Dean: We Must Meet the Long Term Care Needs of Our Aging Population

From Dean for America...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2003

Governor Dean Calls for a New Partnership with America's Families:
"We Must Meet the Long Term Care Needs of Our Aging Population"

DES MOINES, IA--Democratic presidential candidate Governor Howard Dean, M.D., unveiled his plan for long-term elder care today. From his prepared remarks:

"Our leaders can no longer ignore America's aging population. In 25 years, nearly one in five Americans will be over 65. The number of people over eighty will swell by nearly one third. Age has many benefits, but it also brings increased risk of chronic illness and accompanying disability," Governor Dean said.

Explaining that a year in a nursing home can easily consume the entire annual income of the average American family, Governor Dean argued that the country is "ill-prepared" to meet the challenge of an aging America.

"I propose a new partnership to take on the challenge of long-term care. It will be a partnership with families, between the federal and state governments and between the public and private long-term care givers," Governor Dean said.

"Our current long-term care system spends nearly three out of every four dollars on nursing home care -- a care setting few families would choose. And the price of admission is your life savings," Governor Dean said. "Yet what is the Bush administration's response to this looming crisis that increasingly threatens our economic, physical and mental well being as we grow older? Nothing at best, or
aggravating the situation even further at worst."

Governor Dean laid out these key points to his Long Term Elder Care Plan:

See the rest of the press release HERE for Governor Dean's full plan.