It has been a devastating year for those in long-term care, and now AARP is calling on the Florida legislature to consider major reforms in the upcoming 2021 session.
“I think you come out of this and we as a state are failing if we don’t say we have to come up with a better way,” said Jeff Johnson, the Florida State Director for AARP.
What You Need To Know
- AARP wants more funding for in-home care
- The organization says that would benefit families and society
AARP is calling on lawmakers to reallocate Medicaid funding, putting more towards in-home services as opposed to nursing homes. Johnson said the change would allow the elderly to age at home for as long as possible.
“It’s going to be cheaper per person for the state. It’s going to be a better use of taxpayer money,” Johnson said. “And it’s going to keep them safer from a virus like this too.”
According to Dr. Lindsay Peterson with USF’s School of Aging Studies, there would be a ripple effect when it comes to families and society at large.
“Back in the olden days, we had these multigenerational families and people learned things from each other,” Peterson said. “And the more opportunities we have for people to stay together longer, the more cohesive the family unit is.”
According to AARP, there are tens of thousands of people statewide on a waiting list for in-home services. But when medical needs become too much, or when family can no longer make it work, Johnson said a nursing home often becomes the only option – something AARP is hoping lawmakers will change in the new year.