Coalition for Silver Solutions Scores Wins in First Year of Multi-Year Effort To Improve Long-Term Care in Florida

Legislative wheels often grind slowly. But in its first year, the Coalition for Silver Solutions, an innovative coalition of senior care providers, labor and consumer organizations, succeeded in getting legislative approval for key initiatives to improve how Florida’s 2-million-plus frail elders receive supportive care.

With the coalition’s backing and bi-partisan support from legislative leaders, lawmakers overwhelmingly approved HB 1373, by Rep. Jennifer Webb, D-Gulfport, which focuses state and local elder-care agencies on those Florida families who most urgently need publicly funded supportive care for older loved ones. The same measure was sponsored in the state Senate by Sen. Ben Albritton, R-Bartow, as SB 1544.

“This legislation is a striking example of bipartisan collaboration by our elected leaders to embrace a vision for high-quality elder care put forward by the Coalition for Silver Solutions,” said AARP’s Florida state director, Jeff Johnson. “These are important first steps toward an effective, efficient continuum of care that will serve the real needs of older Floridians.”

The Coalition for Silver Solutions launched in 2019, bringing together a broad range of organizations that serve older Floridians: AARP Florida, with 2.8 million members statewide; the Florida Health Care Association, representing a large share of the skilled-nursing centers in the state; LeadingAge Florida, representing the full continuum of senior care; and 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the nation’s largest healthcare union representing 24,000 front-line healthcare staff in Florida nursing homes and hospitals. Older Floridians had never before been championed by a similar coalition.

“Ensuring older Floridians receive services quickly and efficiently is critical to ensuring the state is prepared to meet the needs of its aging population across the full continuum of care in the years ahead,” said LeadingAge Florida President and CEO Steve Bahmer. “We would like to thank Rep. Jennifer Webb, Sen. Ben Albritton, our Coalition partners, and other stakeholders for their strong commitment to the safety and welfare of Florida’s seniors.”

“Health workers and union members are on the front lines of care, and we believe strongly that Floridians need better access to quality, affordable coverage and healthcare. The current COVID-19 crisis highlights this necessity even more dramatically,” said Sophia Colley, a long-term-care worker and elected officer of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. “Passing this legislation is a step in the right direction at a very critical time, and we appreciate the teamwork and cooperation it took to make it happen.”

"Anything that improves senior access to care programs provides a tremendous benefit to Florida's large and growing elder population. Like a high-quality long-term care system, home- and community-based care programs do a tremendous amount to enhance the lives of elder residents who still have so much to offer to our communities and our state," said Emmett Reed, executive director of the Florida Health Care Association.

Florida is traditionally considered “America’s grayest state,” with an exceptionally high proportion of residents age 65-plus. About 8.5 million Floridians are age 50-plus, including about 1.1 million Floridians age 80-plus.

While most older Floridians live independently with no problems, some experience challenges with ordinary activities of daily living, such as moving around, preparing meals, managing their medications and other daily activities. Florida’s 2.9 million family caregivers provide care for about 2 million family members and friends, putting in a jaw-dropping 2.4 billion hours of unpaid care each year, according to a 2019 AARP study. An additional 71,000 people live in Florida nursing homes, while Florida assisted-living facilities have about 106,000 beds.

When family caregivers apply for publicly funded help to meet their needs of these elders, they are given an initial screening by staff of the state Department of Elder Affairs, working with their partners in the state’s 11 Aging and Disabled Resource Centers, operated by Area Agencies on Aging.

Under current law, every frail elder applying for publicly funded services to support care at home must undergo an annual re-screening to keep their position on the waiting list for services, even if the initial screening had shown the elder was doing well at home and was not a high risk of placement in a nursing home on Medicaid.

This meant higher risk, more frail consumers had to wait longer for their eligibility screening, coalition officials said. Under this year’s legislation, older Floridians seeking long-term care will receive services quicker, and more efficiently.

In addition, the legislation also provides a way for elder-care staff to verify that cases referred to a state adult-abuse hotline actually are in need of emergency care. It ensures those most in need are served immediately.

Coalition leaders emphasized that the 2020 legislative wins are only the first steps. The coalition will hold a series of workshops later this year on additional steps to strengthen Florida long-term care, including critical issues such as more effective support for family caregivers approaching crisis and keeping or improving the high quality of care in elder-care residential facilities, such as skilled nursing centers or assisted-living facilities.

Front-line nursing staff are the key to quality of care for frail elders, and addressing a continuing workforce challenge is critical for the state’s future elder care, coalition leaders said.

Before the 2021 legislative session, the coalition will present legislators with significant new proposals to strengthen the full continuum of care.