The negotiations in Washington over raising the federal debt limit are going down to the wire this month with potentially drastic budget cuts to programs that protect and serve older adults on the negotiation table.
Leaders in aging community services will travel to Washington July 18-20 for The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) 36th Annual National Conference to discuss how the proposed budget cuts will impact our nation’s exploding aging population.
The summit will focus on the impact of proposed reforms that would cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Aging experts and leaders will discuss new reports, trends and concerns facing older adults and their caregivers around the country and look at best practices and policies for preparing communities for the rapidly aging population.
Aging leaders from all around the country will spend one day on Capitol Hill meeting with elected officials to share concerns over the potential cuts to important programs that serve the older adults and caregivers, including Social Security, Medicaid/Medicare, and discretionary programs like the Older Americans Act.
Key conference highlights include:
- A panel of experts will discuss “The Federal Budget Crisis & What it Means for Older Adults and Aging Services,” as talk of federal deficits and the national debt has the aging community concerned about how drastic budget cuts will affect their ability to help older adults maintain their health and independence.
- Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Bill Corr will discuss the impact of changes to Medicare and Medicaid on seniors, and U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee will focus on the future of aging services and the opportunities to support older Americans through the Affordable Care Act.
- The release of a national survey that assesses the capacity of the National Aging Network to meet the challenges and opportunities posed by our nation’s rapidly aging population.
- The Aging Innovations & Achievement Awards—sponsored by Critical Signal Technologies—will recognize the country’s most innovative aging programs and best practices including a visual medication management program to help older adults better manage their prescription drugs; an intergenerational volunteer meals program for frail elders; a program that provides assistive-eating devices to help older adults with arthritis; paralysis or other conditions that make it difficult to eat; and an all-volunteer Protective Money Management Program to help low-income seniors and persons with disabilities manage their financial affairs.
