Aging/Older Adults

The Oregon Dept. of Human Services, Division of Seniors and People with Disabilities (SPD) contracted with Human Service Research Institute to develop a consumer survey exploring the satisfaction of people served by SPD in-home Waiver programs (seniors, people with physical and developmental disabilities). The project team worked collaboratively with SPD staff and Stakeholder Group to develop a survey instrument and process that adequately addresses the interests and concerns of all involved.

How many hoops does a customer have to jump through to receive services? The goal of this self-assessment is to help ADRCs serve as leaders in systems change in the area of streamlined access. The paper outlines several hoops that individuals often have to navigate to gain access to information about LTC services beginning with the initial call. This report contains examples from current grantees, offers context and can be used as a tool for developing a clear strategy for streamlining access.

The West Virginia Medicaid Aged and Disabled Waiver Program developed a number of provider audit tools. Monitoring Tools include: Site, Homemaker, Case Management, Personnel Files and Quality Assurance.

HHS announced on September 15, 2006, the award of $20 million in grants to states to develop programs for people with disabilities or long term illnesses. The eight states receiving a 2006 award are California, Virginia, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Kansas. The award will help states and territories “rebalance” their long-term support programs to help people with chronic illness or disabilities to reside in their homes and participate fully in community life.

Review presentations from the Chicago National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) Conference held in August 2006. Presentation titles include: The Maturing of America: Getting America's Communities on Track for the Aging of the Population, On Belonging and Belongings: Older Adults, Katrina and Lessons Learned, Enlightened Leadership: Getting to the Heart of Change.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) Conference was held in August 2006 in Chicago. A one day session focused on Aging and Disability Resource Centers. The day was broken into three sections: an AoA/CMS Overview, State Profiles from Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and Illinois and an audience consultation session. Review the overview slides and the state summaries which explore Single Point of Entry and navigating the long-term care systems maze.

ServiceLink, the New Hampshire ADRC grantee, along with New Hampshire Public Television and Easter Seals NH/Seniors Count have developed a year-long community outreach project. The partnership resulted in six feature stories on a nightly newsmagazine and community forums in four locations across the state bringing seniors and caregivers together with local leaders to begin planning the kind of communities they want as they age. View this 6 minute video clip that provides a project overview.

The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) conducted an end-of-grant de-briefing for its stakeholders. The purpose was to give the grant’s pilot participants (Heart of Texas Council of Governments; Central Texas Council of Governments; Texoma Council of Governments) an opportunity to discuss their 3-year projects and articulate lessons learned. The intent of the system navigator grant was to help all persons in their community navigate the maze of long-term services.

This is a comprehensive report detailing the results of Maryland's 2004 and 2005 Participant Experience Survey (PES) results. The PES is a tool, developed by Medstat that measures the experiences of participants of 1915c waivers. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene used funds from a 2001 Real Choice Systems Change Grant to survey two Maryland waivers, the Living at Home Waiver and the Older Adults Waiver.

This guide describes Medicaid services that are designed to help individuals who are at risk of institutionalization remain in their homes. It describes the range of home and community-based services available through Medicaid and can help consumers, families, and health care professionals make informed decisions about long-term care services. This brochure was developed as part of their Real Choice grant in 2005 where over 7.500 copies were distributed. Review their latest 2006 version.