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    "title": "Issues - Senior Citizens",
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        "Ronald Reagan's Governor's Papers of the Press Unit",
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    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/reagan/7408628/40-840-7408628-P31-016-2017.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "Ronald Reagan Presidential Library\nDigital Library Collections\nThis is a PDF of a folder from our textual collections.\nCollection: Reagan, Ronald: Gubernatorial Papers,\n1966-74: Press Unit\nFolder Title: Issues - Senior Citizens\nBox: P31\nTo see more digitized collections visit:\nhttps://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/digital-library\nTo see all Ronald Reagan Presidential Library inventories visit:\nhttps://reaganlibrary.gov/document-collection\nContact a reference archivist at: [email protected]\nCitation Guidelines: https://reaganlibrary.gov/citing\nNational Archives Catalogue: https://catalog.archives.gov/\nHOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL 1:00 PM (EST),\nCitizens\nTHURSDAY MARCH 23, 1972\nJH\nOffice of the White House Press Secretary\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nFACT SHEET\nMESSAGE ON OLDER AMERICANS\nIn his message, the President outlines a comprehensive\nstrategy for the complex problems faced by older Americans.\nThere are 5 major elements:\n1.\nImproving the income position of older Americans.\n2. Upgrading the quality of nursing homes.\n3. Helping older Americans lead dignified, independent\nlives in their own homes.\n4. Expanding opportunities for the involvement of older\npersons in community life.\n5. Organizing the Government to meet the changing needs\nof older Americans.\nIn 1973, the Federal Government will spend an estimated\n$50 billion on behalf of older Americans, nearly 50% more than\nin 1969. One example of increased concern for the elderly is\nthe increase in overall Federal spending under the Older\nAmericans Act; spending under this Act has risen from $32\nmillion in 1969 to a proposed $157 million as announced in the\n1973 budget. The President is recommending a further increase\nof $100 million for nutrition and related services. This will\nbring total spending in 1973 to $257 million -- an eight fold\nincrease.\n1. IMPROVING THE INCOME\nPOSITION OF OLDER AMERICANS\nThe President has signed into law social security\nincreases amounting to more than a 26 percent rise\nsince 1969 -- a $10 billion annual increase in in-\ncome for the elderly. When the proposed 5% benefit\nincrease in H.R. 1 is enacted, the increase in a\n2 1/2 year period would be one-third, the largest\nsuch increase in the history of social security.\nIn his message the President urges Congress to\nenact the new income benefits for older Americans\ncontained in H.R. 1, which would total $5 1/2 billion\nwhen fully effective. This includes $3 billion in\nincreased social security benefits and $2 1/2 billion\nin new benefits for the needy elderly.\nOther important reforms contained in H.R. 1 include\nthe first national income floor for older Americans;\nguaranteed inflation-proof social security benefits;\na modified retirement earnings test to allow an\nindividual to earn more after retirement without\nlosing social security benefits; increased benefits\nfor delayed retirement; and special minimum benefits\nfor people who have worked for 15 or more years under\nsocial security.\nmore\n2\nThe President will propose a program to increase\nthe incomes of military retirees and improve the\nmilitary retirement system. This includes re-\ncomputing retired pay on the basis of January, 1971\nmilitary pay scales, and improving the protection\nof survivors of retired personnel.\nOlder veterans are benefiting from improved medicare\ncare for veterans. In fiscal year 1973, 844,000\nveterans will be treated in VA hospitals, and ap-\nproximately one-fourth of these veterans will be\nover age 65. Veterans' pensions were increased by\nan average of 10 percent in calendar year 1971\nand are being increased by another 6 1/2 percent\nin 1972.\nBenefits for retired Federal employees and their\nfamilies have been improved by increasing annuities\nas the cost of living rises, and by liberalizing\nhealth and other retirement benefits.\nThe President has submitted a program to reform and\nexpand private pension programs, through:\n-- tax deductions to encourage independent savings\ntoward retirement;\n-- more generous tax deductions for self-employed\npersons;\n-- vesting of pensions to insure that persons who\nhave worked for an employer for a significant\nperiod will retain their pension rights;\n- management of pension funds exclusively in the\ninterest of beneficiaries; and\n-- a one-year study of pension plan terminations\nby the Departments of Labor and Treasury.\nThe President announced (August 1971) a New Economic\nPolicy to help reduce inflationary pressures that\nare so harmful to older Americans receiving relatively\nfixed incomes.\nThe President reaffirmed his commitment to relieve\nthe burden of property taxes.\nRecent and pending changes in income tax laws would\nprovide special help to older persons (a single\nperson agod 65 or older would be able to receive up\nto $5,100 of income without paying any Federal in-\ncome taxes, while a married couple with both husband\nand wife 65 or older would be able to earn up to\n$8,000 of such tax free income.)\nThe President directs his Office of Consumer Affairs\nto develop recommendations for further action to\nmake older citizens aware of their legal rights\nunder the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act\nand to help the States develop consumer education\nprograms specifically designed for older citizens.