ARGENTUM ADVOCATES
The Importance of Educating Lawmakers on Senior Living Issues
By Dan Samson T
rust is the cornerstone of Argentum’s advocacy efforts. Just as prospective residents are looking to trust the care
provided at a new senior living community, policymakers are looking to trust Argentum as they consider actions to best serve our nation’s seniors and caregivers. However, as with welcoming a new resi- dent, earning someone’s trust takes time and understanding. The trust placed in Argentum has allowed
us to secure significant victories throughout the pandemic. From billions of dollars in provider relief to offset losses incurred during the ongoing crisis, to millions of testing supply kits, to vaccination priority and on-site clinics, and reasonable liability protections for frontline workers. These achievements didn’t happen overnight. Rather, they took months of education campaigns to help inform policymakers of the challenges being faced by senior living providers, residents, and caregivers. Earlier this year, Representatives Lori
Trahan (D-MA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) took the lead in introducing H.R. 6530, the SENIOR Act. The legislation is a milestone for assisted living and, if passed, will create a $10 billion caregiver sustainability fund dedicated for assisted living providers and $1.25 billion in workforce development grants. Similarly, Argentum helped garner the
support of more than half of the Senate and several dozen members of the House of Representatives to sign letters supporting targeted relief for assisted living providers. It took months or years to establish trust with each lawmaker behind this efforts so they would be willing to put their name behind our cause.
Some of Argentum’s most important
advocacy work throughout the pandemic hasn’t been about establishing new policies. It has been about stopping bad policies from happening. Last summer, a handful of Sen- ators sought to repurpose tens of billions of dollars owed to frontline providers to help fund the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. Against all odds, Argentum launched an improbable campaign to stop their efforts and save the Provider Relief Fund (PRF). Across the country, advocates reached
out to lawmakers and participated in our grassroots campaign. Because of the lead- ership of several key senators who helped champion our cause, lawmakers dropped this proposal and the PRF was saved. Our efforts to educate and inform lawmak-
ers of what senior living is (and that it is not country clubs or skilled nursing), is an endless process. It involves thousands of touchpoints and hundreds of one-on-one meetings each year. It involves public relations, billboards, yard signs, and grassroots outreach. It in- volves each and every one of you. Simply put, Argentum cannot do this
alone. We need senior living advocates joining us in our effort, amplifying our voice, and helping to earn the trust of policymakers. There are three key ways to help support
our advocacy: • Through a company contribution to the Advocacy Fund. This fund was instru- mental to our successful campaigns to save and then release the provider relief funds. The advocacy fund is generously supported by corporate contributions throughout the industry to ensure we have the resources needed to best repre- sent our industry’s needs.
• Through contributions to Silver PAC. This dedicated fund helps support lawmakers who have our back on Capitol Hill, cham- pion our causes and help stop laws that are burdensome, redundant, and unnec- essary. Silver PAC allows Argentum to develop longstanding relationships and to educate lawmakers on the value of senior living.
• Through grassroots action. Direct out- reach from constituents to lawmakers is paramount for getting our message heard. This means participation on letter writing campaigns, displaying yard signs, hosting lawmakers at senior living communities to gain a first-hand perspective, and by being active and engaged members of Ar- gentum Advocates, our free membership program for senior living advocacy.
“Advocacy” means telling our story, and
connecting policymakers with the people who make our communities so special. Argentum is your voice in Washington, D.C., to tell our story for those who are best positioned to help our industry. Our advocacy success is tied directly to our ability to educate policymakers, establish strong relationships, and build trust. And to do so, we must have the resources to power our lobbying and public relations efforts, not just for today, but for years to come as we build off our resiliency of the past two years and prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Visit
argentum.org/advocacy/ to find news about federal and state advocacy efforts, the SENIOR Act white paper, and our Grassroots Advocacy Toolkit.
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