that choice. Aditi Debnath for "Here& Now".
>> A lot of attention is paid to the youth vote, especially. Will
they or won't they cast a ballot? But the senior vote is
much more assured. And in Wisconsin, people over the age
of 50 are the largest voting bloc. That's according to AARP
Wisconsin. Out with a recent election poll heading into
November five. Jim Flaherty of AARP Wisconsin joins us now. And
thanks for being here. >> Oh, thanks for having me.
>> So when we say that the senior vote in Wisconsin is more
assured, what does your poll say about their enthusiasm to vote?
>> Well, our poll, which came out after the last presidential
debate. So fresh in people's minds, shows that those aged 50
and over are the most motivated demographic of any voters in
Wisconsin. More than nine out of ten voters over age 50 Hepp were
polled said that they are extremely motivated to vote in
this election, which should be a wake up call for candidates to
say, hey, you got to start listening to what these 50 plus
voters are saying. >> So as with other polls, the
candidates in the presidential and U.S. Senate race here are
neck and neck. Apart from the horse race of it, though. What
issues are especially salient for people over 50? Well, 77% of
voters aged 50 and older are saying that candidates position
on social Security are very, very important to them.
>> That's followed by obviously Medicare. Same. Just about as
high. 69% are helping people to remain living in their homes as
long as possible. We call those family caregivers 63%. Cost of
prescription drugs and their medications is still very much
top of mind. Four out of five. So 79% of Wisconsin voters
prefer a member of Congress who wants Medicare to continue to
negotiate for lower drug prices. So, you know, these are these
are pocketbook issues. You know, can I afford to pay for my
monthly medications while also paying rent and food? A lot of
people have to cut their pills in half just to be able to get
by. There's a lot of people struggling across Wisconsin, and
it's it really is time for candidates to pay attention to
that. If I may, for just a second. Family caregivers,
there's about 600,000 of them in Wisconsin. These are folks who
are raising their own families. They have their own jobs, and
they're helping out loved ones. So that they can remain living
in their own homes and communities as long as possible.
We call these the unsung heroes of Wisconsin. They do things
like helping loved ones with meal preparation and medication
management, bill paying, transportation, bathing,
sometimes driving, driving them to church, into the grocery
store. Without these family caregivers, which we refer to as
the backbone of Wisconsin's long term care system, it would the
whole system would fall apart. Obviously, there will always be
a need for assisted living and for nursing homes, but family
caregivers are the heroes of Wisconsin. And as the state gets
older, AARP believes that the state should do more to support
this group. >> What kind of supports for
allowing people to live independently at home would get
older? People's vote. >> That's a great question, and
at the state level, we AARP is advancing an idea called a
caregiver tax credit. The governor has had it in his last
two budgets, but it's been removed later in the process by
the Joint Finance Committee. This would be a $500 income tax
credit that would go to family caregivers, and it could help
offset some of the costs that they incur while providing this
care. Family caregivers spend about $7,000 a year out of their
own pocket to help their loved ones remain in their homes. This
tax credit can help them with costs such as, you know, putting
in a handicap ramp or a Schauer bar, or any costs that they
incur while providing care for a loved one. They could write this
off to a up to $500, and we think that this is something the
state legislature really needs to look at.
>> So meanwhile, heading into Election Day, how are seniors
faring in Wisconsin right now? >> Well, like I say, some, you
know, many, many are struggling wi, AARP Wisconsin, we're the
state office of a huge national office and we go all over the
state. So we go to we host events at fairs. We are at the
Iowa Car Show we've been at in La Crosse, Madison, Kenosha. And
folks are telling us, you know, they're struggling. They really
want candidates to listen to their concerns and a lot of most
of them are pocketbook issues. They are concerned about the
economy, utility rates rising without them having a say in it.
They want to be able to have somebody who has their back. And
that's what these candidates can provide is saying, you know, we
understand the struggles that you are going through as an
older wisconsinite and we've got your back and you know, you
don't have to talk to AARP. You can talk to anyone on the street
to know that Wisconsin is getting older. More and more
baby boomers are retiring every going to have an older state and
we've got to do things to support them. Some things like
making sure we have high speed internet in every community
across the state, that is no longer a luxury. It is a
requirement. Folks who aren't close to hospital systems or
clinics, they rely on telehealth. So that's how
they're that's how they can communicate with their doctors.
It it mitigates social isolation so that these folks can talk to
loved ones. Broadband expansion is huge for Wisconsin seniors,
and it's something that needs to be addressed.