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Seniors Fight for Quality Care
Older adults secure big wins nationwide
Seniors in Lincoln County, Wisconsin organized to save the area nursing home and reshaped local politics in the process. This is a precarious time for seniors, with threats to cut Social Security and Medicare. At the same time, seniors face reductions in care because of volatility in how nursing homes are managed. Many municipalities are selling off their nursing homes, turning locally run facilities into for-profit operations.
Nursing home stays in community hands
Addition Collective is activating rural seniors to fight for access to quality care and responsive government. In 2024, they engaged more than 5,000 Wisconsinites around nursing home closures and support for seniors. Addition supported seniors with diverse ideological backgrounds to stop the sale and privatization of Pine Crest, a community-owned nursing home in Lincoln County. They packed county commission meetings, gathered petitions by hand, and created Labor Day parade floats to have their voices heard. After months of organizing, Lincoln County seniors saved Pine Crest from initial sale and transformed local power to care for their neighbors. Their fight is not over, however, as the county continues to entertain new buyers.
Facing closures head on
Like Wisconsin, Montana has seen a drastic reduction in long-term care availability, with 10% of skilled nursing facilities closing in recent years. Big Sky 55+ is organizing this powerful voting bloc on high-priority senior issues like long-term care and Social Security, and on issues that benefit all Montanans like Medicaid expansion, economic security, and a healthy climate. Big Sky 55+’s Social Security Whistle Stop Tour visited small cities to counteract damaging misinformation and educate voters on the importance of Social Security for Montanans. The tour addressed false claims with factual information presented by experts.
From nursing homes to November elections
While older rural residents might be perceived as less politically active, Addition Collective and Big Sky 55+ are proving that rural seniors can be champions for democracy and have the power to advance policies that improve rural people’s lives.
