We need to protect the health, well-being of elders

To the Editor:
As state and federal lawmakers develop funding proposals that will affect older adults and care givers and impact their ability to access services in local communities, consideration should be given to the following principles:
Older adults want to remain in their own homes and communities. Research has shown that eliminating or decreasing funding for home and community-based services is short-sighted. The number of older adults continues to grow due to the aging of the baby boomers. In the next four years, nearly 15 million people will turn age 65. Rather than eliminating or decreasing funding, additional funding should be made available for home and community-based services, a demonstrated cost-effective aging option.
Unpaid care givers prevent billions of dollars in additional care costs to taxpayers. Thirty million unpaid family care givers annually provide over $470 billion in uncompensated care. Without home and community-based care giver support, many care givers would be unable to keep their loved ones at home and would need to access more expensive institutional settings.
Community infrastructure is a key component of healthy aging. For older adults to remain in their own homes and communities, there must be access to affordable housing, home and community-based services and a trained and adequate workforce.
Aging in place is essential to economic success. This includes the economic success of local communities, older adults and taxpayers.
As a society, we need to promote and protect the health, security and well-being of older adults and care givers, and lawmakers need to promote the value inherent in an aging population.
Linda Giersdorf
Executive Director
Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging, Inc.