2004-05 State Budget and Related Information

NYSCA’s 2004 Legislative Agenda

Our vision is to ensure that all older New Yorkers, present and future, have an independent, productive, healthy and secure life. It is equally important to assure that caregivers, who provide upwards of 80% of all long-term care in New York, have access to supportive services that will help them continue to provide this critical care. As our population ages, older New Yorkers will require a mix of services to maintain independence and dignity, depending on their condition and assistance provided by family and friends.

Consumers should have the opportunity to make informed decisions based on unbiased information about the range of alternatives available to meet their needs. Experience has demonstrated that well-informed consumers will make more appropriate and often less costly decisions about the types of care they need. The overwhelming preference of older people is to avert nursing home placement and remain living in their own homes. In light of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Olmstead vs. L.C., New York State will need to actively shift the emphasis away from institutional care for persons of all ages with disabilities.