Jehlen: Elder Affairs Funding Should be Budget Priority

Dear Editor,

As a growing number of “baby boomers” reach retirement age, we need to do more to address the needs of older Massachusetts residents.

The state’s population is expected to grow by 6% between 2010 and 2030, almost entirely in the 65+ age group. In 2010, 14% of Massachusetts’ population was made up by people who were 65 and older. By 2030, it will increase to 21%.

Massachusetts seniors were a priority in the FY’16 budget recently passed by the state Senate.  We sufficiently increased funding for home care to prevent a waitlist.  And we expanded eligibility for home care services to over 9,000 additional seniors.

We also increased funding to each Council on Aging by $1 per senior per year, based on the 2010 census, with the promise of further increases next year.

The nursing home leave of absence policy, commonly known as “bed hold”, was strengthened in the Senate budget. This policy ensures that nursing facilities will reserve residents’ beds for a period of time while they might be hospitalized or visiting family.

As the population grows, so does a skilled workforce in order to meet the demand for care.  The Senate added $5 million to fund a rate add-on for wages, benefits, and related employee costs of direct care staff of nursing homes.

We hope that these initiatives will be included in the final budget currently being negotiated between the House and Senate.

Sincerely,

Pat Jehlen
State Senator, Second Middlesex District