Argentum is thrilled to share that our priority legislation, the SENIOR Act, has officially been reintroduced in Congress! The legislation is led by Representatives Lori Trahan (D-MA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and is intended to address access and affordability of assisted living and the industry’s workforce needs (see our press release).
Specifically, The SENIOR Act (“Safeguarding Elderly Needs for Innovation and Occupational Resources”) would:
- Create a cost-reduction program allowing seniors to choose assisted living care instead of costlier skilled nursing facilities that rely on Medicaid.
- Re-target existing HHS and DOL workforce training programs like Job Corps, American Job Centers and others to offer specializations in senior care.
One of the critical policy challenges that the SENIOR Act seeks to address is the rapidly aging U.S. population. Every day, 10,000 Americans turn age 65. In a decade, for the first time in our nation’s history, there will be more seniors than children and nearly 70% of these seniors will need long-term care. However, 45% of retiring baby boomers have no retirement savings, let alone enough money to pay for their long-term care needs.
Yet, as the need for long-term care continues its dramatic growth, the current and future workforce is simply not keeping pace. The senior living industry lost more than 100,000 positions in the first 20 months of the pandemic. LTC workforce shortages eclipse all other health care shortages, with an estimated 20.2 million workers needed by 2040. Assisted living and memory care communities face the most acute workforce needs across the entire LTC continuum.
The SENIOR Act is a critical solution to ensuring the United States is able to meet its long-term care challenges in the years and decades to come. Over the coming weeks, Argentum will be working with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to promote the legislation and increase support through co-sponsorships.
But we need your help! We need as many constituent letters as possible urging support of this legislation. Pre-written letters are available here that can be sent by any senior living advocate: a resident or their family member, a frontline or administrative staff member, or anyone else passionate about the residents for whom we care.
