WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. delivered remarks during today’s hearing on examining veterans’ access to long term care.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you to our witnesses for being here today to discuss how we can ensure veterans have access to the long-term care and support they need.
Our veterans sacrificed for us, so we owe it to them to work to identify gaps in care and find ways to improve the experience they receive when they work with VA to fulfill their long-term care needs.
Access to quality long-term care is an important part of honoring our commitment to our veterans.
It’s an issue that affects the veteran, their families, the caregiver, and the community around them.
We must improve coordination between the VA, community providers, and other stakeholders so that veterans and their families do not have to struggle to access the support they earned.
As the population of aging and disabled veterans increases, VA will need to ensure high-quality and adequate staffing for VA medical facilities, clinics, and community living centers, while also expanding its footprint in the community.
I support VA’s efforts to honor veterans’ preferences for when, where, and how they receive long-term care. Veterans should have ultimate control over their health care decisions from VA.
We must also focus on caregiver support and recognize the vital role caregivers play in the well-being of our veterans. We must provide caregivers with the necessary resources, training, and support to ensure they deliver the best care.
Our hope is that your testimony will help us figure out how to do that.
I thank you again for your testimony.
Let us honor our veterans’ service and sacrifice by making sure they get the best care we can give them.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield.
Watch his remarks here.
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