Aging/Older Adults

HIV/AIDS is not just a young person's disease. Fifteen percent of new HIV/AIDS cases are among Americans over age 50. Many older people with HIV do not know they are infected because they have never been tested. These marketing tools are designed to help organizations raise awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS on older people and why all sexually active Americans, including those over 50, should get tested for HIV as part of their routine health care. They are not copyrighted and are free to use.

HIV/AIDS is not just a young person's disease. Fifteen percent of new HIV/AIDS cases are among Americans over age 50. Many older people with HIV do not know they are infected because they have never been tested. They are not accessing the treatment they need and may be unknowingly spreading HIV to others. This fact sheet discusses HIV/AIDS among older Americans and why all sexually active Americans, including those over age 50, should be tested for HIV as part of their routine health care.

This publication provides a summary overview of the accomplishments and enduring changes brought about by all of the Systems Change NFT Grantees Despite bringing about many enduring systems improvements, Grantees reported that many transition barriers remain. Grantees made recommendations to help states address continuing barriers to nursing facility transition and diversion so that no one need live in a nursing home simply because sufficient community services and supports are unavailable.

Staff at the Hawaii ADRC were oriented to the ADRC model and trained in vital customer service and communications skills using these materials. The outline lists the objectives and time needed for training exercises. Two curriculum grids, one for ADRC orientation and one for customer service skills, list training areas, outcomes, and methods. Each grid contains materials for both paid staff and volunteers.

Health care experts from diverse fields give their opinions in this survey. The 196 leaders identified the most pressing long-term care (LTC) issues as development of the workforce, improving quality, and securing financing. 76% believe policymakers must urgently deal with the challenge of forming a sufficient supply of home and community-based services. Other themes dealt with include insurance, financial responsibility, a Medicare LTC benefit, and regulatory action.

Prior to this bill mandating improved access to home and community-based long-term care (LTC) services, Tennessee was paying 98% of LTC funds to nursing homes. The act rebalances funding allocation and creates a single point of entry for older adults seeking LTC. It also supports diversion from and transition out of institutions through HCBS counseling and improved needs assessment. It was signed into law 06/17/2008.

AAHSA provides information and resources on legislative, operational, and legal issues and opportunities affecting HCBS providers. The site is geared toward provider agencies and provides breaking news, email listservs, and articles and advice organized by topic.

This booklet, through Arkansas’ “Choices in Living” aging and disabilities resource center, profiles the home and community-based long-term care (LTC) options available in the state. Older adults, people with disabilities, families and support workers can determine which of the five profiled programs are best for them based on eligibility criteria and scope of coverage.

This report presents findings from Oct ‘05 – Oct ‘07, which includes the first nine months of strategic planning for the FY05 and FY06 Systems Transformation (ST) Grants and the subsequent initial 15-months of implementation (through Oct ‘07) for the FY05 ST Grants. The report focuses primarily on documenting grantees' experiences during the start-up period and grantees' progress during early implementation and suggests early trends and findings.

Families and government spend $200 billion annually on long-term care (LTC), yet many elderly and disabled people still do not receive needed care. This brief illustrates the flaws of the current LTC finance system and presents three potential solutions and some challenges and advantages of each option. The proposed solutions are: enhance private insurance; base public financing on social insurance rather than welfare; or meld private and public insurance.