ABSTRACT
The fourth White House Conference on Aging was held in May 1995, and brought together 2,200 delegates to study complex issues grouped under five headings: social security benefits, pensions and savings, healthcare and longterm care, research, and grandparenting. 1 Although hundreds of proposed policy needs were drafted before the conference began, the number one issue emerging at the conference itself was long-term care and healthcare needs. 2 With the delegates themselves fearing the loss of independence through the physical and financial consequence of illness or infirmity, support was strong to develop longterm care insurance policies that would cover not only nursing homes but also home care and include activities such as home-delivered meals, home health visits by professional caregivers and health personnel and other services—all designed to decrease admissions to nursing homes. 3 Great interest was shown by the delegates in advancing gerontological research by combatting crippling diseases such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons that force significant admissions to long-term care facilities. 4
