Aging/Older Adults

Access the latest information on health care reform and learn how it impacts seniors and those with disabilities in your community. Resources include new grant releases, updates, fact sheets, blog links, state-by-state reports, CMS guidance and White House.gov links.

Grant awards totaling approximately $2.25 million to 12 states to implement the Lifespan Respite Care Program were recently awarded, adding to the twelve states that received awards in 2009. Lifespan Respite Care programs are coordinated systems of accessible, community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children or adults of all ages with special needs. Find information about the implementation of the program, and learn more about the key activities of each of the grantees.

Dual eligibles comprise only 17% of the Medicare population but represent 28% of Medicare beneficiaries with five or more chronic conditions. Find key facts and analyses on older Americans and long-term care issues. DataBriefs examine health and supportive services and the people who use them, while exploring opportunities to improve care through the implementation of health reform. Each Databrief is offered in the form of a Powerpoint presentation and one page PDF.

Find an analysis of changes the new law makes to Medicaid, Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage that impact low income individuals in particular. There is also a brief discussion of the coverage expansion and its potential impact on this population. This brief is part of a series of issue briefs prepared by NSCLC which discuss the impact of the new law on low income older adults.

Read two reports about successful initiatives in outreach efforts. One describes how the SSA and Dept. of Veterans Affairs worked collaboratively to improve data exchange and outreach, thus increasing it’s service to the military community. The other examines two lives in Colorado and Arkansas that have improved as a result of provisions in the MIPPA Act of 2008.

Review this updated report describing the overall status of the U.S. population 65 years of age and older. The report includes 37 indicators that are grouped into five sections: Population, Economics, Health Status, Health Risks and Behaviors, and Health Care. It uses data from over a dozen national data sources to construct broad indicators of well-being and to monitor changes in these indicators over time. A Powerpoint presentation of the indicators is available as well as the full report.

Find a user-friendly toolkit outlining a community-based planning process to promote healthy aging. The guide includes an overview with key elements of an aging well planning process, step-by-step guides for data gathering activities, case studies of communities addressing these needs, and a resource list of web sites and organizations offering information. Also attached is a related article co-authored by the Center for Civic Partnerships staff.

Examine the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), a model of care that enables frail elders to live independently in their communities. Designed as an alternative to nursing homes, PACE has received many accolades for meeting the complex needs of this population while reducing the need for hospitalization. Read about PACE's history in California, how other states are successfully increasing their PACE programs, and ideas for promoting expansion in California.

This report is the latest in a series of annual reports that present expenditures data for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers authorized under Section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act. Table 1 presents reported Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 expenditures for each HCBS waiver in effect during that year. Table 2 presents HCBS waiver expenditures data from FY 2004 through FY 2009 by state. The remaining tables present data according to the populations served in waivers.

Review six fact sheets that compile national figures and provide basic information on some of the most important issues surrounding long-term care. Each 2-3 page document presents a critical long-term care issue, highlighting main points in bullet format and providing a comprehensive list of citations. Topics range from demographics and economic characteristics of the aging population, to who needs, provides and pays for LTC, and where it is provided.