Long-term care services support our family members, friends, and neighbors who are unable to perform basic activities of daily living such as dressing or bathing. Long-term care is provided at home, in the community, in residential care and assisted living, and in nursing homes.
In the 2023 legislative session, the Legislature and Administration made a number of important investments in long-term care. We are grateful for this critical support. While these investments were an important step forward, unfortunately Vermont’s system of long-term care remains in jeopardy unless further investment is made to stabilize and insulate long-term care providers from severe workforce shortages and chronic underfunding that long predate the COVID-19 pandemic, which has only exacerbated conditions.
Since January of 2023, Vermont has lost 192 assisted living and residential care home beds in 7 counties. Even with the prior rate increases, many facilities remain on the brink of closure due to chronic underfunding and workforce shortages. Vermont’s system of long-term care needs your support to ensure access to these critical services for our neighbors, family members and communities.
Specifically, we are asking the Legislature to:
- Fully implement the increases for Enhanced Residential Care (ERC) and home-based Choices for Care services described in the 2023 DVHA rate study.
- Provide annual updates to long-term care reimbursement rates to keep pace with inflation, changing market pressures, and increases in costs of care.
- Implement an annual rate review and update process.
How can you help? Contact your lawmakers!
All lawmakers need to hear that a fully-funded long-term care system is an essential part of Vermont's infrastructure. Use the prompts below to share your story with your representatives and let them know why long-term care services are critical to all Vermonters.
