2005 WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON AGING

Dear Readers, Preparations are underway for the 2005 White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA), to be held October 23-26, 2005, in Washington, DC. Held once a decade, the conference formulates aging policy recommendations for the President and Congress. Its stated goal is to assist the public and private sectors in promoting dignity, health, independence, and economic security of current and future generations of older persons. On October 1, the WHCOA Policy Committee adopted a broad agenda for the 2005 conference.

One of the agenda items of particular relevance to the Annals of Long- Term Care readership is “Health and Long Term Living.” Among the issues that will be examined by the committee is a national long-term care policy. Encouragingly, part of the committee’s work will also be to “develop strategies to align payment policies with the continuum of care necessary for the aging, with appropriate emphasis on chronic care and access to geriatric care,” according to the WHCOA website. This realignment of Medicare, as we all know, from acute care to chronic care, is one of AGS’ legislative priorities.

Delivery of quality care by caregivers is another aspect of the committee’s Health and Long Term Living agenda. Issues under this item that will be examined include: the education of providers about prevention, mental health issues impacting older adults, effective disease management strategies, and coordination of care strategies; support of caregivers; incentives to encourage family members to care for their aging relatives; appropriate end-of-life care in all settings; incentives to ensure a reliable workforce exists to care for an aging society; and options to provide maximum independence and noninstitutional care for individuals with complex, chronic, disabling disease.

Over the past several months, AGS and several members across the country have participated in WHCOA listening sessions and brought problems regarding access to geriatric care to the Policy Committee’s attention. Alejandro Aparicio, MD, an AGS member, sits on the committee. We are pleased that the agenda adopted by the committee in October addresses this important area. The Policy Committee expects to finalize the list of issues in February 2005. At that time, the listening sessions will be replaced by Solution Forums, where stakeholders will have the opportunity to make recommendations for possible consideration as Conference resolutions.

With an eye toward the implications that the WHCOA will have on long-term care policy in the coming years, we urge you to visit the WHCOA website at https://whitehouseconferenceonaging.gov for more information on the Conference and how you can get involved in upcoming listening sessions and solution forums in your area, as well as how you can become a delegate. Regards, Linda Hiddemen Barondess Executive Vice President