April 10, 1975
Page 9830
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare has reaffirmed the Senate's support for a Commission on the Mental Health of the Elderly.
The committee has included in S. 66 a provision based on legislation I first introduced in 1971 to establish a commission to formulate Federal policy toward the maintenance and improvement of the mental health of older Americans.
Our public policy toward the psychological needs of our elderly is confused and contradictory. Too many aged people are "warehoused" in institutions, with their physical needs met but their human needs ignored.
Many of these people could return to their homes and communities if proper services were available.
Many others are able to remain in their homes, but their needs are unmet because community facilities are unavailable or inadequate.
The lack of Federal policy to deal with these personal tragedies is inexcusable.
And at a time when geriatric patients occupy almost 20 percent of the beds in the Nation's mental hospitals and when 15 to 25 percent of the elderly living in their own homes have some degree of mental impairment, the lack of coordinated policy lessens the impact of the resources the Nation now commits to the mental health problems of the aged.
Mr. President, S. 66 also responds to a related deficiency in Federal services to the elderly and infirm, by providing startup funds for additional home health agencies, particularly in rural areas. The legislation provides $12 million for startup and expansion of home health agency services, and $3 million for training of home health professionals and para-professionals.
This provision carries out the intent of legislation I introduced along with Senator CHURCH, chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, in the last Congress.
In my home State of Maine it is not unusual for people to live 20, 30, or even 50 miles from the nearest physician. For many rural communities, a local home health agency would not be an additional medical service, but the only medical service in the area.
I am delighted to see that the committee has retained this provision, and I hope the Senate will give it full support.