Older Adults

Evidence-based community falls prevention programs can reduce falls, risk factors, and costs associated with falls. Community-based programs address a wide range of risk factors such as improving muscle strength and balance, removing home hazards that contribute to falls, and increasing confidence to engage in falls-reduction activities. NCOA's infographic highlights key statistics on falls injuries and solutions to help save lives and money.

Virginia Tech’s Center for Gerontology is offering an Online Graduate Certificate in Leadership for an Aging Society. The 12-credit program can be completed in one academic year and covers a wide variety of topics such as the biological, psychological, and sociological impacts of aging, ethical issues surrounding older adults and their families, as well as the public policy development and approval processes at the local, state, and national levels. Certificate recipients will be prepared by industry leaders to lead and manage teams and multi-agency collaborations that serve older adults in a variety of settings, including private and public organizations.

CMS has announced it will offer more than $110 million to expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS) through Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person (MFP) program. The new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) makes individual awards of up to $5 million available for more than 20 states and territories not currently participating in MFP. These funds will support initial planning and implementation to get the state/territory programs off the ground, which would ensure more people with Medicaid can receive high-quality, cost-effective, person-centered services in a setting they choose.

The brief from the KKF shares state-level data on HCBS spending and the number of people receiving Medicaid in FY 2020. The data were collected in KFF’s 19th survey of state officials administering Medicaid HCBS programs in all 50 states and DC.

NCLER has released a Tip Sheet providing information about federal utility assistance programs, including the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program, and others that can help keep older adults and individuals with serious illnesses safe and healthy.

ACL is collecting material from local nutrition programs, including photographs, quotes, newspaper clippings, and other materials that highlight Senior Nutrition Programs. In the request, ACL asks for high-quality JPG/PNGs of all types of nutrition activities, from grab-and-go events to nutrition education classes. A release form must be signed by every person shown. Please include the program name, location, a brief description of what is being shared, and the year it was published/produced. Submissions must be received by email by March 18, 2022.

As part of the Senior Nutrition Program 50th Anniversary celebration, ACL is soliciting nominations for nutrition “Champion awards.” These awards will recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Senior Nutrition Program at the state, area, and local levels. The deadline to submit nominations is March 2, 2022.

USAging and the Eldercare Locator have launched the 2021 Home for the Holidays campaign. The campaign brochure, Healthy Aging in a Pandemic World: What Older Adults and Caregivers Need to Know Now, describes the changes that families, friends and caregivers may notice among themselves and the older adults in their lives. The brochure poses questions readers should ask themselves and their loved ones as we all navigate this stage of the pandemic. It also and provides information on how older adults, caregivers and families can connect to services that agencies provide to address these changes.

This year, National Employ Older Workers Week (NEOWW) takes place from September 19-25, 2021. NEOWW is held annually to recognize the vital role of older adults in the workforce. NEOWW aims to increase awareness of older workers and develop innovative strategies to support employment. The theme for this year's National Employ Older Workers Week is: "The Future is NEOWW!"

This report highlights what Medicare Advantage plans, providers, and community partners are doing to address social risk factors for older adults. The report is based off of interviews with over 20 experts from 14 organizations representing health plans, providers, health plan associations, non-profit social service organizations, and service and technology vendors. Findings show an increase in plan activity to address areas of social isolation, transportation, housing, and food.