\nThe President's comprehensive health proposals also\ncan reduce the burden of health costs on the elderly:\nHe has:\nmore\n3\n-- Requested that the monthly $5.80 Medicare\nsupplementary premium fee be eliminated,\nyielding older persons $1.5 billion.\n-- Urged several measures contained in H.R. 1\nto reduce health costs for older Americans,\nincluding extending Medicare to many of the\ndisabled who have been forced to retire early,\nenabling Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in\nHealth Maintenance Organizations, and clarifying\ncoverage for extended care facilities after\nhospitalization.\n2. UPGRADING THE QUALITY\nOF NURSING HOMES\nThe President announced an 8-point plan to upgrade the\nquality of nursing homes in August of 1971. The Administration\nhas:\nTrained almost 450 State nursing home inspectors\nin Federally-sponsored programs,\nSubmitted legislation to provide 100 percent\nFederal funding of State Medicaid inspections of\nnursing homes;\nEstablished an Office of Nursing Home Affairs in\nthe Office of the Secretary of Health, Education\nand Welfare;\nIncreased Medical Services Administration personnel\nby 142 positions to enforce Medicaid standards and\nregulations;\nFunded a short-term training program for nursing\nhome personnel (20,000 in fiscal year 1972; 21,000\nin fiscal year 1973.);\nDesignated Social Security district offices to receive\nand investigate nursing home complaints;\nInitiated a comprehensive analysis of the issues\nrelated to long-term care; and\nImproved the enforcement of nursing home standards,\nincluding the decertification of 13 substandard\nnursing homes.\n3. ENHANCING THE INDEPENDENCE\nOF OLDER AMERICANS\nTo help older Americans lead dignified, independent lives\nin their own homes, the President:\nIncreased the 1972 budget of the Administration on\nAging to $100 million for 1973 -- to provide home-\nmaker, transportation, nutrition and community\nservices. He will request an additional $100 million\nfor funding of increased nutrition and related services.\nCalled for indefinite extension of the Older Americans\nAct and proposed amendments to strengthen service\ndelivery:\nmore\n4\n-- HEW would increase its financial support for\nthe State Agencies on Aging and fund up to\n90% of services costs and up to 75% of the\nadministrative costs of new Area Planning\nAgencies on Aging.\n-- State and Area Planning Agencies would plan to\nmobilize wide range resources -- public and\nprivate -- to enhance the independence of older\ncitizens.\nAnnounced new procedures for interagency coordination\nof Federal resources which aid older persons. Under\nthese procedures Federal agencies will identify each\nyear that portion of their resources they expect to\nspend the next year to help older persons meet their\nneeds. State Agencies on Aging will use this infor-\nmation for more effective planning and delivery of\nservices.\nSet up a system whereby nearly 900 Social Security\ndistrict offices will provide information on benefits\navailable to the elderly;\nAsked the Domestic Council Committee on Aging to\nexamine ways to use other government offices -- such\nas the General Services Administration's Federal In-\nformation Centers and the Agricultural Extension\nService's local offices -- to expand the information\nand complaint centers;\nWill launch an outreach campaign (Project FIND) to\nincrease the participation of eligible older persons\nin the food assistance programs of the Department of\nAgriculture (i.e., food stamps and surplus commodities).\nThe campaign will be conducted through a network of\nexisting Federally operated or funded field offices\nand outreach workers;\nUrged action on the recent legislative proposal of the\nSecretary of Transportation that some of the Highway\nTrust Fund be used to finance mass transportation and\nasked the Secretary of Transportation to develop\nspecific suggestions for helping States and localities\nuse a portion of these resources for the elderly.\nAnnounced that the Department of Transportation will\ngive priority to community requests for capital grants\nthat aid the elderly from the Urban Mass Transportation\nFund. The President urges States and localities to\nmove immediately to take advantage of available\nresources.\nMade housing money more readily available for older\nAmericans. In fiscal year 1972 and fiscal year 1973\nHUD will reach an all-time record in producing\nspecially designed, subsidized and insured housing\nand nursing homes.\n-- 66,000 units of HUD-subsidized housing units\nspecially designed for the elderly are planned\nfor fiscal year 1972 and an estimated 82,000\nfor fiscal year 1973.\n-- 14,000 units under the Nursing Home and Inter-\nmediate Care Facility Program, are planned in\nfiscal year 1972 and an estimated 18,000 in\nfiscal year 1973.\nmore\n5\nHUD has also issued guidelines to make the\nSection 236 subsidized rental program more\nresponsive to the needs of the elderly and\nto provide technical assistance to non-profit\nsponsors under the Section 106(a) program.\nAnnounced that HUD will extend the mortgage\nmaturity for the FHA insured nursing home\nprogram to a maximum of 40 years -- enabling\nsponsors to \"package\" residential and nursing\nhome complexes more easily.\nRequested HUD to work with the Administration\non Aging to develop training programs in the\nmanagement of housing for the elderly.\nDirected the Secretary of HUD to encourage more\nspace for senior centers in subsidized housing\nprojects for the elderly.