If you live in a state that hasn’t yet had its presidential primary and you’re wavering between Senators Obama and Clinton — or if you’re just curious to see where they stand on long-term care — check out their answers to 15 questions posed late last year by the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations.
All the then-current candidates were asked the same set of questions about policy issues affecting elders, but only Clinton and Obama answered. In response to question five — How would you improve the quality of life and quality of care for people in nursing homes and what would you do to ensure that a sufficient number of direct care workers are recruited and retained across the long-term care continuum? — Senator 
Clinton talks about strengthening the workforce with “a national system of background checks for long-term care workers and a $125 million investment in Workforce Investment Programs.”
Senator Obama is less specific, saying only that he would “start by ensuring that our long-term and geriatric care workforce the respect and support they deserve,” and that he supports “training more nurses and health care workers in geriatrics, working to improve the overall training of all long-term care workers at every level, and, in particular, focusing on the issue of helping to better understand and manage pain.”
Elise Nakhnikian, Senior Online Editor
enakhnikian@phinational.org
I like senator clinton answere, she will invest millions of dollors in workforce programs seems like she already, have the knowledge on improving the quality of life for long term residents.
We are still missing the point. AAHSA and the other organizations affiliated with the Aging Industry must address education and training issues of qualified staff to work in the LTC arena when they go to Congress. We in the healthcare (LTC) must keep this issue on the front burner with our reps in Congress. The candidates do not have a clue because we have not held their feet to the fire.The owners of the facilities are not going to invest in a viable training program which needs to be ongoing to ensure competent staff. Then the schools *(CNA and Licensed ) need to revise their curriculums to address the aging population health issues to include wellness and prevention. This is a shared venture and immediate attention is needed. Let us join forces.
The reimbursement rate must be increased so that wages are competitive to the non-nursing industry. Regulations need to be kept consistent and not be over-whelming. Surveyors should not be out there on a witch hunt, but be there with suggestions, instead of penalties. Especially, for the county homes that fill a big need for the lower-income aged in America.