Senior loneliness the topic at Monday's Carson City Democratic luncheon

The featured speaker at Monday's Democratic tele-luncheon will be Mary Liveratti, who served as AARP's Nevada state president for six years before retiring in 2018. She now serves as a volunteer advocate on behalf of legislation impacting seniors. At Monday's luncheon, she will talk about the role she plays in the University of Nevada, Reno’s NEST (Nevada Ensures Support Together) program, which addresses the social service needs of older Nevadans.

NEST is an action team consisting of more than 100 young volunteers working in small groups. Together with a co-leader in Southern Nevada, Liveratti coaches these volunteers and their senior clients in what kinds of basic services are available through governmental and non-governmental organizations and agencies. The program helps elders deal with an issue that neither they themselves nor their friends or family fully understand: social isolation.

The social side effects of the pandemic – fear and stress related to sheltering in place or undergoing quarantine – can be as deadly as the illness itself for many older adults. The intergenerational contact between those in need of help and those trained to know what can be done to help them has been a rewarding experience for all concerned.

And the need is very real. A 2018 AARP survey of seniors found that 46 percent were feeling lonely, and that number had risen to 61 percent before the pandemic had even started. Research conducted by Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, shows that among more than 3.4 million seniors, loneliness increases the risk of early death by 26 percent, while being socially connected increases the chances of survival by 50 percent.

The dilemma posed by COVID-19 is how the needs of seniors can be met without putting them at more risk by requiring them to leave their homes. That inspired Liveratti to launch an initiative she calls “Nevada CAN” (the Nevada COVID-19 Aging Network Rapid Response Plan). Nevada CAN provides easy access to help with daily needs, access to telehealth or medical services, and relief from social isolation. To access these services, seniors can call 211 or go online to www.nevada211.org/seniors-covid19-resources. Once they have filed a request, they are connected with a volunteer guide trained to provide essential support in geriatric services.

Liveratti is a former deputy director of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, and a 24-year veteran of the Division for Aging and Disability Services. Her many accomplishments in state service include establishing the statewide Home and Community-Based Service (HCBS) waiver program, which helps keep seniors in their homes, living independently as long as possible. She also led community partnership efforts to launch Nevada's 2-1-1 telephone service, which provides 24-hour access to health and human service information. She expanded autism services throughout the state, and added dental care to the Senior and Disability Rx program.

A licensed social worker, Liveratti has served on many statewide boards including the Nevada Commission on Aging, the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Alzheimer’s Association and Nevada Senior Olympics. As coordinator for the Governor’s Strategic Plan for Senior Services Task Force, she led the development of a ten-year strategic plan for seniors. She has served on the state’s Autism Commission, and on both the local and state boards of the League of Women Voters. A resident of Nevada since 1974, Liveratti enjoys gardening, sewing, reading and playing the mandolin.

Sponsored by the Democratic Men's Committee, this event is scheduled for noon on Monday, August 24th, and will be held online via Zoom teleconference due to the temporary shutdown of in-person venues. Those wishing to be on distribution for a link to the teleconference can email Rich Dunn, Men's Committee Events Coordinator, at richdunn@aol.com.