Biden SOTU Acknowledges Importance of Aging Services, But Skates Over Issues

While other topics had detailed plans of action, there seems to be no concrete plan in place to help aging services.

During Tuesday night's State of the Union address, President Biden recapped his administration's successes and current efforts in healthcare, including "cracking down" on nursing homes that commit fraud, endanger residents, or prescribe unnecessary medication to residents.

"Let's get seniors who want to stay in their homes the care they need to do so. And give a little more breathing room to millions of family caregivers looking after their loved ones," he said, urging the policymakers in the room to pass his Build Back Better Plan that would give seniors and individuals with disabilities access to the home care services they need.

While other healthcare efforts he mentioned were accompanied by plans of action such as capping insulin prices at $35, solutions regarding aging services are currently at a standstill until legislative action is made.

"The president was right to call for help for older adults who want care in their homes, and for millions of family caregivers," Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, an association of nonprofit providers of aging services, said in a statement.

"Nonprofit and mission-driven aging services providers need policies, waivers, and flexibilities that address the chronic shortcomings of our patchwork system and enable older adults to access the help and support they need wherever they call home."

LeadingAge has been vocal about the need for policymakers to address the issues regarding aging services, like the workforce shortage and nursing home reform, especially as older adults are expected to make up 20% of the nation's population by 2030. Most notably, the organization has called for the president's administration to institute an Office on Aging Policy to centralize government efforts and improve coordination efforts between other offices.