Johnson speaks on aging issues

At a lecture in a packed Medical Center conference room last night, Ann Johnson, chair of the North Carolina Governor's Council on Aging, explained that advocacy "is used consciously and unconsciously all of the time without being defined or analyzed, but is viewed as an activity designed to support or oppose the interests of groups where change in a certain area is possible."

Although the American political system allows free expression of views, she said that such a mentality leads people to advocate for selfish interests. Johnson added that "in this free society there is a will to suppress those who differ, and people lobby for their own personal needs."

Prior to the 1950s, national advocacy groups worked to make citizens more aware of many social problems and possible solutions to such problems. In the 1980s an "avalanche" of single-interest groups formed, Johnson said. Emphasizing the dangers of this trend, Johnson encouraged her audience to think about how "national interest is not always the sum of personal interest."

However, Johnson noted optimistically that in the last 15 years, "the system of advocacy is beginning to correct itself" due to the formation of coalitions working on the interests of multiple groups. "People are beginning to see that there is strength in numbers," she said.

Addressing issues of advocacy for older adults, Johnson said that when independence for the elderly is not possible, "it is necessary to advocate for appropriate interdependence" so that older adults can maintain as much control as possible over important decision-making. For instance, she said, many elderly people become concerned when they lose control over their living arrangements and end-of-life care.

Johnson cited the 1976 Federal Council of the Aging Bicentennial Charter for Older Americans as the "blueprint for achievements" for several older-adult advocacy groups. The charter lists nine basic rights for the elderly, including the right to freedom and independence, the opportunity for employment, suitable housing and a life and death with dignity.

In the last several years, four major advocacy groups for older adults have been formed in North Carolina: the Governor's Council on Aging, the Study Commission on Aging, the North Carolina Coalition on Aging and the Senior Tar Heel Legislature.

These four groups attempt to work together in their lobbying efforts and agree on several issues, such as the need for prescriptions to be paid by Medicaid, senior center funding, mental health insurance and certain tax breaks for the elderly.