§ 6202. Principles of system of services, supports, and protections for older Vermonters

The State of Vermont adopts the following principles for a comprehensive and coordinated system of services and supports for older Vermonters:

(1) Self-determination. Older Vermonters should be able to direct their own lives as they age so that aging is not something that merely happens to them but a process in which they actively participate. Whatever services, supports, and protections are offered, older Vermonters deserve dignity and respect and must be at the core of all decisions affecting their lives, with the opportunity to accept or refuse any offering.

(2) Safety and protection. Older Vermonters should be able to live in communities, whether urban or rural, that are safe and secure. Older Vermonters have the right to be free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including financial exploitation. As older Vermonters age, their civil and legal rights should be protected, even if their capacity is diminished. Safety and stability should be sought, balanced with their right to self-determination.

(3) Coordinated and efficient system of services. Older Vermonters should be able to benefit from a system of services, supports, and protections, including protective services, that is coordinated, equitable, and efficient; includes public and private cross-sector collaboration at the State, regional, and local levels; and avoids duplication while promoting choice, flexibility, and creativity. The system should be easy for individuals and families to access and navigate, including as it relates to major transitions in care. The system should be designed to address the needs and concerns of Older Vermonters and their families during normal times and in the event of a public health crisis, natural disaster, or other widespread emergency situation in this State.

(4) Financial security. Older Vermonters should be able to receive an adequate income and have the opportunity to maintain assets for a reasonable quality of life as they age. If older Vermonters want to work, they should be able to seek and maintain employment without fear of discrimination and with any needed accommodations. Older Vermonters should also be able to retire after a lifetime of work, if they so choose, without fear of poverty and isolation.

(5) Optimal health and wellness. Older Vermonters should have the opportunity to receive, without discrimination, optimal physical, dental, mental, emotional, and spiritual health through the end of their lives. Holistic options for health, exercise, counseling, and good nutrition should be both affordable and accessible. Access to coordinated, competent, and high-quality care should be provided at all levels and in all settings.

(6) Social connection and engagement. Older Vermonters should be free from isolation and loneliness, with affordable and accessible opportunities in their communities for social connectedness, including work, volunteering, lifelong learning, civic engagement, arts, culture, and broadband access and other technologies. Older Vermonters are critical to our local economies and their contributions should be valued by all.

(7) Housing, transportation, and community design. Vermont communities should be designed, zoned, and built to support the health, safety, and independence of older Vermonters, with affordable, accessible, appropriate, safe, and service-enriched housing, transportation, and community support options that allow them to age in a variety of settings along the continuum of care and that foster engagement in community life.

(8) Family caregiver support. Family caregivers are fundamental to supporting the health and well-being of older Vermonters, and their hard work and contributions should be respected, valued, and supported. Family caregivers of all ages should have affordable access to education, training, counseling, respite, and support that is both coordinated and efficient. (Added 2019, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Oct. 5, 2020.)