Growing Number of Tennessee Seniors Will Increase Demand For State Services

Image Credit: Office of the Tennessee Comptroller

By John Dunn –

The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has released an updated version of its report on Senior Long-Term Care in Tennessee. The report indicates the number of Tennessee seniors age 60 and over is expected to increase by 30% from 1.6 million in 2020 to 2.1 million in 2040. The number of those age 80 and over in Tennessee is forecast to double during this time.

This population trend will likely create a significant growth in the demand for and potential cost of public long-term services and support programs for low-income Tennessee seniors.

*** Click Here to Support Conservative Journalism in Tennessee. We can’t bring your articles like this without your support!***

The Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability (OREA) report focuses on the three primary publicly funded long-term services and supports programs for low-income elderly Tennesseans: TennCare CHOICES (Medicaid), Options for Community Living, and Older Americans Act programs. Together, these programs provide a continuum of services ranging from information and referral, meals, varying levels of home and community-based services, and nursing home care.

NewTruth

OREA’s first report on this topic was released in 2017. The updated report focuses on four issues that continue to be critical in 2022:

• expanding home and community-based services for senior at risk of nursing home care, which would likely result in decreased future use of more expensive home-and community-based services and nursing homes;

• expanding community-based residential alternatives;

• addressing front line workers’ pay; and

• providing additional support for family and other unpaid caregivers.

The report includes several policy options that the General Assembly may wish to consider. The report also notes that Governor Lee’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2022-2023, and actions taken as a result of the influx of federal money during the pandemic, address concerns presented in the report.

To read the 2022 update, please visit the Comptroller’s website at: tncot.cc/orea.

About the Author: John Dunn is the Director of Communications for the office of the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *