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The White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) is a once-a-decade conference sponsored by the Executive Office of the President of the United States which makes policy recommendations to the president and Congress regarding the aged. The first of its kind, the goals of the conference are to promote the dignity, health and economic security of older Americans. It has been claimed that it is perhaps the best-known White House conference. The Conference is held once a decade, with the most recent conference held in 2005, in preparation for the retirement of the baby boomer generation. ==History== In 1950, President Harry S Truman ordered the Federal Security Agency to hold a national conference on aging. The purpose was to assess the policy challenges posed by a changing populace, particularly in light of numerous changes in federal entitlement programs (such as Social Security) that had been enacted during the previous 20 years. Social Security's goal was to assist those in need of financial assistance such as the poor, elderly, physically disabled or mentally ill. In 1958, Congressman John E. Fogarty introduced legislation calling for a White House conference on aging. Congress enacted the ''White House Conference on Aging Act'' (Public Law 85-908), and the bill was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The law called for a national citizens' forum to focus attention on the problems of older Americans and to make consensus policy recommendations on how to enhance the economic security of this demographic group. A national advisory committee for the White House Conference on Aging was formed the same year, with the first "White House" conference held in 1961. The 1961 White House Conference on Aging was the first to be designated "White House." More than 3,000 people attended the conference, representing nearly 300 organizations. The original goal of the conference was "to provide a forum for representatives of older Americans throughout the country to discuss and propose solutions to the unique problems facing the elderly in this country."〔(【引用サイトリンク】work=White House Conference on Aging )〕 The conference led directly to the passage of the 1961 Social Security amendments, the Senior Citizens Housing Act of 1962, the Community Health Services and Facilities Act, Medicare, Medicaid and the Older Americans Act. Congressional legislation in 1968 directed that another conference be held in 1971. The 4,000 attendees at the 1971 conference recommended more than 193 actions, some of which led directly to the founding of the Senate Special Committee on Aging and the Federal Council on Aging. Legislation in 1977 led to a 1981 conference, which was attended by 2,000 delegates, and was the first to use a quota-like system to ensure that various segments of the population—such as women, minorities and the disabled—were sufficiently represented. Ethnic, racial, demographic and others subgroups were also encouraged to hold their own caucuses, seminars and workshops in conjunction with the conference. Congressional amendments to the Older Americans Act which passed in 1992, led to another conference in 1995. Planning for the 1995 conference was much broader than in the past, but also more conservative. More than 125,000 people participated in more than 1,000 mini-conferences around the country during the two-year planning process. While few new initiatives were proposed, support for existing programs was reaffirmed. Additionally, the 2,200 delegates and 800 observers argued for a shift away from a focus on the aged and toward a policy on "aging." The Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000 directed that the next conference be held in 2005, and it took place from December 11 to December 14 in Washington, D.C. About 50 recommendations came from the conference; many relating to the transportation needs of the elderly, mental health and overhaul of the Medicare prescription drug benefit. The White House Conference on Aging held in 2005 was named "The Booming Dynamics of Aging: From Awareness to Action" and attracted one thousand two hundred delegates from across the country. Along with a 17-member bi-partisan policy committee, a 22-member advisory committee compiled a list of 73 resolutions to contribute to a strategy on how to accommodate and care for the nation's growing elderly population. The 2005 White House Conference on Aging experienced a first time event of the current present not addressing the Delegates. Then President Bush was at a retirement village in Northern Virginia and avoided the White House Conference on Aging to steer clear of concerned older adults, policy makers, and advocates on the new Medicare Part D Plan many were not pleased with. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「White House Conference on Aging」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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