Governor Perdue Joins National Task Force on Health and Aging

Atlanta - Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that he will be serving on a national task force, A Lifetime of Health and Dignity, being led by Governor Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho. Governor Kempthorne is currently serving as the Chairman of the National Governors Association and has chosen to highlight the issue of long-term care and preparing America for an aging population. As a member of the task force, Governor Perdue will be focusing on the issues of wellness and disease management.

"This is a timely issue facing the baby boom generation whose demands are now sandwiched between childcare and elderly care," said Governor Sonny Perdue.

As part of the task force's efforts, Governor Perdue joined Governor Kempthorne today for a visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Governor Perdue and Governor Kempthorne took part in a roundtable discussion entitled, Why Public Health and Prevention? Promoting Health in Older Americans and toured the CDC Emergency Operation Center. After their visit to the CDC, Governor Perdue and Governor Kempthorne toured AwareHome, located on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology. AwareHome is a research environment wired with state of the art technology, designed to improve at-home living conditions for the elderly.

"Innovative alternatives to elder care, like those we've seen today, will allow older people the luxury of aging in their own homes," said Governor Sonny Perdue. "This technology will allow them to live safely, independently and alleviate some of the financial burden on their loved ones."

The Health and Aging initiative will be officially launched on December 10, 2003. For the launch, the National Governors Association is producing an hour-long program, Living Better: A Conversation on Aging, which will air on PBS stations throughout the country. Governor Perdue will join an in depth discussion facilitated by Governor Kempthorne, Newt Gingrich, Mort Kondracke, and several other governors from across the nation.