White House streams today’s Conference on Aging

Local senior advocates are watching today’s White House Conference on Aging and will provide feedback about how to improve aging services.

The public can watch a live feed of the conference, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., at https://www.whitehouse .gov/live. At press time, the White House hadn’t released an agenda. The event’s website is http://whitehouseconferenceonaging.gov.

Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington is streaming the event for its staff and volunteers.

The conference will focus on four topics: retirement security, healthy aging, long-term services and support and elder justice. This year’s conference coincides with the 50th anniversary of Medicare, Medicaid and the Older Americans Act, as well as the 80th anniversary of Social Security.

In April, the conference had a regional listening session in Seattle, in addition to events in Florida, Arizona, Ohio and Massachusetts. ALTCEW Director Lynn Kimball along with some of its advisory council members, including those on the State Council on Aging, attended.

“Washington has always been on the cutting edge of aging services, so we have been committed to making our voice heard during this process,” Kimball said.

In March, advocacy network issued its priorities for the four topics of discussion at the conference. The priorities ranged from improving Social Security and Medicare to creating a single-payer health care system that provides coverage such as dental, vision, hearing and mental health. Other priorities are support for caregivers, transportation and improved housing.

– Erica Curless