Aging/Older Adults

Explore innovative initiatives from across the nation offering alternatives for reforming the delivery of Medicaid-funded long-term care. This report includes both innovations that have been implemented as well as promising practices. Innovations included cover provider-focused initiatives, new directions for managed long-term care, administrative and financing solutions; and emerging telehealth technologies.

Through the use of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), agreements between agencies can be formalized. This paper discusses the process an agency should follow to develop interagency MOUs and presents examples of MOUs which can be used as models. It was originally prepared for the agencies participating in the National Long Term Care Channeling Demonstration Program, but has since been widely adapted and disseminated.

Learn about the purpose, goals and activities of ADRCs. This course is geared towards ADRC staff, as well as others serving people with needs for long-term care information, services and supports. It includes a description of resources available on the ADRC-TAE website as well as links to other valuable resources. This course is helpful for anyone who wants to learn about the current trends in LTC policy at the federal, state, and local levels.

Policy makers desire a uniform assessment tool that works well for adults of all ages, but disability assessment can only be as uniform as the underlying measurement is. If ADL or IADL/ADL measures are biased by age, their use with adults of different ages could be misleading. Findings of this study indicate that as demand for community services increases among adults of all ages, an expanded IADL/ADL measure is more useful than ADL.

Find a comprehensive listing of initiatives across the country to help communities become more aging-friendly. Included in the Compendium are brief summaries of 121 community aging efforts, contacts for each, and listings organized by national affiliation and state.

What are the policy changes related to the continuum of care for older people—specifically long term services and supports (LTSS) and chronic care coordination? This analysis examines major provisions in these areas which are organized into five categories: 1) national insurance for long term services and supports; 2) Medicaid options and incentives to expand LTSS; 3) other LTSS provisions; 4) chronic care coordination; and 5) nursing home reforms.

What role can community colleges play in supporting initiatives to improve the quality of in-home care? The Caregiving Training Institute was created to support a wide range of training programs at Community Colleges. This brief provides an overview of the trend toward in-home services, highlights the importance of well-trained caregivers, and discusses the unique role community colleges can play in this arena.

Looking for information on the CLASS Act? This report compares provisions in both the House and Senate health care reform legislation, identifies key differences between the two bills, and discusses federal budget implications as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the CMS. It also discusses cost and financing for long-term care services and the current market for private LTC insurance.

What can be done today to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are aging? That’s the focus of this issue of Impact, which contains articles that give a variety of responses to this question. From self-advocates and their families you hear of the importance of having opportunities to be active participants in their communities. Researchers and practitioners speak to policy and service issues that address the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual dimensions.

Looking for journal articles relating to client’s rights, and ethical and legal issues involved in consumer-directed models? Read three seminal academic articles written by prominent professionals in the field.