Nina Kohn
Nina Kohn, the David M. Levy L’48 Professor of Law and faculty director of online education in the College of Law, wrote an op-ed for The Hill: “When it comes to healthy aging: location, location, location.”
Professor Kohn, an expert on the civil rights of older adults, says that location plays an essential role in how people age. Many factors of daily life that affect the wellbeing of older persons—such as access to health-related resources and exposure to health hazards—vary with location.
In the piece, Kohn emphasizes the importance of recognizing the connection between location and well-being, as the effects of location-based disadvantages have only worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Kohn, society must “prioritize housing and development policies that promote equitable communities through all stages of life” to best help older communities, especially those of color.
Kohn suggests that supporting affordable housing, maintaining public greenspace and funding public transportation would positively impact the lives and aging of older persons. She also highlights the many location-based flaws in the Medicaid system and says that changing its approach to home care must also be a part of the solution.
“Older adults should be able to live healthy and satisfying lives regardless of where they live. Creating the type of equitable communities that will make this possible requires an array of policy responses at the federal and state level,” says Kohn.
