Tag Archives for AARP

Expanding Medicare on political agendas: In-home Health Care critically important

Published in RINewsToday on October 14, 2024

This week Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a “Medicare at Home” proposal on ABC’s The View that would expands Medicare to assist older Americans to age in place at home by covering some of the cost of in-home care. The proposal targets adults who are part of the ‘sandwich generation,’ estimated to be 105 million Americans who are raising children along with taking care of their elderly parents.

The Medicare benefit to assist caregivers would propose to have cost-saving benefits for the federal government by allowing seniors to stay at home rather than being sent to costly nursing homes. It would also reduce hospitalizations, too.

Harris told about her personal experience as a caregiver, providing care to her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, a biomedical scientist, who died of cancer in 2009 at the age of 70. Caring for a parent can translate into “trying to cook what they want to eat, what they can eat,” she said. “It’s even trying to think of something funny to make them laugh or smile,” she added.

“We’re talking about declining skills” of older people, “but their dignity, their pride, has not declined,” Harris added.

“There are so many people in our country who are right in the middle. They’re taking care of their kids and they’re taking care of their aging parents, and it’s just almost impossible to do it all, especially if they work,” Harris said.  “…we’re finding that so many are having to leave their job, which means losing a source of income, not to mention the emotional stress,” she said, explaining why there is a need to expand Medicare to cover more in-home care services.

Harris’ Issues on her website – Protect and Strengthen Social Security and Medicare

“Vice President Harris will protect Social Security and Medicare against relentless attacks from Donald Trump and his extreme allies. She will strengthen Social Security and Medicare for the long haul by making millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share in taxes. She will always fight to ensure that Americans can count on getting the benefits they earned”.

The Costs

The Brookings Institution recently estimated that a “very conservatively designed” program would cost $40 billion a year. They noted that “controlling demand in such a program is nearly impossible – for reference, Medicaid, which covers far fewer adults than Medicare, actually spent $207 billion on long-term services and supports in 2021”.

In addition, “Home health is such a hotbed of fraud,” said Theo Merkel, a health policy expert at the Paragon Health Institute and the Manhattan Institute. “If the proposal is adopted, taxpayers could end up paying for everyone who stays at home with their Medicare-eligible family member as a government paid Service Employees International Union member.”

The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., charges that Harris’ new Medicare home care benefit is “uncompassionate, fiscally reckless, and a corrupt attempt to buy the votes of Medicare enrollees and their middle-aged children in an election year.”

Examining the Differences…

According to Matthew E. Shepard, Communications Director for the Center for Medicare Advocacy, the new Harris proposal is quite different from the existing home care benefits that Medicare’s 65.5 million enrollees receive. ”The new proposal focuses on Long Term Services and Supports, something of a term of art in the health care world. While details are scarce, it would provide, we believe, ongoing affordable home care aide service without a need for skilled care or that strict definition of homebound,” said Shepard.  The proposal’s funding would come from increased savings in Medicare Part D as the list of negotiable drugs grows  [a historic provision of the Inflation Reduction Act which is lowering the cost of senior’s medication]  savings currently estimated at $6 billion in 2026, and which will only grow as more drugs are added, he noted.

“We are going to save Medicare that money, because we’re not going to be paying these high prices [for drugs] and that those resources are then put to use in a way that helps a family,” Harris said.

The Trump proposal

The Trump/Vance campaign quickly issued a statement taking credit for already making a commitment to America’s seniors receiving at-home care, saying that Harris’ Medicare expansion policy was just following his lead. Former President Trump released his home care platform last summer, according to an Oct. 8th statement. “Specifically, President Trump will prioritize home care benefits by shifting resources back to at-home senior care, overturning disincentives that lead to care worker shortages, and supporting paid family caregivers through tax credits and reduced red tape,” noted the statement.

One of Trump’s 20 point platforms is “Fight for and protect social security and Medicare with no cuts, including no changes to the retirement age”. In the accompanying 16-page document, which, supports Medicare it says, “President Trump has made absolutely clear that he will not cut one penny from Medicare or Social Security. American citizens work hard their whole lives, contributing to Social Security and Medicare. These programs are promises to our Seniors, ensuring they can live their golden years with dignity. Republicans will protect these vital programs and ensure Economic Stability. We will work with our great Seniors, in order to allow them to be active and healthy. We commit to safeguarding the future for our Seniors and all American families. We will strengthen Medicare. Republicans will protect Medicare’s finances from being financially crushed by the Democrat plan to add tens of millions of new illegal immigrants to the rolls of Medicare. We vow to strengthen Medicare for future generations.”

