Alumna voices support for New York legislation

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Alumna voices support for New York legislation

 

Hillsdale alumna Cynthia Martindale, author of a caregiving book for senior citizens, recently voiced support for New York legislation that requires court approval before landlords could terminate leases.  

In November 2015, 150 elderly people living at Esplanade Senior Living facility in New York received a letter notifying them that their leases were terminated because the apartment complex was being renovated to accommodate luxury renters.

Democratic Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins initially introduced a bill that would require landlords in New York to obtain judicial permission before they can terminate a lease.

Martindale, who spent most of her career working in sales and marketing capacities for senior living communities and personally acted as the primary caregiver for her elderly parents, has publicly voiced support for the bill and even suggested that its passing would be a win for the senior citizens of New York.

“The new bill offers court oversight for our growing senior population with specific needs for housing, support, and services,” Martindale told reporter Richard Liebson during an LOHUD Journal News interview. “Judicial protections, such as the requirement that a senior’s lease cannot be terminated except for specified cause, prohibit future Esplanade-like situations from taking place.”

Martindale became interested in the bill after reading an article about it on Bing News.

“I’m a thought leader in my field and not a boots-on-the-ground activist,” Martindale said in an email. “I did very little to move along the legislation except perhaps to make the situation more visible.”

Martindale said that Liebson, a New Yorker who writes on local happenings and who recently interviewed her, is the “true promoter of the Esplanade saga,” and has been writing about the bill for months.

“If it passed, this bill would give senior citizens an extra layer of protection,” he said. “Many of these residents are in their 80s and 90s. When you’re in you’re late 90s, it’s hard to find a place to live quickly. Most moved in thinking that this would be their final spot but because of carefully crafted leases, the landlords were able to terminate their leases at any time for any reason.”

Martindale’s book “Graceful Last Chapters: Helping Seniors Who Need More Care,” was published before the New York bill came to public attention and did not have a role in the legislation’s creation. Martindale’s book and more than twenty years of senior care experience, however, has led people like Liebson to conclude that she could be an expert and important source as the legislation moves forward.

“What I’ve read about her book indicates that it is a primary source for senior citizens or families who are contemplating their final home. It provides insider, helpful information,” Liebson said. “Books like this from people within the industry are important. When the time comes, I’ll recommend to my children that they get a copy to take care of me.”