The Delaware Aging Network wants to engage in dialogue with our elected officials about the public policy issues that impact the growing population of older adults in Delaware. Goals for this dialogue may include:

1. Identify and reinforce “the voice” of Delaware’s seniors; recognize the critical role of the aging network and the Older Americans Act.
    

2. Identify the pressing concerns of the aging population and possible solutions, including but not limited to the following:


 

• Access to transportation

• Affordable and age-appropriate housing; redefinition of assisted living as “supportive   housing” so that non-health care dollars can be used to provide it

• Equitable access to health care

• Increased availability of in home services and related problems associated with inadequate State reimbursement for these services

• Recognition of the essential role of family caregivers

• Emerging crisis among direct care workers (i.e., recruitment and retention of paraprofessionals for long term and in home care)

• Greater investment in research and prevention strategies, including prevention/cure of Alzheimer’s disease, reducing falls among older persons and delayed onset of other debilitating conditions to reduce long term care burden

• Improved quality of care in long term care facilities

• Expanded funding for congregate meals programs

 

3. Initiate public education campaign about services for the aging population, including housing options (in home care, long term care, etc.), transportation, financial considerations (e.g., reverse mortgages, long term care insurance), and resources for caregivers. Provide a Legislative Day for senior service providers, older adults and public officials as part of this campaign.
    

4. Demonstrate the ways senior service providers save money for the State and urge greater investment in programs that work. For example, DAN represents agencies that:
    

• Provide transportation for 30% of the 55+ population through the 5310 program (statistics from DTC/DART).

• Meet basic needs through the delivery of homebound meals to elderly and disabled clients and provision of congregate meals to sites throughout Delaware.

• Act as the primary delivery system of information and services for public/private organizations such as Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities, Division of Public Health, AstraZeneca, and foundations (e.g., Crystal Trust and Laffey-McHugh).
   

5. Determine ways to increase State funding for senior services beyond Grant In Aid for senior centers. Support State applications for Federal grant programs that will provide funding for new or expanded services (e.g., Administration of Aging’s Choices for Independence initiative and other consumer-directed care programs).

Older Americans ACT Amendments of 2006

Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act was the top-ranked resolution at the 2005 White House Conference on Aging. Josefina G. Carbonell, Assistant Secretary for Aging from the US Administration on Aging, wrote the following about passage of the 16^th  reauthorization of the Older Americans Act.

“The Older Americans Act embodies our nation’s compassion toward ensuring the dignity and independence of our older citizens by promoting older Americans’ full participation in society, and supporting their overwhelming desire to remain living in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. Other provisions include:

• Enhanced Federal, State, and Local coordination of long-term care services provided in home and community based settings

• Support for State and community planning to address the long-term care needs of the Baby Boom generation

• Greater focus on prevention and treatment of mental disorders

• Outreach and service to a broader universe of family caregivers under the National Family Caregiver Support Program

• Increased focus on civic engagement and volunteerism

• Enhanced coordination of programs that protect elders from abuse, neglect and exploitation

The new legislation advances the President’s New Freedom initiative and affirms the Administration’s commitment to health promotion and disease prevention, value and ownership. The OAA embeds the principles of the Administration’s Choices for Independence initiative. The legislation modernizes community-based long-term care systems to empower consumers to manage their own care and make choices that will allow them to avoid institutional care and live healthy lives in the community.”

Congressional Legislation, 110th Congress
Older Adult Related, 1/7/2008

• Hearing Aids: H2329/S1410 will provide a $500 tax credit per hearing aid every 5 years.
   

• Digital Television: S2125/H3862 will assist seniors about the upcoming Digital Television Act
   

• CLASS Act: S1758/HR3001 supports the financing of Long Term Care
   

• Safety of Seniors Act: HR3701/S845 provided falls prevention research and education
   

• Home Energy Assistance Targeted for Seniors Act H.R.2984 Amends the Low-Income Home Energy   Assistance Act by redefining low-income households.
  Capital Access for Senior Homeowners Act of 2007 S.1985 Amends the National Housing Act with respect to insurance of home equity conversion mortgages for elderly homeowners.
   

• Senior Safety and Dignity Act H.R.1476 –amends Medicare and Medicaid to expand the nursing home patients' bill of rights to include the right to receive care from a credible caregiver by requiring background checks on direct access employees. Establishes the right to a safe environment during an emergency or natural disaster by requiring nursing long-term care facilities to establish disaster emergency and evacuation plans.
   

