Regardless of the outcome of this year’s elections, our nation is once again exercising one of the most powerful functions of democracy. Record numbers of people – including millions of older adults and their family caregivers – are casting their ballots to select our federal, state and local political leaders. The John A. Hartford Foundation calls on each of these leaders to ensure a future where all of us, no matter our age or race, are valued equally and receive the care we need and deserve.
This future must be rooted in age-friendly health systems, respect and economic support for family caregivers, and care for serious illness and at end-of-life that centers on what matters most to people. These are priorities for our Foundation and for meeting urgent needs across the country. Older people have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially older adults of color and those living in nursing homes. Isolation, hunger, poverty and delayed medical care are only a few of the challenges that particularly affect older generations. Family caregivers – again, especially those of color – have been strained in new and perilous ways. The need for palliative care and advance care planning have taken on more urgency given the dangers of the novel coronavirus. With COVID-19 we saw ageism rear its ugly head and phrases like “culling the herd” must never be uttered again.
This past year was marked by tragedy and upheaval, but we will work together as a nation to overcome our challenges. We have the will and ability to ensure expert, reliable care for older adults in all care settings. Collectively, we can contain the pandemic, reverse the economic downturn and heal the harms and divisions caused by racial injustice.
Sincerely,
Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN
President