A whole-of-government approach, coordinated at the highest level of government, could deliver the solutions older Americans and their families need and deserve, writes President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan in her latest blog.

Executives of 12 of the nation’s leading faith-based provider associations serving older adults joined LeadingAge today to call on President Biden to create a White House Office on Aging Policy. The request was made in a letter dated May 12 and sent to the President and Vice President during Older Americans Month. 

“We urge you to add a critical component to our existing care and programs for older adults: a strong, visible White House Office on Aging Policy. With this action, not only will you deliver focused, effective coordination of the country’s many aging-related federal programs, but you will also ensure that our nation honors the unique needs of older adults from all walks of life,” the letter reads. To see the full list of signers, review the letter or the press release.

As part of its Older Americans Month activities, LeadingAge renews its call for the Biden Administration to establish a White House Office on Aging Policy to provide unified, clear oversight and leadership that will ensure all older adults receive essential care and services. LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan said in a press release today, “As we celebrate older adults throughout May, let’s also do everything we can to support them and their families.”

“This month and beyond, I call upon all Americans to celebrate older adults for their contributions, support their independence, and recognize their unparalleled value to our Nation,” stated President Biden’s 2023 proclamation for Older Americans Month. It calls for additional investment to expand home care, support family and professional caregivers, and bolster nutrition programs for older adults, for example. However, it does not acknowledge the need for enhanced coordination of the numerous federal programs supporting older adults that LeadingAge has called for since December 2022.

Just days after LeadingAge issued a public call for a White House Office on Aging Policy, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News covered the story. Under the headline Form central agency to focus on care for aging: LeadingAge to White House, the article quotes Leading Age CEO and President Katie Smith Sloan: “The changing demographics of the nation mean that it will no longer serve us to leave it to individual staff within multiple departments to find each other on an ad hoc basis or coalesce for one emergent need.”

In her letter to the Biden Administration calling for the creation of a White House Office on Aging Policy, LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan wrote, “It is time to position aging issues in the White House with a strong and visible presence. The responsibility of building an infrastructure that supports aging lies not within one department or agency, but involves many: transportation, housing, income security, health and long-term care, food security, to name a few. We’re grateful there are several federal agencies addressing aging issues but the siloed approach to their work leaves many gaps.”

“We are not prepared for the demographic change that is fast approaching. The federal government’s focus on aging has developed from bottom up, without designated leadership. The result of this scattered approach is severely inadequate support for older adults in our country, which impacts quality of life and takes extraordinary tolls on communities and families – particularly those of color,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, in a press release as LeadingAge sent its request for a White House Office on Aging Policy to the Biden Administration. “We need leadership and vision to focus on the critical issues relevant to this growing cohort of our population.”