Aging/Older Adults

Grantees are required to establish measurable performance goals for their programs as well as indicators that enable them to track progress. Relating to consumer and client satisfaction with services, it is important that established goals assess visibility, trust, ease of access and responsiveness of program functions and staff. This summary contains findings of ADRCs assessments of consumer satisfaction relating to performance indicators and reported in the semi-annual report.

The most striking characteristic of housing and health care in this country is the disconnection between the two. Access to affordable, accessible housing is critical to the success of the Money Follows the Person Demonstration Program, which will provide opportunities for thousands of Medicaid beneficiaries living in institutions to relocate to the community. Presented in a concise question and answer format, this document explains many of the features of what can be a complicated program.

Partnerships to Independence (PTI) was created by the Birmingham Independent Living Center in Birmingham, Alabama through a grant from CMS. This transition guide addresses nursing home outreach, support needs and skills, follow-up, and barriers. The purpose of PTI was to develop a model program that could be replicated in other CILs in Alabama and the US. ILC staff identified a number of basic resources and strategies that can be used to promote nursing home transition.

HHS announced an $8.8 million investment to help states provide more affordable choices to individuals struggling to remain in their homes and communities as they age. A total of $5.7 million in federal funding was awarded to 12 states for grants for this nursing home diversion program that will improve state efforts to assist individuals avoid unnecessary nursing home placement, impoverishment and spend-down to Medicaid.

The goal of NFI is to remove barriers to full integration for Americans with disabilities. This report highlights the activities in several areas: increasing access through technology, expanding educational opportunities for youth with disabilities, integrating individuals with disabilities into the workforce, and promoting full access to community life. The report describes initiatives, regulations, grant programs and other efforts to improve integration for youth and adults with disabilities.

Part of the National Institutes of Health, the NIA website offers up-to-date information on aging research. Visit the site to find out the latest research and which clinical trials are recruiting as well as funding opportunities. Studies are related to aging issues such as Alzheimer’s, muscular diseases, Osteoarthritis, Insulin Resistance, High Blood Pressure, Caregiver Stress, Mobility Limitation, Sleep Disorders and more. The site is also now available in Spanish.

Diverse partnerships ensure that the needs and interests of all aging and developmental disability client groups are represented. The Georgia ADRC developed this resource to help organizations build partnerships between Aging and Developmental Disability groups. Partnerships often emerge naturally between individuals and organizations who share a common vision or concern. This resource provides a series of questions and points to consider when partnering organizations and networks.

The MASS C-PASS Marketing & Outreach Subcommittee (M&O) created a Consumer Forum Series to gather information on barriers to self-direction and community integration from a community perspective. Aside from targeting elders, individuals with disabilities and their families, emphasis was placed on targeting traditionally underserved and un-served racial, ethnic, and linguistic minority groups and rural areas. This report is the narrative account and outcomes from nine consumer forums.

This memorandum and tables present data on Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver expenditures from Federal Fiscal Years 2001 through 2006. Each HCBS waiver is classified by population served in order to show the distribution of HCBS waiver expenditures across long term care populations. This year's memo also identifies which waivers exclusively serve children.

The majority of people who are elderly and/or people with disabilities live out their lives in independent housing. Many utilize medications to maintain optimal health and improve their quality of life. Unfortunately, adverse medication events cost about $120 billion annually and result in illness, hospitalizations, stress on the individuals and their families, and premature deaths. Vermont is attempting to do something about this problem through their CMS Real Choices Supportive Housing Grant.