In recent letters to @JoeBiden & Congress, @AmerGeriatrics emphasizes the importance of preparing for future public health emergencies, building & maintaining a healthcare workforce equipped to care for us all as we age, and more at the federal level: http://ow.ly/82wV50DCUcK
New York (Feb. 18, 2021)—In recent letters to President Joseph R. Biden and the 117th Congress, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) has highlighted programs and policies essential to supporting the health, independence and quality of life of older Americans and their caregivers. The letters reaffirm the AGS’s commitment to working collaboratively with federal leadership and emphasize the importance of preparing for future public health emergencies, building and maintaining a healthcare workforce equipped to meet older adults’ unique needs, and improving care for older people living with multiple chronic and complex conditions.
“In our letters, we focused on programs and policies that are critical to the care of older Americans and their families and to ensuring that the U.S. has a workforce with the skills and competence to care for us all as we age,” said Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA, Chief Executive Officer of the AGS. “We look forward to working with the Biden Administration and Congress on public policy solutions that will achieve our vision for a future when every older American receives high‐quality, person‐centered care.”
That vision for the future, as outlined by the AGS, necessitates federal policies that:
- Prepare the U.S. for future pandemics, public health emergencies and disasters;
- Build our healthcare workforce by increasing access to geriatrics healthcare professionals, increasing funding to Title VII Geriatrics Training Programs, and ensuring the competence of our workforce caring for older adults;
- Support our healthcare workforce by supporting direct care workers, ensuring equal pay for equal work by women, and ensuring access to paid family leave; and
- Improve care for older adults with multiple chronic and/or complex conditions by supporting innovative models of care, strengthening long-term services and supports, further expanding telehealth services, and more.
Letters from the AGS also stressed the organization's commitment to creating a just society where all people are full members of their communities and entitled to equal protection and treatment. In late 2020, the AGS launched a multi-year, multi-pronged initiative addressing structural racism and ageism in health care, and the Society looks forward to working collaboratively with the Biden Administration and Congress “to address these complex issues by implementing policies that support all of us to age well in our own communities.”
About the American Geriatrics Society
Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit society of geriatrics healthcare professionals that has—for 75 years—worked to improve the health, independence, and quality of life of older people. Its nearly 6,000 members include geriatricians, geriatric nurses, social workers, family practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and internists. The Society provides leadership to healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public by implementing and advocating for programs in patient care, research, professional and public education, and public policy. For more information, visit AmericanGeriatrics.org.