[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 409 Introduced in Senate (IS)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 409

   Encouraging increased involvement in service activities to assist 
                            senior citizens.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 20, 2004

Mr. Bayh submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Encouraging increased involvement in service activities to assist 
                            senior citizens.

Whereas approximately 13,000,000 individuals in the United States have serious 
        long-term health conditions that may force them to seek assistance with 
        daily tasks;
Whereas 56 percent of the individuals in the United States with serious long-
        term health conditions are age 65 or older;
Whereas the percentage of the population over the age of 65 is expected to rise 
        from 13 percent in 2004 to 20 percent in 2020;
Whereas the number of individuals entering the workforce and the number of 
        health care professionals with geriatric training are not keeping pace 
        with the changing demographics;
Whereas medicaid paid for 51 percent of total long-term care spending in 2002, 
        as compared to the 15 percent of total long-term care spending paid by 
        medicare;
Whereas the long-term care system of the United States, funded largely with 
        Federal and State dollars, will have difficulty supporting the coming 
        demographic shift;
Whereas 80 percent of seniors live at home or in community-based settings;
Whereas 3,900,000 people of the United States who are over age 65 receive long-
        term care assistance in home and community settings;
Whereas 65 percent of seniors who need long-term care rely exclusively on 
        friends and family, and another 30 percent rely on a combination of paid 
        caregivers and friends or family;
Whereas 15 percent of all seniors over the age of 65 suffer from depression;
Whereas studies have suggested that 25 to 50 percent of nursing home residents 
        are affected by depression;
Whereas approximately 1,450,000 people live in nursing homes in the United 
        States;
Whereas by 2018 there will be 3,600,000 seniors in need of a nursing home bed, 
        which will be an increase of more than 2,000,000 from 2004;
Whereas as many as 60 percent of nursing home residents do not have regular 
        visitors;
Whereas older patients with significant symptoms of depression have 
        significantly higher health care costs than seniors who are not 
        depressed;
Whereas people who are depressed tend to be withdrawn from their community, 
        friends, and family;
Whereas the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNS) Senior Corps 
        programs currently provide seniors with the opportunity to serve their 
        communities through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, Foster 
        Grandparent Program, and Senior Companion Program;
Whereas through the Senior Companion Program in particular, in the 2002 to 2003 
        program year, more than 17,000 low-income seniors volunteered their time 
        assisting 61,000 frail elderly and homebound individuals who have 
        difficulty completing daily tasks;
Whereas numerous volunteer organizations across the United States enable 
        Americans of all ages to participate in similar activities;
Whereas Faith in Action, 1 volunteer organization, brings together 40,000 
        volunteers of many faiths to serve 60,000 homebound people with long-
        term health needs or disabilities across the country, 64 percent of whom 
        are 65 years of age or older;
Whereas the thousands of volunteers that, through the Senior Companion Program 
        and volunteer organizations nationwide, provide companionship and 
        assistance to frail elderly individuals and homebound seniors, deserve 
        to be commended for their work;
Whereas the demand for these services outstrips the number of volunteers, and 
        organizations are seeking to enlist more individuals in the United 
        States in the volunteer effort;
Whereas companionship and assistance programs for seniors with long-term health 
        needs offer many demonstrated benefits, such as: allowing frail elderly 
        individuals to remain in their homes; enabling seniors to maintain 
        independence for as long as possible; providing encouragement and 
        friendship to lonely seniors; and providing relief to family caregivers;
Whereas regular visitation and assistance is the best way of assuring seniors 
        that they have not been forgotten, and State and local recognition of 
        regular visitation programs can call further attention to the importance 
        of volunteering on an ongoing basis; and
Whereas a month dedicated to service for seniors and recognized across the 
        United States will call attention to volunteer organizations serving 
        seniors and provide a platform for recruitment efforts: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates September 2004 as ``Service for Seniors 
        Month'';
            (2) recognizes the need for companionship and assistance 
        with daily tasks among seniors with long-term health conditions 
        throughout the year, and encourages the people of the United 
        States to volunteer regularly with homebound frail elderly or 
        at a nursing home or long-term care facility;
            (3) encourages volunteer organizations that offer 
        companionship and assistance to seniors to incorporate 
        ``Service for Seniors Month'' in their recruitment efforts;
            (4) encourages individuals in the United States to 
        volunteer in these service organizations in order to give back 
        to a generation that sacrificed so much; and
            (5) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
        calling on the people of the United States and interested 
        groups to observe ``Service for Seniors Month'' with 
        appropriate ceremonies and activities that promote awareness 
        of, and volunteer involvement service for, seniors with long-
        term health needs.
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