Times Herald Record: Home care makes sense

To The Editor:

Aging baby boomers, the need for affordable care options, and the desire to remain in the comfort and security of home make home- and community-based care programs a sensible investment ("Gillibrand bill advances in-home care for seniors," March 3).

Support for the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act by Congress and the president is a testament to the value, effectiveness and benefit of home- and community-based care. Programs like the CLASS Act would expand the availability of home care, allowing more seniors to age in place rather than being cared for in more costly nursing homes, hospitals and emergency departments.

Home care has been shown to reduce nursing-home expenditures in states that have invested in home- and community-based care programs, making these programs a critical component of holding the line on health-care spending while continuing to provide valuable care to people of all ages in need of supportive, medical and rehabilitative care.

To learn more about the benefits of home care, visit HCP's consumer Web site at www.homecareinfo.org.

Phyllis A. Wang
President, New York State Association of Health Care Providers Inc.
East Greenbush