 Dementia caregiving already set to quadruple in 2025

AARP notes on their website that one expansion of caregiver coverage, “a program for dementia patients and their caregivers that launched this year will quadruple in 2025, serving more of the country. The program, called Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE), provides a 24/7 support line, a care navigator to find medical services and community-based assistance, caregiver training and up to $2,500 a year for at-home, overnight or adult day care respite services. Patients and their caregivers typically won’t have copayments”.

Praise for expanding Medicare benefits

“We have long championed the expansion of federal support for long-term care,“ says Max Richtman, President and CEO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), noting that Harris’ proposal gives that cause an enormous boost.

“Expanded Medicare coverage for home health care also would provide relief to millions of ‘sandwich generation’ Americans, who are struggling to provide care for their elderly relatives while also raising children.  Those ‘sandwich generation’ members are not Medicare beneficiaries, but would most definitely benefit from Harris’ long-term care plan,” says Richtman in an Oct. 8 statement.

According to Richtman, the plan also would add hearing and vision coverage to traditional Medicare. “Proper hearing and vision care are essential to healthy aging — but too many beneficiaries forgo it due to cost and lack of coverage. It is long past time that those coverages be added,” he added.  

Co-Director David Lipschutz says that the Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA) strongly supports the proposed enhancement of Medicare coverage for on-going home care. “Access to services and supports in the home for those who are unable to independently perform activities of daily living would provide immeasurable help to millions of beneficiaries and their families and is an important step forward for the Medicare program,” says CMA’s Lipschutz. To maximize access to care for people who need it, expansion of home care coverage in Medicare should be combined with enforcing the benefit that exists now, he suggests. 

“Recognizing that most older persons and those with disabilities prefer to remain at home when they need help with daily living tasks, the Senior Agenda Coalition has worked for years to increase access to home and community-based care at the state level as these services are one of the biggest gaps in Medicare,” says Maureen Maigret, Policy Advisor for Senior Agenda Coalition of RI.  To include them in Medicare will lift a financial burden on both recipients and family caregivers as home care costing at least $35/hour that  can be out of reach for far too many who need these services to stay at home,” she says.

“We have not seen many details about the plan, but it would be important to make sure that Medicare provider reimbursement levels are sufficient to allow direct care staff to earn livable wages in order to have workforce sufficient to meet the demand,” note Maigret. “This new Medicare home care benefit should also be a boon for states as it can prevent persons from spending down their resources to a level where they become eligible for state Medicaid and need costly nursing home care,” she says.  

In a new paper for O’Neill Institute for Georgetown Law, McCourt Professor Judith Feder and Nicole Jorwic explore how adding a home care benefit can help beneficiaries and family caregivers. “While this new benefit would not reach the full population in need of long-term care, paired with investments in Medicaid, it’s a good strong start-and given our nation’s resources, clearly within our means,” say the authors. 

“A support system that relies on unpaid family members and underpaid workers is simply not sustainable for the future,” warn the authors.

“Our failure to make Medicare “whole” by addressing Long Term Services and Support needs is not about a shortage of resources, it’s about a shortage of political will. It’s time the nation stepped up,” they say.

Pay attention to Caregiver voters

AARP is nonpartisan and does not take a position on campaign proposals, though AARP has previously said financial relief is needed to help individuals age in place at home and support family caregivers, says Sarah Lovenheim, AARP’s vice president, external relations.

According to AARP’s “She’s the Difference” survey released last month, 96% of woman aged 50 and over say they are highly motivated to vote in the upcoming elections, making them one of the most driven and key voting groups.

“Any political candidate would be wise to pay attention to the concerns and needs of caregivers today. Voters over age 50, who disproportionately make up America’s 48 million plus caregivers, could make or break elections up and down the ballots,” says Nancy LeaMond, AARP’s executive vice president and chief advocacy and engagement officer. “From recent battleground polls, we know that roughly one-third of swing voters over age 50 identify as family caregivers,” she notes.

“Supporting family caregivers is an urgent need – not only for families struggling to get by but for our country’s future,” warns LeaMond.

Regardless of who wins the election, a Medicare at home proposal cannot happen without Congressional support. As the presidential campaign winds down, older voters must make it extremely clear to lawmakers seeking their vote how they feel about expanding Medicare benefits.  

AARP study on older adult stereotypes in on-line images. We think they can help

Published in RINewsToday on September 30, 2024

Following on the heels of an intense national media debate of President Joe Biden’s age and his ability to govern, a new AARP study finds a positive shift over the past five years in how adults 50-plus are portrayed online in marketing and media imagery. Researchers found that negative sentiment in online media and marketing images dropped from 28% in 2018 to just 10% in 2023.

AARP’s analysis compared images from 2018 to 2023, revealing the strengths and limitations in how aging is portrayed in media and marketing.  

