NBC29 - 25th District Senator Creigh Deeds paid a visit to the Jefferson Area Board for Aging in Albemarle County early Thursday, December 22.

Sen. Deeds says what they’re doing at JABA to mentally help people as they age is critical for quality of life. He spent Thursday morning touring the facility and learning about some of the services it offers.

“I learned about a really exciting program that they have assisting people from all walks of life to sign up for Medicare, which can be a complicated problem,” the senator said.

Deeds says when people age, they often find themselves sitting at home. JABA gives them an opportunity to find fellowship in a gathering space.

“I was visiting with a group of seniors, an 88-year-old woman and a 90-year-old woman, both kept me sweating with tough questions,” Sen. Deeds said.

They raised issues about a lack of affordable housing for seniors, asking the senator what can be done about it. He says he now feels he has background information on their needs which will help when establishing state budget amendments.

The senator visited the children’s room and said it is never too early to start speaking about mental health.

“The issues that were raised about mental health have more to do with the fact that there’s a stigma that prevents people from getting treatment and stigma that sometimes prevents people from understanding what’s going on with other folks, especially family members,” Deeds said.