Adults are now allowed to possess and use up to an ounce of marijuana in California. But a remaining barrier to elders’ ability to use medical marijuana could be their living situation, particularly if they live in facilities, such as nursing homes that receive federal funding, as all marijuana use is illegal under federal law.
Low-income older Californians often must choose between going into debt or having all their teeth pulled so that Denti-Cal will cover the cost of their dentures. The state health program doesn’t cover partial dentures. Whether benefits are improved will depend on whether the governor and legislature come to an agreement to do so before the budget is signed in mid-June.
People who live in rural areas suffer from higher than average rates of depression, an illness that can have a devastating effect on older adults. Yet California’s rural areas suffer from a shortage of mental health professionals, leaving seniors with few options for treatment.
The amount of state funding given to a child with developmental disabilities varies wildly depending on where the child lives, according to a new report by Public Counsel, the nation’s largest pro bono law firm. Regions with higher black and Latino populations receive lower funding than those with higher white and Asian populations, the report said.
Legislation called the California Values Act would prevent state, local and school police from enforcing immigration laws or using their resources to investigate, detain or arrest people for immigration violations.
Though they rocked cultural norms by being open about their sexuality in their youth, these lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) elders, often find that moving into an assisted living or skilled nursing facility means going back into the closet.
Rosalinda Hernandez-Guzman grew up in the same Central Valley town where she is now raising her daughter. Visalia is rich in agriculture — rows of grapes, olives and citrus ring the city — but it falls behind the rest of California in access to reproductive health services.
Interpersonal assault victims, who already faced stigma and a culture that often blames them for their assault, now must contend with a president who himself has been accused of sexual assault. Further, President Donald Trump’s immigration policies have left many California victims who are undocumented afraid to even step foot in a courthouse or police station, for fear that they may be deported.
Hepatitis C kills more people in the United States each year than any other infectious disease, yet few people realize how widespread the virus is or know what areas of the country are most impacted.
As Republicans work to dismantle the national Affordable Care Act, a bill to create universal health care coverage in California continues to wind its way through the legislature.