AARP’s Media Landscape Review analyzed a random sample of over 1,000 online images and 500 videos featuring adults 50-plus from brands and thought leaders posted on news sites and social media with at least two million followers or readers. But political content was excluded.

According to Lauren Goodson, AARP Research Director of Growth, Enablement & Membership, AARP conducted the initial study to demonstrate the opportunity for companies/brands to more accurately and honestly represent older adults. The 2018 study found 28% of online images portrayed adults 50-plus in a negative manner compared to just 4% of those under the age of 50. “We are encouraged to see that efforts by AARP and other organizations to raise concerns about ageism have resulted in significant improvement over the past 5 years, says Goodson, noting that no decisions have yet been made about a third wave of the study.

The research findings indicated that the age 50 and over population is pictured as more active and independent, less fearful, and more likely to use technology, reflecting a growing recognition of older adults’ active lifestyles and valuable engagement in society.

While the results were promising about the decrease of ageism on the internet, note researchers, they stressed that challenges still remain.  Social media images of older workers aged 50 and over in the workplace remained unrealistically rare, they say, while depictions of this age group spending time with family actually fell over the past five years.

“At AARP, we have been leading the fight to combat ageism in marketing and media imagery, and it looks like the creative industry is starting to really listen,” said AARP Chief Communications and Marketing Officer Martha Boudreau, in a Sept. 23 statement announcing the study’s findings. “As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. In the age of social media, and with the ubiquity of advertising across people’s daily lives, this is truer than ever. The images we see shape what we think and can even influence how we act towards one another. Progress has been made in improving how 50-plus adults are portrayed but we still have a lot of work to do. Studies like these point the way forward and give us a solid roadmap for how to continue to make things better,” she adds.

AARP’s study details positive improvements showing a shift “from decline to vitality.” For instance, aging was viewed as more active than before.  The researchers say that the portrayal of America’s older adults has “moved from fear-based, with an emphasis on financial and medical themes, to active and healthy lifestyles.  When reviewing on-line images and videos, findings show that 26% of people 50-plus shown in images were physically active, compared to 15% in 2018.

The AARP research findings revealed a striking increase in depictions of adults 50-plus using technology. In 2023, 33% of images showed people 50-plus using tech devices, up from just 4% in 2018.  The study’s findings, indicating an uptick in the use of tech devices, better reflects this age cohort’s acceptance of technology, challenging outdated ageist stereotypes and highlighting the reality of their digital use.

As they age, nearly 80 percent of America’s older adults aged 50 and over want to age in place in their community, choosing not to be placed in an assisted living or nursing facilities.  The study showing 73 % of static images showing people at home vs. 39 % in 2018, reflects that this trend has been more visibly reflected in media in recent years

Meanwhile, just 8% of static images showed people in a retirement community compared to 15% in 2018. The researchers say it’s a sign that retirement centers are less likely to be the visual shorthand for aging, with recent images elevating independence over medical worries or reliance on assistance.

Even with positive changes, there is more room for improvement especially with portrayal of older adults in the workplace.  Despite older workers making up over one-third of the workforce, the study found only 14% of social media images show age 50 and older adults at work, this being almost unchanged from 13 % in 2018. Researchers say, “this under representation misses both on what people 50-plus are adding to the economy and what long, satisfying careers are adding to their lives.” Also, how long people are working or have gone back to work due to outliving income streams, a negative, but realistic image.

As to mobility challenges, AARP’s study reveals a substantial gap in representing mobility challenges among age 50 and over adults.  The findings indicate that only 1% of images show consumers with mobility aids, despite 12% of these older adults, in fact, regularly using a mobility device for assistance walking or navigating stairs. 

Finally, the study found a significant decline compared to 2018 in people aged 50 and older shown in multi-generational families. There was a significant decline compared to 2018 in these older adults shown in a family situation (17% to 9%) or with their grandchildren (13% to 6%), this suggesting a major opportunity for social media to more accurately reflect an important source of joy and meaning for many over 50. This finding suggests a need for the social media and marketing companies to better portray the important family roles and relationships older adults have, as these connections become more significant as one ages.

Finally, the research tracked still images and video content, with video proving to be more successful at showing adults 50-plus interacting with others, outside the home and using technology.

Every picture tells a story, don’t it?

“Those of us in communications often search for images to use to accompany stories, says Nancy Thomas, publisher of RINewsToday, a state-wide new site, noting that usually original images, with credits to photographers and artists are used. “Whether we buy them from a photographer or image service or use ones provided in what is called a Media Library on such platforms as WordPress, searching for just that right image to illustrate an article we’re publishing can be extremely difficult if the image you want is first that of an “older person,” admits Thomas.

