AARP has published responses from Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain to a series of questions about long-term care, health care reform, and other issues affecting older Americans. The three discussed in the long-term care section are:
- Increasing consumer choice and control for people needing long-term care;
- Improving standards and incentives for quality care; and
- Providing family caregiving initiatives, such as respite.
AARP routinely surveys presidential and state-level candidates to let its members know where the candidates stand. In addition to submitting a written response, the candidates may check a box indicating whether they support or oppose the proposed public policy initiative. A third box shows AARP’s position. McCain provided narrative responses to the questions but didn’t check any of the boxes. Obama checked the boxes as well, aligning with AARP’s position on all three of the long-term care questions.
AARP’s 38 million members are a potent political force. They tend to pay close attention to issues that affect them, and they vote in big numbers.
Elise Nakhnikian, Senior Online Editor
enakhnikian@phinational.org
