AARP Calls for Efforts To Address Expected Increase in Long-Term Care Costs
The United States needs a policy to address the "anticipated heavy costs" of providing long-term care to a growing population of older individuals and people with disabilities, AARP officials said Wednesday during an international forum on long-term care sponsored by AARP, CongressDaily/AM reports. AARP Executive Director William Novelli predicted "dramatic demographic changes," as 77 million baby boomers will begin retiring in five years. Forum speakers said a program that would combine government and private long-term care insurance, as well as personal spending, is needed to cover the "huge" future costs of long-term care, CongressDaily/AM reports. The forum also addressed other long-term care issues, including that more people now prefer at-home care to nursing home services. AARP board member Joanne Disch said, "People need quality care, not necessarily in institutions" (Rich, CongressDaily/AM, 10/23).
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