Aging/Older Adults

The California State Plan on Aging describes the goals of California’s Department of Aging to promote independence and well-being for its older adults. This Plan identifies the key areas it wishes to pursue, including access to transportation, community involvement, and wellness programs, in collaboration with the local and regional agencies. The Plan also explains the organizational structure of California’s aging network and the unique population it serves.

This document sets forth Arkansas’ State Unit on Aging (SUA)’s mission and goals and how it plans to pursue these. Many of the community-based services include Older Americans Act Unit, Home and Community-Based Waiver Services, Adult Protective Services, and Aging and Disability Resource Center. The mission is to promote informed access to quality health services. The Plan includes a description of Arkansas demographics as well as a funding formula for local agencies serving these populations.

This document lays out Arizona’s state plan on aging. It describes the demographics of the aging population and the goals and strategies for adhering to Older Americans Act stipulations. As one of its goals, the Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) has improving accessibility to integrated care. Some of the core programs and services include Independent Living Support Services (ILS), Adult Protective Services (APS), and Community Services.

This document is the result of an 18-month process undertaken by the Alaska Commission on Aging to include the elder/senior communities of Alaska for input on the direction of senior services. Alaska’s state plan draws on values of respect, cultural-sensitivity, and dignity. The plan lists the different Older Americans Act programs implemented in Alaska with descriptions. Some of these are home and community-based services and the nutrition, transportation, and support services grant programs.

This document lays out the State of Alabama’s plan on aging in accordance to Older Americans Act requirements. The plan describes the mission and strategies of the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS) and how it plans to coordinate supportive services given funding restrictions. The FY11-12 plan has its goals promoting independence for its aging population and enabling seniors to remain in their homes via home and community-based services.

This document offers recommendations for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of Older Americans Act (OAA) services upon its reauthorization. Recommendations are made under each Title of the Act. More general recommendations include increasing interaction and coordination with other federal programs that deliver services for older adults such as the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Senior Corps, and Adult Protective Services.

This Fact Sheet highlights some of the most important features of the Older Americans Act in providing quality home care. Some areas of the OAA that are covered include supportive services, nutrition services, caregiver support services, the Senior Community Service Employment Program, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, and funding for OAA services.

This report serves as a follow-up to the 1995 Institute on Medicine (IOM) report which argued for an ombudsman program to address the quality of care in long-term institutional settings. This study investigates the role and effectiveness of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs (LTCOPs) in improving care. Surveys with all states/territories reveal new findings on the structure of the program in different states as well as their own perceived effectiveness. Comprehensive data and analysis.

Review additional discussion of assisted living and residential care in the states, and learn more detailed data on assisted living and residential care capacity. Assisted living and other residential settings represent a critical component of the LTSS system for older adults who cannot live alone, but do not require the skilled care provided by nursing homes. In 2010, states reported a total of 51,367 licensed residential care settings with a total capacity of 1,233,690 beds.

The results of the survey suggest that in the past three months, 39.8 million people (aged 15 and older) provided unpaid care. Starting last year, respondents were asked about caregiving. Almost a third of respondents reported taking care of two or more older people, and 23% also had a minor child in their households. The results also suggest that men caregivers are growing in numbers. The average time spent providing care was three hours, though women spend about an hour more than men.