Senator Kim Builds on Care Agenda, Helps Lead New Senate Initiative to Improve Long-Term Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) joined Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and 15 Senate Democratic colleagues in announcing a new initiative to improve access and affordability for long-term care for seniors, Americans with disabilities, and their families. The initiative is the latest step in Senator Kim’s effort to build a care movement that delivers tangible solutions to the care crisis. The initiative was announced with a letter yesterday, sent to Senate colleagues, outlining plans to expand home care, align incentives for improved care in nursing homes, and address workforce shortages to create quality, sustainable jobs for both types of care. The letter was signed by Senators Kim and Wyden as well as Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR). “America is failing people who are aging and those with disabilities, who should have every opportunity to live at home and thrive in their communities,” the senators wrote. “Democrats want to ensure American families have affordable, high-quality care in the setting they choose and quality jobs and living wages for direct care workers. Families that rely on nursing homes should have the peace of mind that their loved ones will receive quality care, and incentives should reward safe staffing. We want to ensure the Senate is prepared to act on these issues when Democrats have another opportunity to enact the bold, meaningful change the American people demand and deserve.” Read the full letter The letter describes three goals that will be the focus for policy development among the group in the coming weeks and months: Make home care affordable and accessible Improve the quality of care in nursing homes Use incentives to strengthen the long-term care workforce In contrast to these efforts, Republicans have spent their time in power making long-term care harder to get, including cutting the largest payer of long-term care services, Medicaid, by nearly $1 trillion. In addition, Republicans repealed staffing standards for nursing homes that guaranteed access to a registered nurse 24/7. After Trump promised not to hurt anybody with Medicare and Medicaid, he’s breaking yet another promise. Senator Kim’s most recent work in building a universal care movement includes helping organize a Senate Aging Committee hearing to uplift fellow sandwich generation caregivers’ needs and voices and introducing bicameral legislation to add a dedicated question on multigenerational caregiving to national surveys. Read more about how he is working in the Senate to build a universal care movement. ###