How Georgia Legislature Can Assist State Seniors This 12 months

The Georgia Caregivers Act — and the training that will be offered to caregivers when that law goes into effect — is a critical part of comprehensive exit planning. It’s not just about the quality of care, there is also a financial incentive for the hospital. Medicare penalizes hospitals for excessive readmissions by lowering reimbursement rates for those readmissions. Proper training of caregivers before a patient is discharged helps reduce these costly readmissions.

As someone who has cared for his wife, who had stage 4 cancer seven years before she died, I know the value of the Georgia Caregivers Act. I am pleased that the Georgia House unanimously passed this bill, and I look forward to the Senate doing the same soon.

In addition to supporting family caregivers, more funding must be allocated to home and community services aimed at keeping people in their homes as they age – and out of expensive care homes. There are currently more than 9,000 people on a waiting list for this type of home care in Georgia, up 25% from two years ago.

In partnership with Co-Age and other aging advocates, AARP Georgia applies for funds from the state budget to support these needed services. The House of Representatives has answered our call and added $4 million to the fiscal 2023 budget for home and community services. As an AARP Georgia Volunteer, I will continue to advocate for these funds as the budget makes its way through Senate funds.

AARP also supports efforts to increase financial security in retirement. The so-called “Work and Save” program would offer employees an easy way to save for retirement by working. About 53% of Georgia workers do not have access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan. A work and save program would change that. Nearly 47,000 employers have launched a work and savings program across the country and there is interest in launching a volunteer program in Georgia.

Consistent with its focus on community livability, AARP Georgia also supports the rollout of broadband access in rural areas of the state. Funds have been made available to expand broadband access under the infrastructure bill recently passed by Congress. While communities applied for and will receive the federal funds, there were insufficient funds to meet Georgia’s demand. AARP is supporting additional state-level funding efforts to ensure all Georgians have broadband access.

AARP has been committed to the health and financial security of Georgians over 50 and their families for over 60 years. As an AARP volunteer and as a senior myself, I sincerely hope that the Georgia General Assembly will be able to address these priorities this year.

Jack Bernard, a former health manager, was Georgia’s first director of health planning. He is a past chairman of the Jasper County Commission.