Tennessee AARP volunteers
demonstrate support for choices in long-term care; AARP Celebrates
National Day of Service on May 11
NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 8 /U.S.
Newswire/ -- To affirm its commitment to community service and its
motto, "To serve and not be served," AARP Tennessee will directly
serve our communities during its National Day of Service on May 11.
In Tennessee, this year's activities will highlight the urgent need
for expanding options in long-term care services provided in our
homes and communities.
In many cities across Tennessee,
volunteers will partner with (home and community based services
programs, such as adult day care and assisted living facilities, to
assist these critical programs that provide caregivers some much
needed respite and provide important cognitive and physical
exercises that keep the mind and body active.
From recent state surveys and
reports, Tennesseans believe it is important to have long-term care
services that would enable them or their family members to stay at
home as long as possible. Tennessee is last in the nation in
offering long-term care for the elderly and disabled in their own
homes and communities. In 2004, Tennessee spent 99.4 percent of the
long-term care budget on nursing home care, with only .06 percent on
in-home and community care.
Last year, legislation was
approved by the Tennessee General Assembly, SJR 57, which committed
the state to offer Tennesseans a range of more cost-effective
long-term care services, including adult day care, in-home respite
care, and care in assisted living facilities. In addition, the state
should create a flexible long- term care budget that pays for
nursing home care and allows money to also be available for in-home
services. AARP Tennessee is working with the governor and the
legislature to make these commitments a reality for Tennesseans.
"We must do more to guarantee that
there are real choices about where we can receive long-term care in
this state. There are so many families that are struggling to keep
their loved ones at home as long as they can, and they need support
and more services," said Mary Liz Knish, AARP Tennessee
communications director. "We hope that our efforts on May 11 will
make a difference, even for a day, in someone's life—and thank the
caregivers who do so much everyday."
AARP Tennessee is using May 11 as
a day to encourage members and friends to regularly volunteer with
local agencies and programs that provide long-term care services.
AARP Tennessee invites other organizations and providers to join the
Choices for Care campaign to improve the way our state delivers
long-term care. For more information, call AARP Tennessee at
866-295-7274 or visit the Web site,
http://www.aarp.org/tn.
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With nearly 640,000 members in
Tennessee, AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization
that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways
that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole.
They produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin,
their monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, their bimonthly
magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, their quarterly
newsletter for 50+ educators; and their Web site,
http://www.aarp.org.
AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security,
protection, and empowerment to older persons in need, with support
from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. They have
staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto
Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands