at 120 degrees to prevent possible water burns. Microwave and cooktop safety: If your mom’s microwave is mounted above her stove, consider moving it, or get her a small microwave for the countertop so she doesn’t have to reach over a cooktop to insert or remove food. And if you’re worried about your mom forgetting to turn off the stove there are automatic shut-off devices you can purchase and install to prevent a fi re. iGuardStove (iGuardFire.com) makes one of the best smart shutoff devices for gas and electric stoves. And to guard against microwave fi res, there’s the SmartMicro microwave shutoff made by Pioneering Technology (PioneeringTech.com). Shopping for Appliances If you’re looking to upgrade some of your mom’s appliances, here are some diff erent features to keep in mind. Refrigerator: French-door refrigerators that open in the middle are great for seniors because it makes it easier to see and reach what’s inside. Pullout adjustable height shelves and a water/ice dispenser on the outside of the door are also very convenient. Stove or cooktop: Look for one with controls in the front so your mom won’t have to reach over hot burners to turn it off , and make sure the controls are easy to see. Flat surface electric or induction burners, or continuous grates on gas stoves are also great for sliding heavy pots and pans from one burner to the next. And ask about automatic shut off burners. Oven: Self-cleaning ovens are a plus and consider a sideswing door model. They’re easier to get into because you don’t have to lean over a hot swingdown door. Also consider a wallmounted oven, installed at your mom’s preferred height to eliminate bending. Dishwasher: Consider a drawer-style dishwasher that slides in and out for easier access and, if possible, have it installed on a raised platform 12 to 24 inches above fl oor level so it can be loaded and unloaded without bending over. Washer and dryer: Front-load washers and dryers with pedestals that raise the height around 24 inches are also back-savers and easier to access. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. ing the number of dental care providers translates into less wait times and greater availability of appointments for patients, allowing them to receive high-quality care. “The Massachusetts Dental Hygienists Association (MDHA) is excited to collaborate with the MDS on crucial language in the legislation that enables foreign-trained dentists to take required exams and apply for dental hygiene licenses, said MDHA President Amanda Berthiaume. “We are committed to supporting these new hygienists by providing them with opportunities, through an MDHA membership, to help them succeed. This legislation is a fi rst step in addressing the dental professional shortage in Massachusetts.” EQUAL ACCOMMODATION IN PUBLIC RECREATIONAL FACILITIES (H 923) — The House approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would require the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to annually report on progress made toward Title IX compliance in its recreational facilities across the state. Title IX of the federal Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex and gender discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal fi nancial assistance. Supporters noted that DCR maintains ownership of dozens of ice rinks and swimming facilities across the state, many of which have been leased to private companies or municipalities to operate. They said these publicly owned facilities host competitions for hockey leagues, swim teams and fi gure skating programs while also providing a venue for off erings such as water aerobics classes and public skating. They argued that Title IX requires “locker room equity” which means having appropriate changing and showering facilities to comply with Title IX equality requirements. They said that many DCR facilities were built decades ago, before Title IX, and prior to the growth in popularity of women’s sports. “With Title IX celebrating its 50th year anniversary last year, we are long overdue in ensuring that all athletes have access to equal accommodations at our state-owned rinks and pools,” said bill sponsor Rep. Walsh (D-Peabody). “This bill will encourage compliance with federal law and the basic fairness of locker room equity will allow and encourage more girls and women to participate in the sports programming off ered at DCR-owned facilities.” BEACON | SEE Page 16

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