April 30, 2020, Washington DC — Statement from Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services, in response to today’s “Protecting America’s Seniors” White House event:  

In today’s remarks on ‘Protecting America’s Seniors,’ the President claimed that ‘We’re taking very special care of our nursing homes and our seniors.’ This is false. The time for talk, symbolism, and proclamations has passed. It’s time for action from the White House and Congress.

For weeks and weeks, vulnerable older adults have been living in fear as infections and death tolls climbed, not knowing whether the equipment, testing, and support they need to protect their lives would arrive in time. 

Today’s announcements fell far short of what’s needed to protect the most vulnerable Americans from the coronavirus.

• For the millions of other older Americans being cared for outside of nursing homes—in assisted living, HUD-assisted housing for low-income older adults, life plan communities, hospices, and in our homes and communities—the government offered practically nothing today. Nothing. 
• Older adults in federally-assisted housing have not been mentioned. We continue to await guidance and assistance to ensure that the 1.6 million older adults living in HUD-assisted housing older adults have the support they need to stay healthy and safe.

• As economies open up, there has been no prioritization announced for older adults—who must now compete with nail salons and gyms for life-protecting supplies on the open market.

• There is still no sign that testing for older adults will be given the same priority as hospitals so that asymptomatic people aren’t infecting one another and spreading the virus where it is most deadly.

• FEMA’s two, one-week supplies of PPE distribution are wholly insufficient. Further, they will go only to nursing homes, leaving out millions of vulnerable older adults who are cared for elsewhere. 

The only way to avert this slow-motion catastrophe is to provide meaningful amounts of PPE, as well as effective and efficient testing and a comprehensive approach to supporting older adults and the workers who care for them.

Contact: Lisa Sanders

lsanders@leadingage.org 202-508-9407