The Eldercare Workforce Alliance (EWA or Alliance), a coalition with whom LeadingAge works, sent a letter today to the Congressional leadership to applaud them for the historic investments in the care of older adults and the eldercare workforce within the Build Back Better Act. EWA is a coalition of 35 national organizations representing the interdisciplinary care team – older adults, family caregivers, direct care workers, long-term services and supports (LTSS) providers, and health care professionals – joined together to address the immediate and future crisis in caring for an aging America.
The Alliance also asked the Congressional leadership for continued support for investments in initiatives that make historic investments in the elder care workforce recruitment and retention, which includes: Medicaid’s coverage of HCBS services, the Nursing Home Worker Training Grants, the Health Profession Opportunity Grants, and the Older Americans Act HCBS initiatives that allow the aging network to support this workforce.
EWA also requested that the Build Back Better Act include funding for The National Family Caregiving Support Program, and the caregiving tax credit be included in the final package. Additionally, to close the geographic and demographic gaps in geriatrics workforce training, EWA request an increase in the funding for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) and Geriatrics Academic Career Awards (GACA), administered by the Health Resources Administration. The GWEPs and GACAs are the only federal programs that train geriatric health care providers. You can access the letter here.
