LWVNE Begins Eldercare Study Team

The following letter was written by LWVNE Co-President Claudia Stevenson and the LWVNE board to local Leagues and League Members:

We ask the Local Leagues and Members at Large to consider joining the Eldercare Study Team.

Members of this team will study Eldercare in Nebraska. The team is led by Scott Larson and Carol Hinkle. At both the national and the state level, the LWV has a position on Childcare which we can advocate from. However, we do not have a position on any level as it relates to Eldercare.The League of Women Voters of Lincoln/Lancaster County identified Eldercare as an issue they wanted to study at their annual Program Planning meeting early this year and voted to support a study at their annual meeting in April.

As the team of LVVLL members began to explore the topic, they found that much of the data as it relates to Eldercare is statewide (and beyond). For example, Nebraska has seen the closure of 44 nursing homes and 35 assisted living facilities since 2015 in Nebraska, the majority in rural areas. Low Medicaid reimbursement contributes to this crisis. Sixty percent of Nebraska nursing home residents rely on Medicaid to pay for their care. Governor Pillen’s proposed budget included no increase in Medicaid rates.

Scott and Carol will work with the team to identify various tasks and research efforts.

If you have a passion to join this study team, please click here to join.

Claudia M Stevenson

League of Women Voters – Nebraska
Co-President
308-289-0434
www.lwvnebraska.org