Aging/Older Adults

The Older Americans Act (OAA) gave rise to important HCBS programs such as the Choices for Independence initiative, ADRCs, and Nursing Home Diversion grants. Here is a concise summary of the legislation, its reauthorization in 2006, and data on the types of support provided under these programs, recipients, and expenditures.

Older Americans speak up on the importance of services and policies that enable them to age in place through the use of home and community-based services (HCBS). Results show that respondents are not only concerned with HCBS as they remain in the home, but also as they move to nursing home alternatives such as assisted living facilities. They identify the availability of long-term care options as one that should be a top priority for AARP's advocacy.

Visitability is a movement that seeks to eliminate certain barriers to aging independently by promoting accessible home design. The authors examine different types of visitability initiatives, challenges to implementation, and opportunities for further acceptance. The design parameters needed for visitability include a zero-step entrance, wide doorways, and at least one half bathroom on the main floor.

Since 2002, MetLife Mature Market Institute has gathered data on the costs of long-term care in institutional and community-based settings. This 2008 report looks at home care and adult day services. Costs are broken down by state, metropolitan statistical area (MSA), and “rest of state,” or areas not in a MSA. Home care costs are measured in hourly private pay rates, and adult day costs are measured in daily private pay rates.

Is your area a livable community? You can use this survey and accompanying reports as a model for finding out. AARP defines a livable community as one that allows people to maintain their independence and quality of life as they age and retire. Aspects that make a community livable include mobility, community supports, and affordable housing. Residents age 45 years and older in two OH counties were surveyed to measure whether these things are truly available in their communities.

Watch a series of short, simple and direct videos meant to educate and train family caregivers. Videos cover a range of topics from infection control to paperwork. A “Beyond the Video” section offers video summaries and tips for applying lessons to each family's situation.

This report provides a summary of how long-term services and supports (LTSS) are financed and describes factors that contribute to uncertainty of the future costs for LTSS, including changes in how LTSS will be delivered. Three projections of future LTSS spending for senior populations under different scenarios are offered. These scenarios differ based on projecting the number of people with varying functional limitations and the resulting need for varying degrees of LTSS.

Charts and data illustrate health-related differences between disabled and non-disabled noninstitutionalized adults in this report. Data are from the National Health Interview Survey. One section illustrates differences in access to care and health insurance coverage. Numbers on the prevalence of disabilities, demographics, and health behaviors and risks are also given.

This is a marketing plan developed by the Kansas ADRC to describe their program. They use the message, "Kansas Aging and Disability Resource Connection offers a starting point for access to person-centered information and assistance that supports independence." Review their ideas on how to reach partners. A sample of their logo is also attached.

Determining how to optimally balance our demand for the best health care with limited funding represents one of the most challenging policy dilemmas facing the U.S. To help understand how to best accomplish this task, the document authors forecast Medicaid expenditures and enrollment for the next ten years. The data are organized by enrollment groups and service settings/categories.