Whereas, The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has reported that 60 percent of Michigan residents over the age of 65 will need long term care services at some point, with more than 40 percent of this group requiring nursing home care and another 30 percent requiring in-home assistance; and,

Whereas, The U.S. Census Bureau has projected that the population of Michigan residents age 65 and older will increase by nearly 70 percent to more than 2 million in 2030; and,

Whereas, In 2006 the average annual cost of care in Michigan for nursing home services was $70,445, over $32,500 for assisted living, and $18/hr. for non-skilled, in-home aid with all three continuing to increase at a rate outpacing the Consumer Price Index; and,

Whereas, The American Association for Long Term Care Insurance estimates that by 2020 the cost for today's 60-year-old will be in the $80,000 - $120,000 range for a single year of care in a nursing home or assisted living facility, which would entirely or nearly deplete the financial assets of most in just a year or two; and,

Whereas, Almost all long term care experts are predicting that the next 10 to 30 years will see even sharper increases in the demand for services and its associated costs, it has become contingent on Michigan citizens to recognize this critical situation and - with the assistance and cooperation of state and federal government and businesses of all sizes - they will begin to take the appropriate steps to ensure that their individual and family long term care needs can be met, which will improve the odds that their latter years can truly be golden; and now therefore be it,

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim the week of November 4, 2007, as Michigan Long Term Care Awareness Week and encourage all citizens to take the steps necessary to ensure a future for themselves and their loved ones.