RELEASE: Harder Calls for National Aging Conference to Fast-Track Solutions for Seniors
Senior population skyrocketing while resources, health care access dwindling
Last convened in 2015, time running out for 10-year Aging Conference this year
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) called for immediate action to fast-track solutions to address unprecedented challenges for seniors. As the senior population grows, long-term care becomes less accessible and more unaffordable, leaving many seniors without the critical care they need.
The White House Conference on Aging is traditionally held every ten years and was last convened in 2015. With time running out to hold the conference this year, Rep. Harder introduced legislation to demand the federal government take this long-term care crisis seriously and immediately convene the 2025 Conference.
The aging crisis by the numbers:
- By 2034, seniors will outnumber children under 18 years old for the first time ever.
- 70% of seniors need long-term care at a time when the long-term care workforce is short nearly 8 million workers.
- More than 53 million Americans currently provide unpaid caregiving services to family members, and nearly one-third of unpaid caregivers report experiencing mental health challenges.
“A caregiver collapse is coming, and we’re running out of time to prevent it,” said Rep. Harder. “Seniors can't get the care they need, and now many parents are being squeezed to provide for their parents and their kids at the same time. We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to change course before it’s too late – that’s why I’m calling for the 2025 Aging Conference to immediately convene and put long term care at the top of the agenda.”
Harder’s top priorities for the 2025 White House Conference on Aging:
- Protect health care access, including Medi-Cal and the Affordable Care Act.
- Tackle workforce shortages facing the nation’s health care system.
- Reduce barriers to quality, affordable in-home care.
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