WASHINGTON – With thousands of New Yorkers residing in nursing homes that could be living independently, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging, Tuesday announced an agenda to help more New York seniors live independently in their homes for as long as they are able by expanding access to in-home care, incentivizing more health professionals to work with seniors and investing in transportation to maximize independence for seniors. 

As a cornerstone of her plan is a new national long-term care insurance program that will make long term care more affordable for seniors and future generations.

By living independently in their homes and relying less on nursing homes, seniors are more likely to remain active and live longer, healthier lives. Keeping seniors in their homes would also result in big savings for New York taxpayers. Based on previous state assessments, nearly 6,500 New York seniors currently living in nursing homes could live independently in their own homes with better access to in-home care, saving New York taxpayers approximately $73 million annually.