AARP's No. 1 Priority for 2007: Reform Virginia's Long-Term Care Services

Source: AARP.org | January 23, 2007

Improving the delivery of long-term care services is the top goal of AARP Virginia's staff and volunteer advocacy team as they gear up for the 2007 Virginia General Assembly session, which convened Jan. 10. Members of the team will be present at the General Assembly nearly every day during the session.

Long-term care will also be a major item on the agenda for Governor Tim Kaine's newly created Commission on Health Reform, which will benefit from having a prominent AARP voice in the mix. Governor Kaine has appointed AARP Executive Council member Bill Lukhard to chair the commission's Long-Term Care Workgroup.

AARP Virginia is working for a long-term care system that provides choices and options for individual choice of services and settings so people can get the help they need when they need it and how they desire it.

It should include these four essential elements:

• Access: Services should be readily available in a comprehensive, consumer-friendly system providing information, counseling and eligibility assessment.
• Services: Long-term care must include support for all settings and provider types, including families and friends caring for individuals with long-term care needs in their homes.
• Quality: Services should have quality assurance programs (which include customer satisfaction surveys and quality reports) as well as programs for provider recruitment and retention. Standards must be appropriately set and enforced.
• Financing: Educational programs for citizens are needed to help them plan for their potential long-term care service needs.

Taking its message to the General Assembly and to the airwaves, AARP will continue to support increased funding for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, which advocates on behalf of older people receiving long-term care, and the No Wrong Door Initiative, which aims to streamline long-term care services by giving agencies and health care providers a secure, Internet-based portal for sharing information on clients' needs and available services.

Governor Kaine's new Commission on Health Reform also speaks to AARP's advocacy on behalf of older and disabled Virginians who require long-term care services, as well as all Virginians who need quality, affordable health care. The commission will convene leading voices from the public and private sectors—including state legislators, health care professionals, and consumer and patient advocates—to recommend effective ways to reform and strengthen health care in Virginia. The emphasis is on access and quality and safety of care, as well as long-term care and affordability.

"Ensuring access to quality health care that is safe and affordable is one of the most fundamental commitments we have to our citizens," Kaine said. "With more than one million Virginians lacking health care coverage, and with growing shortages of health professionals in all disciplines across the Commonwealth and the nation, we must look for creative ways to further improve the delivery of health care to Virginians.

AARP's Bill Lukhard brings a wealth of experience to his role as chairman of the Commission's Long-Term Care Workgroup. Lukhard is Virginia's former Commissioner of Social Service, has chaired AARP's National Legislative Council, and received AARP Virginia's most recent Andrus Award for Community Service.

Mark Your Calendars:
AARP Virginia will hold a Long-Term Care Rally at the Bell Tower on Capitol Square in Richmond at 10 a.m. on Jan. 24. The event is open to the public. All groups and individuals who are interested in issues affecting Virginians age 50-plus are invited.

To find out more about the rally or learn more about AARP Virginia's efforts to improve long-term care, call 1-866-542-8164 or email.