There will be over 500,000 people over the age of 60 living on Long Island by 2030. The New York State Office of Aging says that’s twice the number that now live on Long Island, and they're concerned that that the state won’t be able to keep up.
Asha Cesar with Adelphi University’s Center for Health Innovation wants the federal government and New York to reform its long-term care options.
Cesar says there need to be more federal and state programs that work with Medicare and Medicaid that link families to nursing homes, home health and community-based care programs.
But she says that may change with the Trump administration’s efforts to reform health care.
“It’s not clear whether or not these programs will still be in existence, if they will continue to be funded, that may also impact the ability for these demonstration programs to continue or if any sort of sustainable policy or regulation change to occur within the next couple of years.”
Cesar says it might be up to the state to pick up the slack to help care for its aging population.