Reilly releases "bill of rights" for seniors

Reilly releases "bill of rights" for seniors

Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly today unveiled a "bill of rights" for senior citizens, saying all seniors deserved access to affordable prescription drugs and freedom from abuse. Well, it's hard to argue with that, isn't it? Surely, Reilly and his advisors know that seniors tend to vote in large numbers. Here are excerpts from Reilly's release:

BOSTON - Making an unprecedented commitment to improving the quality of life for the senior citizens of Massachusetts, Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Tom Reilly announced today that as Governor he would establish a "Senior Bill Of Rights" by which he will measure every facet of local, state, and federal government. Reilly will discuss his plan later today at the White House Senior Center in Tewksbury.

The "Senior Bill Of Rights" establishes basic priorities and commitments that Reilly will promote as Governor and by which he will measure each initiative that comes across his desk. Among the rights Reilly believes should be afforded all seniors include: safe and affordable prescription drugs, secure retirements, quality health care, freedom from abuse and fear, and the choice to stay in their own home.

In addition to his visit to Tewksbury, Reilly is dispersing surrogates to senior centers around the Commonwealth to discuss the "Bill Of Rights" directly with seniors.

"As I travel this state, I see too many of our seniors who can no longer afford to stay in the homes they've lived in their entire lives and who are struggling to pay our skyrocketing costs of living," Reilly said. "They deserve better. That is why I am making this commitment to uphold a basic set of rights and principles to improve their quality of life."

Reilly's "Senior Bill of Rights" lays out ten essential freedoms that all seniors should expect to enjoy, including: the right to safe and easily accessible prescription drugs; the right to financial security upon retirement; the right to high-quality, affordable health care; the right to receive affordable in-home care; the right to live without fear of abuse or neglect; the right to be safe from fraud; the right to be free of discrimination; the right to choose to stay in their homes; the right to adequate heating and energy assistance; and the right to be able to afford to live near their children and grandchildren.