Issue Position: Senior Citizens

Issue Position

The percentage of Pennsylvania's population that is aged 60 or over was 20% in 2006 and this number is expected to grow substantially in the next 10 years. This increase will raise the number eligible for programs such as PACE and PACE NET, which are already struggling to meet demand. 10% of Pennsylvania seniors have incomes below the poverty line and a growing percentage are eligible for food stamps. The state is also facing increasing demands for in-home health care as more and more seniors receive assistance from these community-based programs.

Conklin supports legislation to help Pennsylvania's seniors. He voted in favor of property tax relief, which gave tax relief to over 400,000 Pennsylvania seniors. Conklin also co-sponsored legislation that recognized the importance of in-home care, which allows many seniors to stay in their homes. During his tenure as commissioner, Conklin served as chairman of the Retirement Board. Conklin will continue to pursue legislative avenues to improving the quality of life for Pennsylvania's seniors.

* Work to keep the lottery system solid for continued support of programs such as PACE and PACE NET
* Work for improvements in long term-care options
* Strengthen guidelines for long term care

Support implementation of the 2008-2012 State Plan on Aging

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