Reacting to the Supreme Court's Decision on Reproductive Rights

By Lisa Nerenberg 

​The sucker punch of last week's Supreme Court's decision still has me reeling. It also has me thinking about how to channel my outrage. It's clear that Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization isn't just about abortion. Justice Thomas's chilling concurring opinion makes it likely that other deeply personal choices may come next. Older adults are at especially high risk.

Working with elders has helped me appreciate the extent to which our lives are shaped by the choices we've made and the choices we've been denied. That work has also helped me understand the myriad threats to autonomy and privacy we face as we age and the strengths and limitations of the justice system in protecting those rights. The decision comes on the heels of the pandemic, which exposed glaring disparities in access to health care by the poor and Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC). The Dobbs decision will deepen the divide.

Working with elders has helped me appreciate the extent to which our lives are shaped by the choices we've made and the choices we've been denied.

It's a good time for all of us to take stock of how our work has prepared us for today's challenges and to consider what more we can do. Here's what's on my list.

1. Continue to educate aging service providers and the public about elders' rights and how to protect them. This includes defending the rights of nursing home residents, championing the rights of crime victims, reforming conservatorship, and ensuring that our protective service systems don't violate privacy or perpetuate ageism.
2. Protect peoples' right to make decisions for themselves in illness and at the end of life through supported decision-making, advance directives, and estate planning.
3. Strengthen and support families and social institutions that enhance independence and autonomy.
4. Promote restorative justice approaches that reduce the harm of elder abuse and foster inclusion, engagement, accountability, and respect in all aspects of our work.
5. Strengthen our partnerships with other civil rights groups to demonstrate that justice for one group is justice for us all. Together we are stronger.

The decision comes on the heels of the pandemic, which exposed glaring disparities in access to health care by the poor and Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC). The Dobbs decision will deepen the divide.

​I'm proud to be part of a community of advocates that is deeply committed to autonomy, human rights and dignity. It gives me hope.
 
Let's regroup and move forward.

Lisa Nerenberg

Lisa Nerenberg is the Executive Director of the California Elder Justice Coalition.