On this edition of Your Call, we continue of our conversation about elders struggling to make ends meet and the documentary, Duty Free. After 75-year old Rebecca Danigelis was fired from her hotel housekeeping job after 40 years, she embarks on a bucket-list adventure to reclaim her life with the help of her son filmmaker Sian-Pierre Regis.
Duty Free is featured in this year's 11th annual Legacy Film Festival on Aging, and is available to watch online through January 15.
Older workers left the labor force at higher rates than all other groups during the pandemic, and senior poverty rates are at an all time high. An estimated 25 million elders won’t have enough money to get through retirement. What policy solutions would you like to see?
Guests:
Rebecca Danigelis, subject of the film Duty Free and activist working against ageism and workplace discrimination
Sian-Pierre Regis, director and producer of Duty Free
Tracey Gronniger, managing attorney for the economic security team at Justice in Aging
Ramsey Alwin, president and CEO of the National Council on Aging
Web Resources:
National Council on Aging: Worry Less and Age Better with BenefitsCheckUp
Yahoo News: Republicans Signal Cuts To Social Security, Medicare With New House Majority
American Society on Aging: Why Older Workers Need Unions—Now More Than Ever
Justice in Aging: Older women are integral to our communities, yet a significant percentage of them are struggling to stay out of poverty
CNN: When his mother was fired at 75, he picked up his camera
The New York Times: An Uptick in Elder Poverty: A Blip, or a Sign of Things to Come?
The New York Times: Who Will Care for ‘Kinless’ Seniors?
