One hour into the final presidential debate last night, Barack Obama answered a question about the country’s health care crisis, remarking that the issue “will break your heart over and over again.”
The candidates took this final debate opportunity to mention ideas like putting health care records online, establishing more walk-in clinics, and the need to address childhood obesity.
What they didn’t mention was the issue of long-term care.
Well… The presidential debates are over and the general election is fast approaching. Given the limited amount we’ve heard from our candidates on long-term care, do you have an opinion on who would better address this issue? Who do you think will best prepare America to care for its aging population?
Some facts to consider:
- The population over 65 will more than double between 2000 and 2030.
- By 2016, America will need more direct-care workers than teachers from K-12.
- Real wages for personal and home care aides are falling while worker demand increases.
- Direct care workers are twice as likely to be uninsured than other workers
- Nursing homes lose up to 70% of their workers to turnover each year.
- Nursing aides, orderlies, & attendants are over 400% more likely to experience an injury than the average worker.
Aaron Toleos, Online Communications Director
atoleos@phinational.org
Are these the only two candidates running? I am a bit disappointed that this blog would focus entirely on just the two major party candidates. Perhaps we should be looking at a different viewpoint than the parties that have done virtually nothing over the last few decades.
It should be about choice, not the two most well known “brands”. To me, the choice between McCain and Obama is “None of the above”.
Chris,
Who are you supporting if “none of the above.” Let’s hear about your candidate and why you are supporting him/her. Does your candidate have a position on long term care?
I think we put way too much faith in political candidates and elections, when it comes to real changes in LTC. The fact of the matter is, nursing homes, old age, old people- have little to no clout in the big picture. Like it or not.
The problems we have are big; but not big enough to capture the nation’s attention. We forget that nursing home residents make up a very tiny percentage of the population- maybe 2% of people over 65 are residing in these places. That’s about 1.8 million residents. In a nation of just over 300 million.
Then we forget to consider that it is costing the US taxpayers 300 million plus to care for those 1.8 million. No one wants to see that number increase. And no one is going to sit back quietly and watch that happen, without standing up and demanding alternatives. No candidate, or elected official, is going to up the ante on this. It would be political suicide.
Bet on this: The workers needed to support an aging population will be foreign, uneducated immigrants (legal and illegal) who will do this work for low pay and little to no benefits, no matter WHO is elected President. Both candidates are very supportive of allowing immigrants to enter the US and do this work, which is fast becoming one of those jobs no American will do.
atoleos, your comment is somewhat rude and brash considering an association with PHI. I have noticed an increase in political style posting here- all left leaning- which disturbs me and many others. When you drag politics into the advocacy PHI has always stood for, it totally takes away much creditability. PHI may as well be a Democrat campaign site or an offshoot of DailyKos or the other liberal blogs.
Remember: Issues related to the work of ALL direct care workers should be the main focus here. Those of us who DO the work for a living are already well seated in our political beliefs and party affiliations. We don’t need to come here to read MORE politics.