To improve nursing home care in the wake of COVID-19, AGS calls for US government to focus on three critical areas

In response to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance's hearing on COVID-19 in the nation's nursing homes, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) submitted a written statement for the record, calling on committee members to focus on three critical areas where attention can help achieve the AGS' vision for a future in which we can all contribute to our communities and maintain our health, safety, and independence as we age; and where older people have access to high quality, person-centered care informed by geriatrics principles. These three areas are: (1) investing in the U.S. direct care workforce, the backbone of our health and long-term care system; (2) increasing funding for geriatrics health professions programs under Title VII and ensuring that these programs are included in public health planning efforts; and (3) preparing for public health emergencies with attention to the needs of older Americans.