July 23, 2021 Washington, DC—Statement from Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services, on the release and use of an estimated $24 billion remaining in the federal Provider Relief Fund:

“Older adults and the people who care for them are finally the focus of many current Hill conversations, as Members of Congress decide on funding sources for infrastructure and Care Economy investments. Our message to Congress is simple: aging services providers, who operate on narrow margins in the best of times, need relief after more than a year of shouldering significant Covid-related costs. For them the pandemic is not over; many are weighed down by losses and ongoing expenses for PPE, resident and staff testing, and support to retain staff.

Some nursing homes, assisted living, home care and community-based service providers have been pushed to the financial brink. If those providers close, consider the consequences: not only the loss to a community of a business and the jobs they provide and help support in other sectors, but heart-wrenching and potentially dangerous disruptions for older adults and families who must scramble to find a new care provider. We urge the Health Resources & Services Administration to release the remaining funds now. Time is of the essence.”

Sloan sent a letter this week underscoring the challenges facing aging services providers to Diana Espinosa, Acting/Deputy Administrator for the federal Health Resources & Services Administration, which administers the PRF funds.

LeadingAge represents more than 5,000 nonprofit aging services providers across the United States–including nursing homes, providers of care at home and in the community, adult day services; affordable housing, assisted living, life plan and independent living communities, hospice, and providers of federal PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) services.

Results of an online survey of 800 U.S. adults released by LeadingAge in June reveal that 83% of Americans say that elected officials have failed older adults and the people who care for them by ignoring and underfunding America’s aging services for decades. This sentiment is consistent across locales, including 85% of Americans in rural settings, 83% in urban settings, and 83% in suburban areas.

An overwhelming majority of Americans—Democrats, Republicans and Independents—believe now is the right time to think about building a better system for older adults. Almost 9 in 10 say that the government has an important role in ensuring that seniors are taken care of.

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.