Obama says U.S. must step up care for aging Americans

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama warned Monday of an increasing urgency for the U.S. to care for older Americans as millions of baby boomers head into their golden years.

At a White House conference on aging, Obama called on the nation to take proactive steps to address rising costs, protect Social Security, train more home health care workers and help seniors remain active contributors to their communities. He said every day, almost 10,000 Americans born in the aftermath of World War II turn 65 years old, creating a heavy load for the organizations and government agencies that help care for the elderly.

“Were going to have to work for it,” Obama said. “We have to work to do more to ensure that every older American has the resources and the support they need to thrive.”

Every 10 years, the White House holds a conference addressing the needs of aging Americans. Ahead of this year’s summit, Obama wrote in an editorial for the AARP website about the importance of making sure that a lifetime of hard work is rewarded “with a retirement that is secure and dignified.”

The president has asked the Labor Department to crack down on conflicts of interest in the retirement savings advice people may get from financial advisers. He’s also put forward proposals to expand access to employer-based retirement savings accounts.

In his speech to the summit, Obama also praised Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the “toughest” member of the high court, noting her popular nickname as “the notorious RBG.”