State Senator Kevin Kelly Speaks in Support of Aging in Place

Senator Kevin Kelly testifies before the Human Services Committee on March 15th

Hartford – State Senator Kevin Kelly (R-21) testified today in support of aging in place. Senator Kelley sat before the General Assembly’s Human Services Committee to provide testimony safeguarding Public Act 10-73, An Act Concerning Medicaid Long-term Care Coverage for Married Couples.

Under Section 42 of the Governor’s Senate Bill 1013, An Act Implementing the Governor’s Budget Recommendations Concerning Human Services, there is a clause repealing PA 10-73. Senator Kelly opposed this repeal illustrating the benefits the public act provides for expanding home care.

In his testimony, Senator Kelly stated, “The governor’s proposal will deplete the assets a community spouse has and will ultimately accelerate their admittance into a nursing home. This is exactly the type of public policy we are trying to prevent when rebalancing state dollars back to the community and considering long term care for our elderly.”

Senator Kelly also commented that, “About 65% of the state’s long term care dollars are being spent on nursing homes and only 35% on home care. We need to give Public Act 10-73, which was enacted last year, an opportunity to work so that the state can experience a decline in institutional care and hopefully an increase in community care, saving taxpayer dollars.

“As an elder law attorney I listen to so many families who support aging in place. Home care is cheaper, arguably the care is better, and no one wants to go to a nursing home, so why can’t we achieve this?”