May 2, 2020, Washington DC — Statement from Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services, in response to today’s joint statement regarding COVID-19 testing on Capitol Hill from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell:  

“We appreciate the decision by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to decline COVID-19 testing resources and redirect them to the front line, where they are most needed. Older adults and their care providers — who are at the greatest risk — desperately need access to testing on the same priority tier as hospitals, and need the results in minutes, not days or weeks. We must prioritize getting the urgently needed testing to nursing homes, assisted living settings, and wherever older adults call home so we protect older Americans and the heroic care workers by their side.  

We repeat, as we said in response to the Administration’s Apr. 30 Protecting America’s Seniors event, that the only way to avert this slow-motion catastrophe is to provide meaningful amounts of personal protective equipment, as well as effective and efficient testing and a comprehensive approach to supporting older adults and the workers who care for them.” 

LINK: “Reaction to White House Nursing Home Event”

We represent more than 5,000 aging-focused organizations that touch millions of lives every day. Alongside our members and 38 state partners, we address critical issues by blending applied research, advocacy, education, and community-building. We bring together the most inventive minds in our field to support older adults as they age wherever they call home. We make America a better place to grow old. For more information: www.leadingage.org