Policy & Advocacy

Welcome to the Public Policy and Advocacy LeadingAge California. Advocacy is a key tenant of LeadingAge California's mission, and the policy staff is active and eager to represent our member’s needs in the state legislature and with members of Congress. We engage in a constant and determined fight to preserve and maintain services to California’s seniors and their providers. This page provides information on grassroots advocacy, communication tools for our members, information on our policy bulletin and legislative and regulatory updates.

To learn more click on a topic heading below.

• Grassroots Advocacy
• Forums
• AgeTech West
• Policy Issue Papers
• Committee Handbook

Grassroots Advocacy
Grassroots advocacy is the active support of a cause, issue or policy at the local level rather than at the political center, such as Sacramento or Washington, DC. A grassroots program is a continuous process of empowering and encouraging members to take action on public policy issues. It is a course that leads association members as they seek to impact public policy.

Grassroots is important because:
• Most people (including legislators and their staff) do not have even a basic understanding of long term care – let alone the various levels of care and how people move from one level to the next;
• Understanding long-term care is critical to adopting public policy that impacts the delivery of services;
• You are the best spokesperson to discuss long-term care issues;
• LeadingAge California members must comply with a plethora of state and federal laws and regulations – it is imperative we have a voice in shaping those policies;
• Legislators want to hear from their constituents;

LeadingAge California has provided a number of tools as you embark on your grassroots journey in our grassroots handbook.

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Forums
The forums on our website are intended to promote general communication between members where feedback is requested. Members can initiate this process with an inquiry, and LeadingAge California staff can initiate a forum post to request feedback on a particular issue. A number of forums are available (open only to members of Aging Services), but those that are specific to Public Policy include:

• Home & Community Based Services
• Affordable Housing
• Residential Care (CCRC, RCFE, MLRC)
• Skilled Nursing

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AgeTech West
AgeTech West is a programmatic partnership of LeadingAge California, LeadingAge Oregon and LeadingAge Washington. The joint effort is to assist providers implement proven, cost-effective technologies that will increase the efficiency of care and the quality of life for clients receiving care.  Available technologies can help providers prevent unnecessary acute episodes  and early detection of health issues, better manage chronic diseases, promote  higher quality care, achieve greater staff and caseload efficiency and promote wellness and independence.

Please visit the AgeTech West Website to learn more: www.agetechwest.org

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Policy Issue Papers
Read LeadingAge California's legislative focus by clicking on the document image below.

Link to archived issue papers.

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Committe Handbook
Download the eight chapters of the Committee Handbook. Read about the committees and subcommittees available to LeadingAge California voting members by clicking here.

• Chapter 1: About LeadingAge California
• Chapter 2: Committee & Subcommittee Governance
• Chapter 3: Calendars
• Chapter 4: 2012 Issues Briefs
• Chapter 5: Grassroots Advocacy
• Chapter 6: The Regulatory Process
• Chapter 7: The Legislative Process
• Chapter 8: Acronym List