Speakers from Miami University and LeadingAge Ohio led the House Aging and Long-Term Care Committee in a discussion on the "state of aging" in Ohio, suggesting that the share of older Ohioans will nearly double by 2040 -- a reality for which the existing state Medicaid system and other aging supports are not prepared.

Miami University professor Bob Applebaum, who has spent the past 20-plus years leading the university's Ohio Long-Term Care Research Project, told the committee that the number of Ohioans over 60 will increase from about 1.9 million in 2000 to 3.4 million in 2040, while the number of Ohioans over 85 will increase from about 0.18 million in 2000 to 0.55 million in 2040.

Applebaum explained that the only Ohioans that have a greater number moving into the state than out of the state are over the age of 80. According to Applebaum, people born in Ohio tend to live most of their lives elsewhere in the nation, then return near the ends of their lives to be close to family. This pattern strains state social supports, he said, and existing state systems will be tested to an extreme degree in coming years, given the increasing number of older Ohioans.

Partnerships with industry will probably be necessary to address the issue, Applebaum said, using the example of Japan, with a greater aging population than the U.S., a country that has partnered with Toyota and Honda to invest millions in robotics to help care for the elderly.

Among other statistics in his presentation, Applebaum drew attention to the massive increase of older Ohioans who are choosing to live in community-based settings. Less than 10 percent of Ohioans over 60 in long-term care services lived in a community-based setting in the early 90s, but now that number has risen to 55 percent in 2017.

Responding to a question from Rep. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington), Applebaum said that other states have seen success in funding "social care issues," such as home-delivered meals and other policies geared toward allowing aging individuals to stay in their homes. Such states have seen lower nursing home populations than states that have not funded such initiatives, he said.

Rep. Janine Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights) voiced concerns about staff turnover at nursing home and in-home care providers, which Applebaum acknowledged was upwards of 80 percent due to the low wages and stressful nature of the work. Among the 10 Ohio nursing homes with the lowest turnover rates, four were headed by nuns, Applebaum said, who were able to communicate to employees that, "No matter what, we've got your back." In these facilities, nuns offered flexibility for personal needs, paycheck advances, rides to work and other deeds to show their employees they were valued.

Also presenting to the committee were Kathryn Brod, president and CEO of LeadingAge Ohio, and Susan Wallace, director of government affairs, who emphasized the need to look at funding solutions beyond Medicaid, reminding committee members that the estimated average lifetime cost of care for someone with dementia is $341,840.

Brod said that in conversations with LeadingAge member nursing facility administrators and staff, employee retention is a major issue. "In Wisconsin, the Department of Health and Human Services led a statewide nurse aide recruitment and retention program (WisCaregiver Careers) which enrolled over 3,000 new nurse aides into the field and offered the promise of a six-month, $500 retention bonus."

Policy recommendations from LeadingAge included incentivizing retirement and long-term care planning through caregiver tax breaks and other options; strengthening community-based care by bolstering its workforce, housing and Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) models; and utilizing emerging technology.

The full presentations from Miami University and LeadingAge are available at www.hannah.com>Important Documents & Notices>Library.

Story corrected 1/31/20.