The Oregon Caregiver FALL/WINTER 2023 www.ohca.com 26 PROFILE Rep. Lucetta Elmer, (R-District 24) POLICY MAKER like many sectors in Oregon, and most other industries statewide. We are beginning to see the outcomes of a growing aging population that doesn’t have the social guardrails to ensure the care they need; I see that right here in District 24, specifically. We have a large senior population and it’s hitting us hard, and this swelling base of individuals highlights the importance of expanding care options, locally, as well as creating more pathways to education for people who want to serve our aging population in a long term care capacity. What are your policy interests and why they are important to you? I am very interested in being there for the youth, who feel they just do not have a direction, and in industries that are looking for that next generation to step up. So many young adults are working hard to make ends meet, yet there still seems to be a shortage of helping hands. I just want to help connect those dots and get youth into career advancement programs so they can be well equipped to face the challenges that are knocking on our door. Do you feel like your passion in childcare intersects with the senior population? Childcare absolutely intersects with the senior population as well as our growing underemployment crisis. Many industries just can’t find the workforce and childcare is no different. Interestingly, we know that access to childcare advances economic opportunities for families, which would alleviate workforce challenges for long term care. Our workforce needs to be able to have kids and get to work. Families shouldn’t have to choose between a paycheck and their children. We have been able to find overlap between our early childhood programs and our senior population through initiatives, like Operation Generation, which would pair seniors with single parent families to not only help parents find the care they need, but also bring seniors into communities, which we know has a substantial impact on long term mental health. What is your favorite thing about Oregon? Our entrepreneurs. Oregonians are creative in finding ways to solve problems in the community, and they do care deeply about that work. I’m grateful to see the problem-solving spirit up close, and I’m continually inspired by the passion that drives folks in every corner of our state. Representative Lucetta Elmer (R-District 24) currently serves Yamhill County. She also serves on several committees including Business and Labor, Economic Development and Small Business, Early Childhood and Human Services, and Higher Education. In this article, Rep. Elmer discusses how her passion and background in childcare and education play a role in her policy interests. What have you learned about Oregon’s long term care sector that you didn’t know before you took office? I have learned that this sector is impacted heavily by staffing shortages,
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