Undocumented and Aging: Addressing the Needs of a Growing Population

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O4: Skillbuilding: Undocumented and Aging: Addressing the Needs of a Growing Population

Undocumented older adults face pervasive and structural barriers due to their immigration status that block them from the services older adults depend on to manage their health and successfully age in place. According to multiple studies, the population of undocumented older adults in the U.S. will increase drastically over the next decade, creating an ethical stymie in health care and long-term care unless immediate policy action is taken. This presentation will summarize the implications of an aging undocumented population, as well as best practices, and policy advocacy recommendations. The presenter will also share the experience participating in a state-based coalition that advocated for and successfully obtained Medicaid coverage for this population.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Identify strategies to effectively advocate for undocumented older adults in their practice
Recognize the growing population of undocumented older adults as a need for advocacy and structural change
Analyze the structural impact of blocked access to health care for the undocumented population

Genevieve Waterman (Moderator)

Director, Corporate Partnerships & Engagement

National Council on Aging

Genevieve Waterman serves as the Director of Corporate Partnerships & Engagement at the National Council on Aging (NCOA), where she leads initiatives on economic security, housing, and employment in later life. During her tenure at NCOA, Dr. Waterman has led innovative programs to help low-income older adults create customized plans to achieve financial security and curriculums that educate older adults to avoid scams and financial exploitation. Dr. Waterman also developed the strategic vision of NCOA’s Age Well Planner, a digital tool that guides individuals through key decisions designed to make their money last longer and address health care needs.

Genevieve holds a Doctorate of Social Work from the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. She also holds a Master of Aging Services Management from the University of Southern California Davis School of Gerontology and a Master of Applied Gerontology from Towson University’s Center for Productive Aging.

Padraic Stanley, MSW, LCSW

Program Manager

Rush University Medical Center

Padraic Stanley is a social worker living in Chicago, IL. He currently works as a program manager for community-based health promotion for the Rush University Medical Center Department of Social Work & Community Health. He is also the chair of Rush’s Immigrant Health Working Group, which is oversees Rush’s immigrant health and welcoming healthcare initiatives. He is a graduate of the Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work, where he completed the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship and completed clinical practicum at Heartland Human Care Services and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Currently, he is an adjunct professor of social work at Loyola University Chicago, Associate Professor of Social Work for the Rush University College of Health Sciences, on the associate board for Erie Neighborhood House, and the executive board for the International Association for Social Work with Groups.