March 9, 2023 Washington, DC — Statement from Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services, on the HCBS Access Act introduced today by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA): 

“America’s population is aging rapidly. We simply do not have enough workers to meet current, let alone projected, need for care,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services. “Substantial investments in the direct care workforce, such as those in the HCBS Access Act, are exactly what’s needed to begin to solve the current workforce crisis in aging services. Rather than target one or two areas, this legislation rightly aims to spread workforce resources widely. State and nonprofit-operated apprenticeship and training programs would be eligible for funding, along with initiatives that focus on retention by helping current aging services employees develop their expertise while on the job. And that’s not all: the expansion of home-and-community based services called for in this legislation is sorely needed to ensure that older adults can receive services in the setting of their choice, across the care continuum. We look forward to working with Senator Casey and other cosponsors on these priorities in the 118th Congress.”

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.