Editorial: Where we can do more

Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2005 | 8:43 a.m.

There has been a lot of talk lately about President Bush's plan to partially privatize Social Security and whether Medicare's new prescription drug benefit will deliver for seniors as promised. These are important issues, but there is another critical matter for seniors and their families that doesn't always get the attention it deserves. That oft-ignored issue is the high cost of housing for seniors, especially for those who no longer are able to live on their own but don't need the constant, 24-hour care provided by nursing homes. These seniors simply may have a disability and have trouble getting around by themselves -- they might be more prone to falling, for instance, and breaking a bone.

One option that has become increasingly popular for these seniors is assisted living centers, which typically offer residents private rooms and provide on-site staff in case there is an emergency. The centers, which resemble apartment complexes, also provide preventive health care and offer on-site visits from health care providers. The downside is that assisted living centers can be expensive and well out of reach of many seniors -- rent can run as high as $3,000 a month.

In light of this, we are encouraged by an assisted living center that's expected to open in Las Vegas by the end of this year for seniors with lower incomes. Those who have less than $24,000 a year in income will be eligible and, if they are admitted, their rent will be based on their ability to pay. Through a public-private partnership, Silver Sky assisted living center will consist of 84 one-bedroom apartment units and six two-bedroom apartments. In addition, the complex will have laundry facilities, a library, lounges and a recreation room.

Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, has been a driving force behind the center and has been aided in her efforts by U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. The center will be built on land donated by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the city of Las Vegas has passed through $1 million in federal grants for the project, and Harrah's Entertainment Inc. has pledged to give $800,000 over a three-year period.

There definitely is a need for such a facility. The senior advocacy organization AARP, dispelling the stereotype of Nevada as being overrun by wealthy out-of-state retirees, points to a 2003 study that found nearly 27 percent of seniors 75 and over here had annual incomes of less than $15,000.

Buckley tells the Sun that she hopes the assisted living center will be replicated elsewhere in Las Vegas. So do we. This is a prosperous city that certainly can do more for retirees, providing compassion and a helping hand where it's needed.