Monday, March 3, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Nevada seniors who participated in the inaugural National Silver Haired Congress are confident their resolutions will prod lawmakers to take action on issues ranging from Medicare to elder abuse.
The gathering was created by Congress to refine resolutions adopted at the 1995 White House Conference on Aging. Representing Nevada at the session in Washington, D.C., Feb. 8-14 were "Silver" Sens. Dalton Wellman and Thelma Clark, and "Silver" Reps. Jean Maher and Ruth Mills.
Wellman, a Las Vegan, said big issues such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Older Americans Act weren't the only topics discussed.
"We also had a number of intergenerational issues," he said. "We put in a bunch of tough sessions for a bunch of old fogeys."
Maher, also of Las Vegas, chaired a committee that addressed elder abuse. The panel determined that government agencies ought to be established that specialize in helping seniors who have been physically abused or victimized through fraud.
"There are so many agencies that get involved in these issues that it often falls through the cracks," Maher said. "You also need education to let the seniors know there is a place they can contact."
Wellman and Maher said other issues discussed included telecommunications, transportation, group home care and pharmaceuticals. Wellman said one concern is the length of time it takes the federal government to approve new drugs.
"We're requesting that the Food and Drug Administration hurry things along, not to bypass safeguards, but sometimes things sit on the shelf for several years before they go to the next step," Wellman said. "There are just too many years going from development to the consumer."
More than 300 "Silver" senators and representatives gathered in the nation's capital. In addition to their own work, they heard speeches from Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.; House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.; Bill Benson, deputy assistant secretary for aging; and Martha McSteen, president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.
The silver-haired congressmen will meet with seniors in their home states to gather input for new resolutions to be discussed when they meet again in Washington, D.C., early next year.
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