Long-Term Care

Find two fact sheets geared towards assisting state and local aging network entities in their implementation of the VD-HCBS program in partnership with local VA Medical Centers. These documents offer information on target population, referral, services and goods, rate information and criteria for allowable expenditures.

Support Options is a CLP demonstration program that invites consumers who are at-risk of nursing home placement and Medicaid spend-down to actively participate in managing their own services within an established budget. Find marketing materials and a training manual for the Determination of Need (DON) Functional Assessment, a standardized assessment tool used that measures functional impairment and unmet need for care.

Review an evaluation of the Johnson County and Linn County Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) pilot sites. The evaluation assesses the process and outcomes of establishing a standardized entry point to long-term care supports and services, with emphasis on the role of the Options Counselor (OC) at both sites. Copies of surveys and interview techniques used are included.

The fragmentation of care for dually eligible beneficiaries is an ongoing concern. This brief discusses potential methods of reducing this fragmentation and improving nursing facility care for this population. Recommendations involve concentrating responsibility and accountability for prescription drug use, providing financial incentives for nursing facilities to reduce avoidable hospitalizations, and shifting responsibility for long-term nursing facility care from Medicaid to Medicare.

Review efforts to measure and reduce potentially avoidable hospitalization and improve care transitions for individuals who use long-term care. Three areas in which progress is needed are described. The authors conclude with questions deserving more research to fill gaps in knowledge on how best to improve care quality. You can also visit the LTQA website link for more information on the Quality Alliance.

Explore how Medicaid policies have been used in some states to expand the range and availability of services. Third in a series, this brief explains why these policies lead to so much variation in current state Medicaid long-term care programs. It also draws lessons from innovative states to suggest reforms in national Medicaid policies that would make home and community based services accessible to more program participants.

Network with 'Villages' that are sprouting up in communities across the country. These initiatives allow people affordable options for staying in their own homes, and to remain active, independent, and civically connected to their communities. The Village to Village Network is an informal association of these groups, a national peer to peer network to help communities establish and continuously improve their Villages whether in large metropolitan areas, rural towns, or suburban settings.

AARP has produced a set of state-by-state briefs that highlight the most up-to-date long-term care data for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Information is provided about each state's older population, long-term care funding, the cost and ranking of nursing homes, and long-term care insurance. The data utilized in these reports is the most recent publicly available data collected for all states.

CIAIP was authorized by Congress to assist communities in their efforts to enable older adults to sustain their independence and age in their homes and communities. Grantees are striving to assess their communities to identify barriers to aging in place and collaborate with other community organizations to identify innovative strategies for linking older individuals to programs that provide comprehensive and coordinated health and social services. Visit this website for more information.

Does providing Medicaid long-term supports and services influence dually eligible Medicaid recipients’ use of Medicare? Third in a series, this report is intended to provide background information on the interplay of Medicare and Medicaid resources using data from one state (Maryland) as an example for analysts who are examining similar issues at state and federal levels.