White House Conference on Aging

In 1950, President Harry S Truman ordered the Federal Security Agency to hold a national conference on aging. The purpose was to assess the policy challenges posed by a changing populace, particularly in light of numerous changes in federal entitlement programs (such as Social Security) that had been enacted during the previous 20 years. Social Security's goal was to assist those in need of financial assistance such as the poor, elderly, physically disabled or mentally ill.

In 1956 President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the Federal-State Council on Aging to more effectively coordinate policy and to help determine the "resources of the States and of the Federal government that can be mobilized in an attack on the problems of the later years." A group gathered for a 3-day conference in Washington, DC, to explore solutions for seniors that could benefit from coordination of Federal and State Resources.^[3]

In 1958, Congressman John E. Fogarty introduced legislation calling for a White House conference on aging. Congress enacted the White House Conference on Aging Act (Public Law 85-908), and the bill was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The law called for a national citizens' forum to focus attention on the problems of older Americans and to make consensus policy recommendations on how to enhance the economic security of this demographic group. A national advisory committee for the White House Conference on Aging was formed the same year.

En 1961, el presidente Eisenhower organizó la primera Conferencia de la Casa Blanca sobre el Envejecimiento. Asistieron más de 3000 personas, en representación de casi 300 organizaciones. El objetivo original de la conferencia era "proporcionar un foro para que los representantes de los estadounidenses mayores de todo el país discutieran y propusieran soluciones a los problemas únicos que enfrentan los ancianos en este país". ^{[ 4 ]} La conferencia condujo directamente a la aprobación de las enmiendas de la Seguridad Social de 1961, la Ley de Vivienda para Ciudadanos Mayores de 1962 , la Ley de Servicios e Instalaciones de Salud Comunitaria , Medicare , ^{[ 5 ] [ 6 ]} Medicaid y la Ley de Estadounidenses Mayores .

La legislación del Congreso de 1968 dispuso que se celebrara otra conferencia en 1971. Los 4.000 asistentes a la conferencia de 1971 recomendaron más de 193 medidas, algunas de las cuales condujeron directamente a la fundación del Comité Especial del Senado sobre el Envejecimiento y del Consejo Federal sobre el Envejecimiento .

La legislación de 1977 dio lugar a una conferencia en 1981, a la que asistieron 2000 delegados, y que fue la primera en utilizar un sistema de cuotas para garantizar la representación suficiente de diversos segmentos de la población, como mujeres, minorías y personas con discapacidad. Asimismo, se alentó a los subgrupos étnicos, raciales, demográficos y de otra índole a celebrar sus propias reuniones, seminarios y talleres en el marco de la conferencia.

Las enmiendas del Congreso a la Ley de Personas Mayores de Estados Unidos, aprobada en 1992, propiciaron otra conferencia en 1995. La planificación de esta conferencia fue mucho más amplia que en ocasiones anteriores, pero también más conservadora. Más de 125 000 personas participaron en más de 1000 miniconferencias celebradas en todo el país durante los dos años que duró el proceso de planificación. Si bien se propusieron pocas iniciativas nuevas, se reafirmó el apoyo a los programas existentes. Además, los 2200 delegados y 800 observadores abogaron por un cambio de enfoque, pasando de centrarse en las personas mayores a adoptar una política integral sobre el envejecimiento.

Las enmiendas a la Ley de Personas Mayores de 2000 dispusieron que la siguiente conferencia se celebrara en 2005, y tuvo lugar del 11 al 14 de diciembre en Washington, D.C. De la conferencia surgieron unas 50 recomendaciones; muchas de ellas relacionadas con las necesidades de transporte de las personas mayores, la salud mental y la reforma del programa de medicamentos recetados de Medicare .

The White House Conference on Aging held in 2005 was named "The Booming Dynamics of Aging: From Awareness to Action" and attracted one thousand two hundred delegates from across the country. Along with a 17-member bi-partisan policy committee, a 22-member advisory committee compiled a list of 73 resolutions to contribute to a strategy on how to accommodate and care for the nation's growing elderly population. The 2005 White House Conference on Aging experienced a first-time event of the current president not addressing the Delegates. Then-President Bush was at a retirement village in Northern Virginia and avoided the White House Conference on Aging to steer clear of concerned older adults, policy makers, and advocates on the new Medicare Part D Plan many were not pleased with.

The 2005 conference's main agenda was to propose solutions on how to accommodate the 73 million baby boomers in the next 40 years as they move into and through the older years of life. The aging of the baby boomer population will cause the percentage of the U.S. population over 65 to grow from 9% in 1940 to an expected 19% by 2030. Seventy-three resolutions were created with 50 of them being presented to the president and Congress.

Beginning in August 2004, 130,000 people contributed to four types of forums around the country. These forums were created to develop solutions to aging challenges in preparation for the 2005 conference. Listening sessions and independent aging agenda events confirmed that communities around the country have implemented their own ways of accommodating the growing elderly population. Solutions forums asked contributors to put themselves in the place of the elderly, in order to understand what accommodations they would want and need from legislation. Mini conferences concentrated on specific issues and the Conference took the suggestions and comments into consideration.^[7]

General session presentations from the government concerning economic projections, and the private sector concerning topics such as geriatric medicine attributed to a wide range of information.