For the first time, a large coalition of aging organizations included recommendations that would better serve older adults with HIV. The New York-based Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) commended the move.
“As Congress prepares to reauthorize the Older Americans Act this year, we urge them to consider the Leadership Council on Aging Organizations (LCAO) recommendations that prioritize the needs of older adults living with and at risk for HIV,” said Nathan Schaefer, director of public policy at GMHC. “As we continue to age with the HIV epidemic and expect that half of people living with HIV will be over 50 by 2017, it is critical that we consider how all programs and policies that affect older Americans can better respond to the HIV epidemic.”
Included in the recommendations is a call for the definition of older adults with “greatest social need” to be inclusive of HIV-positive older adults.
The LCAO is a coalition of 65 national leading aging organizations. The Older Americans Act is a critical piece of legislation that funds Area Agencies on Aging across the country. Their recommendations will inform how Congress will reauthorize this vital legislation in 2011.
See www.lcao.org.