Legislative updates: Geriatric funding, Parkinson’s disease

On July 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced more than $200 million in funding for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program, which will fund 42 programs dedicated to training more primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and other clinicians on how to provide age-friendly and dementia-friendly care to older adults. Specifically, more geriatric training will be integrated into primary care to ensure clinicians can better identify and meet the needs of older patients.

This is an important investment in helping caregivers meet the challenges of the increasingly older population, according to Carole Johnson, administrator for the Health Resources and Services Administration.

“We are committed to supporting the clinicians that older patients trust to care for them as they age, especially those with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias,” she said in the announcement.

Journalists may want to explore how well the geriatric workforce serves older adults in their communities. You can also investigation whether local health institutions are actively recruiting new specialists or participating in the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program. Or, contact local medical schools and find out about their efforts to recruit more students into geriatrics — and whether or not they prioritize learning to care for this population in their curriculum.

Why this matters

Many older patients receive the majority of their health care from their primary care provider, not all of whom are updated on the latest geriatric research or understand the changing needs of these patients. There is a severe shortage of geriatric specialists in the United States — with only about 7,400 board-certified geriatric specialists for some 58 million people 65 and older. In contrast, there were about 60,000 practicing pediatricians in 2021, caring for approximately 82 million people 19 and younger, according to The Washington Post.

Integrating geriatrics into primary care practices will help address the workforce shortage and educate older adults’ family members and other caregivers on how to provide the best care.

The Census Bureau projected that by 2035, there will be more people over 65 than under 18. By 2050, the number of older people is expected to increase to 82 million, or from about 17% to 23% of the population, according to the Population Reference Bureau. People 65 and older are living longer with multiple chronic conditions — including Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias — and they use more health care services than any other segment of the population. Without more specialists, much of this care will fall to primary care clinicians and paid and unpaid caregivers.

“Meeting the health care needs of older adults is a top priority,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra,” in the release. That’s why we are helping to build the health care workforce needed to care for our friends and family members as they age.”

Tackling Parkinson’s disease

President Biden signed H.R. 2365, the Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act, into law on July 2. The legislation requires the Department of Health and Human Services to develop and evaluate progress on a government-wide plan to address Parkinson’s and related diseases and the convening of a Parkinson’s advisory committee. This is the first-ever federal legislation specifically targeting this degenerative disease, which affects more than 1 million people in the United States, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. This number is expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030.

The law will enhance public awareness of the disease, significantly improve research funding, earlier diagnosis and treatment pathways, jump-start new patient care models, and address health disparities in diagnosis, treatment and clinical trial participation, according to Parkinson’s Foundation President and CEO John L. Lehr. Parkinson’s is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s.

While adults younger than 50 can develop this neurodegenerative disease, it most commonly affects people 60 and older.

The legislation was introduced in the House by U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.). It’s named after Rep. Bilirakis’ brother, who lost a years-long battle with the disease in May and for U.S. Rep. Jennifer Weston (D-Va.), who is battling another rare neurodegenerative disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), according to a statement from Bilirakis’ office.

With current chatter obsessing over whether President Biden or someone else in the White House might have this disease, journalists can help to set the record straight and educate their audiences about this condition, symptoms and prognosis.