Susan Wallace, president and CEO, and Eli Faes, director of public policy, were in Washington this week for LeadingAge’s National Leadership Summit and Lobby Day, joined by Ohio members representing the full continuum of aging services. The group met with members of Ohio’s congressional delegation, including Sens. Husted and Moreno and Reps. Jordan, Beatty, Carey, Davidson, Kaptur, Latta, and Landsman, to bring provider experience directly into federal policy discussions.
Their message centered on key national priorities outlined for Lobby Day, emphasizing the cross-cutting challenges in workforce and the healthcare workforce as a key economic driver, the need for developing new affordable housing while also preserving affordability for communities approaching the end of their lifespan, and ensuring access to hospice amidst fraud and program integrity challenges, as well as promoting cost-saving home- and community-based services through the Older Americans Act. Conversations emphasized the financial pressures facing nonprofit providers and the need for stable federal support to sustain services for older adults and caregivers.