\n4. EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES\nFOR INVOLVEMENT\nTo expand opportunities for more older Americans to make\nmeaningful contributions in all facets of society, the President:\nProposed legislation to expand ACTION's person-to-\nperson volunteer programs to permit low-income\nelderly persons to work with children of special\nneed in community settings and with older Americans\nin nursing homes and in the community.\nSupported a national effort of volunteer organizations\ndesigned to help the elderly to remain in their own\nhomes.\nTripled the Retired Senior Volunteers Program, to\n$15 million, to involve 75,000 volunteers.\nDoubled the Foster Grandparents Program to $25 million,\nproviding for 11,500 foster grandparents to serve\n23,000 children per day.\nDoubled the special job projects for older persons,\nsuch as Green Thumb and Senior Aides, to $26 million,\nto involve as many as 10,000 older persons.\nWill propose legislation to broaden the coverage of\nthe Age Discrimination in Employment Act to include\nthe fastest growing area of employment -- the State\nand local governments.\nDirected the Secretary of Labor to work on expanding\nemployment opportunities for persons over 65 by\nurging the States and local communities to include\nolder Americans in jobs provided by the Emergency\nEmployment Act of 1971 and working with public em-\nployment offices to help open job opportunities\nin both the public and private sectors.\nWill send a directive to heads of Federal departments\nand agencies to emphasize the policy that age shall\nbe no bar to a Federal job which an individual is\notherwise qualified to perform.\nmore\n6\n5. ORGANIZING THE GOVERNMENT\nTo better coordinate present and future efforts for older\nAmericans, the President has:\nCreated a new Domestic Council cabinet level\ncommittee on aging, chaired by HEW Secretary\nRichardson.\nCreated the position of Special Assistant on\nAging, John Martin.\nAppointed a Special Consultant on Aging,\nArthur Flemming.\nTo augment these efforts the Administration will:\nStrengthen the Secretary of HEW's Advisory Com-\nmittee on Older Americans -- providing it with\npermanent staff to support its increased\nresponsibilities.\nArrange to have the Chairman of the Advisory\nCommittee report directly to the Secretary of\nHealth, Education and Welfare.\nCreate a Technical Advisory Committee on Aging\nResearch reporting to the Advisory Committee to\ndevelop a comprehensive plan of social,\npsychological, health, education, and economic\nresearch in HEW affecting the aged.\n####\nSENIOR CITIZENS--RR\nSome would have us believe that old people are out of step\nwith modern society, that they are unable to keep up with the\nhectic pace of modern technology, that they are confused by every-\nthing and should get out of the way of young, progressive ideas.\nBut I disagree. There is great danger in lumping all people\nover the age of 50 into one great mass. Maybe some people do\nbecome confused and unable to keep up the pace as they grow\nolder. But I am sure you know, as I do, many young people also\nare confused by our society and choose to drop out rather than\ntry to understand.\nThe fallacy of generalizing about all people over the age\nof 50 is easily seen by looking around: in every phase of\nprivate business, where owners and employees by the thousands\ncontinue working actively well into their seventies; in govern-\nment--city, county, state and federal--where people work right\nup to the mandatory retirement age and then donate their services\nas volunteer consultants for years afterward; in volunteer organ-\nisations, in which many of you have participated, where men and\nwomen in their eighties and nineties continue to serve their\nsociety faithfully and well. I firmly believe that Senior\nCalifornians are not out of touch with the Space Age. The fact\nis, they are the architects of the Space Age.\nIt is my hope and desire that each Senior Californian will\nhave a retirement that is satisfying and productive--a retirement\nwith dignity and self-respect.\nFor example, we have worked diligently to end discrimination\nbecause of age in the area of employment. This task is, GE course,\nstill far from completion, but great strides are being made.\nCalifornia has become the first state in the nation to create\na state civil service classification specifically for the purpose\nof hiring senior citizens on a part-time basis to work in their\nown communities in finding solutions to the problems of housing,\nemployment, medical care, nutrition and education.\nCalifornia has attracted nationwide attention for its volun-\nteer recognition program, the Senior Californian Service Corps.\nAnd Property tax relief for senior citizens is now a reality\nbecause of the efforts of this Administration.\nWe have made significant progress in these and many other\nfields. Yet much remains to be done.\nThere is still not enough housing available for those on\nlimited, fixed incomes. There are still not enough jobs avail-\nable for those with talent and energy who seek them. There are\nmany who feel alone and forgotten.\nWe in government cannot provide all the remedies, solve all\nthe problems and meet all the needs--nor should we. A truly\nCreative Society cannot be built on the efforts of government\nalone. All members of our society must work together. When\nboth government and the independent sector think and act creatively\nas a team--neither one telling the other what it must do but\nrather what each can do to reach the same goal-then there is no\nproblem we cannot solve.\n-2-\nAs citizens, you and I have a responsibility to use our\ntalents and resources to the best of our abilities. And, if\nwe do, California will continue to be the greatest state in the\nnation.\n-3-"
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