December 20, 2021, Washington, DC—Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, the national association of nonprofit providers of aging services, issued the following statement in response to this weekend’s announcement by Senator Joe Manchin about the Build Back Better legislation:

“It is time for Congress to provide overdue relief for older adults and their families. Build Back Better contains historic investments in home and community-based services, affordable housing for low income seniors, as well as much-needed measures to address the aging services sector’s severe workforce challenges. Too many older adults are struggling to access the essential services they need; Americans overwhelmingly support the increased investments in aging services contained in Build Back Better. Nothing should disrupt Congress from delivering this much-needed help for older adults and their families.” 

Sloan noted that Americans back measures to fund services and care for older adults: 

• 89% support an increased public investment in affordable home care services

• 86% support increased public investment in housing and support for low-income older adults to address the shortages and waiting lists that lead to homelessness, instability and skipping meals.
• 83% say “Elected officials have failed older adults and the people who care for them by ignoring and underfunding America’s aging services for decades. The gaps and shortcomings of our government’s system have created unnecessary hardship and struggle for too many families who cannot access or afford the care they need.”
• 85% say “now is the right time to think about building a better system for our seniors.”

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.