Public News Service Arizona: Groups Call Home-Care Funding Critical for Arizona Seniors (January 25, 2022)

A major element of the multipronged Build Back Better Act would provide $150 billion for expanding home and community-based care for seniors and people with disabilities. Senior advocates hope the funding for home-base care either remains part of a slimmed-down bill, or could be approved as a stand-alone measure.

Amber Christ, director of health policy and advocacy for Justice in Aging, said new funding could transform how and where many Arizonans get their care. “There are over 800,000 older adults and people with disabilities on waiting lists for these types of services across the country,” Christ reported. “The idea would be to clear those waiting lists, or at least make a big dent in clearing those lists.”

Christ pointed out under the current system, people often must receive care in a nursing home or another institutional setting. She argued new funding would mean many more people could receive treatment at home or in a community-based setting.