Senior care, already challenged by pandemic and Boomers aging, needs Medicaid
PACE, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, centers provide government-funded medical care and social services to people older than 55, and they are a growing alternative to nursing home care. In the photo, physical therapist Brad Ellis, standing, works with George Raines on mobility issues at a PACE center in Tennessee. (Anna Claire Vollers/Stateline)
Caring for Oregon's seniors has been my life's work. It began when I was a high school student in Hillsboro, and it continues today in my role leading Arete Living, an Oregon-based company that provides assisted living and memory care facilities.
Our caregivers and staff provide essential care to hundreds of seniors and people with disabilities every day in all corners of the state. We meet people where they are, and we provide the care they need to sustain their independence and quality of life. The work is hard, but it is also incredibly rewarding and fulfilling.
The last five years in senior care have been challenging to say the least. We faced a global pandemic and worked tirelessly to keep our residents safe and supported. And yet, with the pandemic behind us, I can say that I have never been more worried about the future of long term care in Oregon.
At the federal level, discussions around cutting Medicaid are rampant and incredibly worrisome. At the state level, difficult decisions are being made about what programs to fund and what programs to cut.
I am deeply concerned about what cuts to healthcare, or flat investments, will mean for our seniors as more Baby Boomers age into the years of their life when they need care, whether it is in an assisted living facility or in their own home. The increasing number of aging Oregonians who have more complex care needs than past generations, along with record-high inflation in medical supplies, food services, labor, and other critical health care components, means that the cost to provide care in Oregon is higher than it has ever been.
These issues are felt more deeply in our rural and frontier communities where fewer caregivers are available and health care deserts already exist. Older Oregonians who have spent their lives in these communities should not have to move away from family and friends simply to find care. But Oregon is seeing assisted living and memory care facilities close their doors amid the combined pressures of more regulation, higher costs, and an underfunded Medicaid system.
I know that lawmakers have hard choices to make, and I do not envy their positions. But I urge them to think about the seniors in their districts who have worked hard and contributed to Oregon's beauty and success.
They deserve a long term care system that is well-funded and thriving. That will only happen when lawmakers step up and invest in Medicaid for our most vulnerable seniors, the same individuals we serve every day at Arete facilities and in others around the state. They are counting on us.
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