Long-Term Care

The narrator interviews proponents, staff, and consumers of the Green House model. During visits to two Green Houses for people with Alzheimer’s in Texas, she discusses costs, outcomes, terminology, and guiding principles. According to the interviews, outcomes such as consumer satisfaction and well-being and employee retention and interaction are better than in institutional settings. The 11 minute audio file is part of the “New Directions in Health Care” podcast series.

What curricula are used to train paid and unpaid individuals caring for older adults in the home? The authors conducted a 4-month search to identify and categorize existing curricula nationwide. It was used as a discussion primer for a March 2007 conference that sought to discuss specialized vs. comprehensive training models, standards, and possible credentialing for caregivers and training programs. Contact information for the curricula discussed is provided.

Methods for evaluating MFP are mapped out in detail. The report explains the design of the analyses of implementation, impact, and outcomes. It also describes research questions to be answered and methods for tracking the 31 programs. Finally, the synthesis of information and format of the presentation of findings is discussed.

The Committee compiled a brief inventory of all research and demonstration projects supported by federal agencies. Program details are not provided, but the report does describe the diverse strategies used by 27 agencies to research and support HCBS. Fields covered include biomedical sciences, housing, environmental protection, preventive care, and hospice care, among others.

AARP offers a list of resources to help plan for long-term care. Especially helpful is the “Staying in Your Home” section. Here you can find tools on preparing homes for aging in place, locating quality home and community-based services, and hiring home care workers.

PAS Center offers state-by-state participant and expenditure data for all of Medicaid and the three main HCBS programs: 1915(c) waivers, home health, and state plan personal care. The December 2008 update provides 2005 data complemented by survey results related to program policies and provider reimbursement rates.

This compendium describes regulatory provisions and Medicaid policy for residential care settings in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It updates an earlier report completed in 2004. This provides an overview of residential care and assisted living policy, a comparison of state’s policy in selected areas, and summaries of each state's regulations for residential care settings, including assisted living facilities.

This evaluation assesses the impact of the "Home Health Aide (HHA) Partnering Collaborative" -- a quality improvement initiative implemented at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York -- in three main areas: patient outcomes, patient service use and aide job perceptions and retention.

Investing in the workforce has more benefits than improving the quality of care. The long-term care industry employs more people than nearly any other in the U.S. Direct-care jobs are the employment core of this industry and are among the nation’s fastest-growing occupations. Improving the quality of these jobs is not only vital to our social infrastructure, but has the potential to drive economic growth, particularly within low-income communities.

This report estimates that public financial and personal clinical outcomes can be improved by moving dual eligibles to capitated managed care. The authors view the clinical and eligibility characteristics of dual eligibles as well-matched to the strengths of integrated care programs. The document lays out the reasoning and data behind the estimate, recommends policy changes needed to make the transition, identifies potential barriers to implementation and offers examples from KY and MN.