• Stop Senior Suicide Act: S.1854 establishes an Interagency Geriatric Mental Health Planning Council to coordinate and collaborate on the planning for the delivery of mental health services, to include suicide prevention, to older adults, removes Medicare provisions that limit payment for the treatment of mental, psychoneurotic, and personality disorders of an individual who is not an inpatient Provides grants or to eligible entities to develop strategies for addressing suicide among the elderly. Expands information, training, and technical assistance on suicide to include suicide among all ages,
   

• Medicare Prescription Drug Savings: H.R.3025 Amends Medicare, part D to deal with some of the barriers and difficulties that have surfaced since the inception of the plan.
   

• Seniors Offering Quality Child Care Act of 2007, HR 532 - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act to: (1) increase the portion of funds states must use for activities to improve the quality of child care services; (2) include among such activities examining methods to increase recruitment, retention, and compensation of child care workers age 55 and older; and (3) exempt allowances, earnings, and payments to such older individuals under CCDBGA from consideration as income in determining eligibility for and amount of income transfer and in-kind aid under any federal or federally assisted program based on need. Amends the Social Security Act to exempt compensation for child caregiving services of employees of eligible child care providers from consideration under the Social Security earnings test.
   

• Preventing Medicare Seniors from Abusive Marketing for Medicare SCAMs H.R.2307 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) to provide for: (1) enhanced penalties for Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plans and Medicare prescription drug plans that violate marketing requirements; and (2) public notification about plans that habitually receive intermediate sanctions. Permits Medicare beneficiaries enrolled under prescription drug plans suspended under this Act to enroll under other plans during the period of suspension.
   

• Part D Equity for Low-Income Seniors Act, S1102/H.R.1536/S1108 – Amends Medicare part D to expedite the processing of low-income assistance through a request to the Secretary of the Treasury for tax return and other information. Increases the alternative resource standard for determination of eligibility for a low-income subsidy for 2008, indexed for inflation for succeeding years. Requires indexing of deductibles and cost-sharing above the annual out-of-pocket threshold for individuals with income below 150% of the poverty line.
   

• Senior Nutrition Act , S.1090 - Allows a person who is at least 60 years old eligibility for the commodity supplemental food program if she/he is eligible for the food stamp program; or has a household income that is not more than 185% of federal poverty income guidelines.
   

• Reverse Mortgages to Help America's Seniors Act H.R.568, removes the aggregate and insurance benefit limitations on the number of home equity conversion (reverse) mortgages for elderly homeowners that may be insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
   

• Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act H.R.1588/S921/H.R.820/H.R.2644 - Amends Medicare to provide for coverage under Medicare part B of marriage and family therapist services and those services provided in rural health clinics and in hospice programs, and mental health counselor services under part B of the Medicaid program. Amends Medicare part C to exclude such services from the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system. Authorizes marriage and family therapists to develop discharge plans for post-hospital services.
   

• Rural Access to Mental Health and Wellness for Children and Seniors S.633, provides assistance to rural schools, hospitals, and communities for the conduct of collaborative efforts to secure a progressive and innovative system to improve access to mental health care for youth, seniors and families.
   

• Seniors Taking on Phony Marketers Act H.R.605 Amends the federal criminal code to increase the term of imprisonment for telemarketing fraud aimed at individuals over the age of 55. Authorizes appropriations for FY2008 for investigations, prosecution and public awareness initiatives.
   

• Seniors Access to Mental Health Act H.R.1571/S.1715 - Amends Medicare to provide a gradual increase in the percentage of expenses considered incurred expenses of copayment rates for outpatient psychiatric services.
   

• Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program, H.R.292/H.R.166 To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act to reform funding for the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program by increasing program funding for the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program, expand the program to include locally produced farm products,
   

• Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act. HR 748/S450 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the outpatient therapy cap. On January 1, 2008, financial limits ($1810) on rehabilitation services will be imposed on Medicare patients if legislation is not passed.
   

• Elder Justice Act HR 1783/S 1070 – To provide adequate public-private infrastructure and to prevent, detect, treat, intervene in and prosecute elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and for other purposes.
   

• Social Security Fairness Act, S206/HR82: A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to repeal the Government pension offset and windfall elimination provisions.
   

NCOA Advocacy site: http://www.ncoa.org/content.cfm?sectionID=58

NCOA Public Policy Priorities for the 110th Congress (2007-2008): http://www.ncoa.org/content.cfm? sectionID=336&detail=1820

Funding provided by Delaware Community Foundation

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