In today’s episode, I was honored to speak with two incredible leaders in the New Jersey healthcare space,  Senators Declan O’Scanlon and Vin Gopal. Senator O’Scanlon and Senator Gopal speak openly about the challenges in finding the right care for elders as they age. In a given year VNA Health Group makes over a million home visits to elders in our communities who are aging in their own homes. Affordability continues to be a challenge as the 85 and over demographic develops the most health issues, and we all know, as people age, so do the medical bills. There needs to be more emphasis on home care so is a more cost-effective way to care for the elderly in the comfort of their home.  Senator Gopal believes one way to fix situations is additional funding through the state and federal governments and more focus on individual needs. We also talk about the nursing shortage and how finding affordable housing, unattainable education opportunities, and the impact COVID has had on the “work from home culture” are all contributors to the workforce shortage.

Key Points from this episode:

• How we can make healthcare more affordable for the increasing 85+ community
• The difference between home care and healthcare affordability
• How to gain and retain a new nursing staff while combating the current shortage
• Affordable New Jersey housing for both working nurses and seniors