Thomas, who ran a marketing company and held senior communications positions for over 30 years, says “it’s the hardest search we’ll do.”

According to Thomas, common searches for “a dog and family,” a “child in daycare”, “people camping” or “networking” are pretty simple, but it is more difficult to find group shots featuring accurate age spectrums and finding no person looking older than 40. “Looking back years ago,” she says, “there were no people of color, but today that has changed significantly.”

“But older people? Aging? You might find them in a nursing home setting, in a bed, with a younger person holding their hand. And then there is the active couple, running gently at the water’s edge. Or sitting at a Thanksgiving table,” quips Thomas.

“But to find an older person at work? At a training meeting? Maybe even doing the training?  It’s hard to find. At a computer? Only if someone is at their shoulder, ‘helping them’. But no doctors – they all look 30 years old. No accountants. No writers. Or even people in therapy. All young,” she says.

“It’s a conundrum, and entirely unfair for small communication and marking firms and news sites. “We’ve written to WordPress expressing our suggestion that the next time they make paid assignments to add to their Media Library they think about common images to show older people in everyday settings. At work. Watching television. Cooking. Doing art. Having a spa day. At the playground with their grandchildren. Shopping. As the medical expert. Or technician,” says Thomas, noting that “All images amazingly absent.”

Thomas adds: “When we do find images of older men and women, how often are they in muted colors? Wearing sweaters. Or, of course, there are the handsomely grey-haired men with the twinkle in their eye.  We wonder what AI will bring to the table, being programmed, as it were, by younger people?  Request an image of grandma and grandpa playing with their newborn grandchild – see what you get,” she asks.

“Let’s push back against being seen, regardless of our age, as either “the wealthy” or “the impoverished” – most of us, regardless of our age, are somewhere floating up and down in the middle. A healthy dose of realism led by the photographs we show, and the images we keep, is due all the way around,” says Thomas. 

A suggestion for AARP – beyond studies – to solution!

Thomas went on to suggest one thing AARP could change much of this. They could create a bank of photos that groups could use with “approved” AARP images (even giving an AARP credit line so small websites and publication sites could dramatically improve their images overnight – not only would AARP be creating an almost instant solution, they could add a small fee to subscribe to the service that would help fund their future studies into issues of concern for aging Americans.

On-line Imagery Should Accurately Reflect Society

According to Betty Galligan, APR, president of Pawtucket-based Newberry Public Relations and Marketing, as the AARP study points out, the creative media industry has a long way to go in portraying life as an older person in today’s society. In addition to photo and video imagery on news sites and social media platforms, streaming video content is an opportunity that holds a lot of influence to normalize the way we see 50-plus adults. “It would be wonderful to see a romantic series or movie featuring an older leading man or woman who uses a wheelchair or walker to get around. Or to show more older heroes and heroines in the workplace. “The Intern” movie with Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway comes to mind, as does the stereotype of Meryl Streep’s character in “The Devil Wears Prada”,” she says.

Online media shapes and informs public opinion, and its influence is evident in the way people view older adults, says Galligan. “The recently released AARP study reveals a positive shift because the 50-plus population today is indeed way more active than in past generations,” she said.

 “We all know a grandparent who is using text messaging, TikTok and technology to keep up with their grandchildren. We also know older folks who are athletic and energetic well into their 80s, sometimes more so than their younger counterparts. Marketing imagery should hold up the proverbial mirror to society and reflect this,” adds Galligan, who has worked in the Boston and Providence advertising sector for nearly 40 years.

In the past, successful advertising and marketing was ideally aspirational, reflecting what consumers desire to be versus what they actually are,” observes Galligan. “At its core, it can be deceptive. Images depicting stereotypes of a thin model smoking, for example, drove sales for cigarette brands especially among women who used smoking as a diet aid,” she said, stressing that today’s realism is in vogue.

“Popular reality TV shows, the “celebrification” of ordinary people, citizen  journalism on social media platforms all play a role in portraying the average person (including older adults) in ways we’ve not experienced before,” notes Galligan.

Galligan notes that people are healthier than in past decades, living longer and with more vitality. In general, the 50-plus market segment has greater disposable income, so it’s no wonder that brands are embracing this demographic reality. “Marketing has become bolder and more inclusive than before – case in point, ads depicting older same-gender couples and ladies wearing disposable garments for incontinence, says Galligan.

To get AARP’s 2018 Media Landscape review, go to https://www.aarp.org/research/topics/life/info-2019/age-representation-in-online-media-images.html.

To get AARP’s latest (2024) latest Media Landscape review, go to:

https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/topics/aging-experience/demographics/ageism-online-media.doi.10.26419-2Fres.00852.001.pdf.

Learn more about this study at AARP.org/50plusmedia.