Leadership Council of Aging Organizations meets

Debra Whitman, from the Senate Special Committee on Aging, addressed the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) January 7th and urged continued advocacy for aging issues. Looking back to the 110th Congress, she noted that Elder Justice and Criminal Background Check bills had strong support and expects that both will be introduced in the 111th Congress. She also mentioned watching for reintroduction this year of legislation to increase reimbursement for volunteers, improve nursing home care, support caregivers, address the need for a larger health care workforce, improvements to Medicare and reform for long-term care.

Health care reform must include the integration of long term care she said, but cautioned not to expect a large scale revamping of long-term care as a part of the overall health care reform. She suggested that components of long-term care reform may have a chance of being included in health care reform package. She encouraged continued advocacy for the issues about which we are most concerned.

Steve McConnell from Atlantic Philanthropies also spoke to the members about the foundation and its goals. Some of the areas of focus are on aging, disadvantaged youth and human rights. The fund’s goal is to grant several billion dollars to organizations over the next 8-9 years and exhaust the fund. Atlantic Philanthropies is non-partisan but is interested in funding advocacy to influence public policy and providing support that will have a lasting effect.

In other business LCAO is planning for hill briefings in the next few months with new and returning members of Congress to garner support for aging legislative and budget priorities.