* This is the Senate letter. A copy of the letter was also sent to the House of Representatives.
On behalf of the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO), I am writing to urge you to prioritize the health, community-based services and supports, and economic security needs of older adults as you move forward with budget reconciliation and efforts to address the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
LCAO deeply appreciates and concurs wholeheartedly with the incoming administration’s commitment to advancing equity and justice for all people. We are heartened to read the many platforms promoting equity and justice not only for older adults and people with disabilities, but also for multiple racial and ethnic communities and for Tribal Nations, residents of U.S. territories and commonwealths, immigrants, people with limited English proficiency (LEP), LGBTQ+ individuals and families, women, religious communities, and rural communities.
The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) congratulates you on your election to the Presidency.
Since 1980, LCAO has been the country’s preeminent coalition representing older Americans. Composed of 69 national nonprofit organization members, LCAO focuses on the well-being of America’s older population and is committed to representing their interests in the policy-making arena. LCAO serves as a source of information about issues affecting older persons and provides leadership and vision as America meets the challenges and opportunities presented by its aging society.
As Americans live longer, healthier lives, all of us will likely need long-term services and supports (LTSS) at some point in our lives or will know someone who does. A strong and flexible LTSS system benefits us all at every age, whether we or our loved ones are facing temporary or chronic illness or disability. For too long, the federal government has ignored the urgent need to address in a bipartisan, fiscally responsible manner the emerging LTSS crisis facing older adults and family caregivers.
Quality affordable housing is the foundation to aging in community, whether rural, urban, or in between. It is vital to an older adult’s health, economic stability, and overall individual and community well-being. Although different types of housing are needed to meet the diverse needs of older adults, they all have one thing in common: the need for affordability and physical accessibility.
On behalf of the 69 members of the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO), I write to implore you to take whatever steps necessary, be they administrative, legislative, or otherwise to support the United States Postal Service (USPS) and to sustain the role of the USPS as the first, best, and only source of universal delivery service to the 65 million older people we represent. These older adults depend on USPS daily to deliver essential communications and goods that are integral to their health, independence, and quality of life.
LCAO Letter to Senate Supporting the United States Postal Service
On behalf of the 69 members of the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO), I write to implore you to take whatever steps necessary, be they administrative, legislative, or otherwise to support the United States Postal Service (USPS) and to sustain the role of the USPS as the first, best, and only source of universal delivery service to the 65 million older people we represent. These older adults depend on USPS daily to deliver essential communications and goods that are integral to their health, independence, and quality of life.
LCAO Letter to House Supporting the United States Postal Service
The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) is a coalition of national nonprofit organizations concerned with the well-being of America’s older population and committed to representing their interests in the policy-making arena. The undersigned organizations endorse the following pieces of legislation to address the broadband and telehealth needs of older adults and urge you to incorporate them into the upcoming COVID-19 relief legislation.
LCAO sent a Statement of Record to the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging to highlight the importance of addressing Social Isolation and Loneliness during COVID-19. Social isolation and loneliness are serious health risks that become more problematic with increasing age.
LCAO called upon the federal government to mobilize quickly to lead the nation through this pandemic. The Administration’s COVID-19 Task Force actions, the Families First legislation, and the CARES Act have been an important start; yet, an even more robust federal response is needed, quickly, to protect the health and well-being of older adults, family caregivers, direct care workers, and the professional health and social services workforce. Without immediate federal action, state and local programs and services will have difficulty meeting the needs of older adults all across the country.