Washingtonians for a Responsible Future

The Everett Herald writes:

There is some understanding among most for the challenges that face Social Security and Medicare as boomers age and leave the workforce. There seems less realization of the lack of adequate guidance and financial help available when aging is complicated by the need for long-term care services and supports, such as those offered through in-home care, assisted living centers and nursing homes.

About 70 percent of those 65 or older will need some level of long-term services and supports, the costs of which are significant and average about $260,000 per person over a lifetime, compared to the median retirement savings of $148,000, reports Washingtonians for a Responsible Future, an effort by AARP, the Alzheimer’s Association, the state’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman and other groups who are seeking solutions to the developing crisis.

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Washington News Service writes:

A new report outlined some of the roadblocks Washington state faces for funding long-term care for its growing number of older residents. It coincided with a rally at the state Capitol, where speakers discussed options for funding senior services in the future.

Comments from Jerry Reilly, chair of the Elder Care Alliance.

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Lauren Bonazzo Camarda wrote an opinion piece to the Seattle Times that was published April 16th. Camarda has lived in Seattle for 10 years and is a graduate student at the University of Washington School of Social Work. She writes:

At 28 years old, the cost of long-term health care was something that had never crossed my mind. It wasn’t until my mother was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer that I began to understand the importance and high price of long-term care.

Facing a frightening diagnosis, my mother strove to hold on to the things in her life she could still control. Staying in her home and remaining as independent as possible were very important to her. At the time of her diagnosis, I was living across the country, but I was able to take time away from work to move back to Connecticut and help her accomplish that goal.

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International Examiner writes:

Tosh and Toshi Okamoto have been married for 67 years and couldn’t imagine being apart now. They are currently residents of Nikkei Manor, a senior residential facility in Seattle’s International District. They are also two of the founders of Keiro Northwest (formerly Nikkei Concerns) that oversees Nikkei Manor and other senior health and wellness programs including the Keiro Rehabilitation & Care Center. They are able to live comfortably in one of the facility’s single bedroom apartments. Tosh and Toshi rely on personal savings to cover the cost of their care.

Washington State’s older adult population is set to double in the next 25 years. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 70% of Washingtonians over 65 will need long term care services. One-third of Americans age 40 and older have reported doing little or no planning for their long term care needs and less than 8% have long term care insurance.

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Senior Scene writes:

Meet Lon Cole of Puyallup. As somebody living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, he knows firsthand the worry and fear that comes with figuring out how to take care of yourself as you age. He is relieved that his long-term care will be covered by the Veterans Administration. Through his volunteer work at the Alzheimer’s Association, he knows plenty of people who do not have a plan – nor the resources – to pay for care as they age.

“I see people struggle financially and not know where to turn when it comes to long-term care,” he says. “The state really needs to make changes to help people.”

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The Chronicle of Lewis County Opinion-Editorial:

Only one-third of seniors have planned for their long term care needs, yet this is a topic that does not rise to the top of the priority list for most of our state’s residents. In a 2014 poll by The Feldman Group, long-term care ranked seventh on the list of priorities for the state Legislature and the governor to address.

This is unacceptable — though sadly, not shocking.

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Washington News Service writes:

Who will need long-term care and who will pay for it are the topics of a study getting under way for the new year, ordered by the Washington Legislature.

State lawmakers in 2015 decided it’s time to think ahead about the aging population, or risk the financial consequences of being unprepared for an age wave set to hit the state within 15 years.

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The Yakima Herald-Republic Opinion-Editorial:

Long-term care is a reality that must be faced by every community and every family.

Only one-third of seniors have planned for their long-term care needs, yet this is a topic that does not rise to the top of the priority list for most Washingtonians. In a 2014 poll by The Feldman Group, long-term care ranked seventh on the list of priorities for the state Legislature and the governor. Education, jobs and the economy, and state spending topped the list.

This is unacceptable.

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The Everett Herald writes:

We’re not getting any younger.

A little less than 14 percent of Washington state’s population is 65 years or older. Four years ago, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the dependency ratio, the number of people 65 and older to every 100 people of traditional working ages, is expected to increase from 22 in 2010 to 35 in 2030, when the youngest of the baby boomers will have moved into that 65 and older category.

Nor are we well prepared for it.

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The Columbian writes:

While the needs of younger Washingtonians will be the Legislature’s primary focus next year in the form of school funding, lawmakers also will have to attend to the state’s older residents.

The population is aging, fueled by the baby boomer generation and by extended life spans, and that fact promises to place a heavy burden upon the health care system. Of course, it is no surprise that populations throughout the United States are growing older, but two statistics in particular drive the point home — today, 11 percent of Washington residents are 65 years or older; by 2030, an estimated 20 percent will be 65-plus.

Read the rest of the editorial.