January 31, 2023 Washington, DC — A statement from Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services, on the announced ending of the COVID-19 public health emergency: 

“The declaration of a public health emergency has provided valuable flexibility and access to critical resources providers desperately need to ensure the wellbeing of older adults, who are among the most vulnerable to falling ill or worse from COVID-19, and also of the people who care for them. On May 11, many of those resources and flexibilities will be gone. While we appreciate the administration giving our mission-driven, nonprofit providers some time to plan, our members are severely overstretched and now face a new landscape of funding and rules while simply trying to survive. Questions still remain not just about waivers and flexibilities, but policies and other aspects of how the Biden administration will shift gears to a true post-COVID country. We are actively reaching out to CMS, HUD, and other agencies to better understand what their plans are for the end of the PHE and preparing for how we can best support members.”

We represent more than 5,000 nonprofit aging services providers and other mission-minded organizations that touch millions of lives every day. Alongside our members and 38 state partners, we use applied research, advocacy, education, and community-building to make America a better place to grow old. Our membership, which now includes the providers of the Visiting Nurse Associations of America, encompasses the continuum of services for people as they age, including those with disabilities. We bring together the most inventive minds in the field to lead and innovate solutions that support older adults wherever they call home. For more information visit leadingage.org.