Aging/Older Adults

This Policy Spotlight describes Medicare’s Wellness Visits, current approaches to provide this benefit to Medicare beneficiaries, challenges related to access, and opportunities for the Aging Network. This brief also presents policy and programmatic recommendations to improve the effectiveness of Wellness Visits.

On May 18, 2022 CMS announced several updates to the Medicare.gov website that make it easier for millions of people to access information to compare and select health and drug coverage and find providers. The updated website features timely initiatives and messages on the homepage and highlights key tasks and information most frequently sought by people with Medicare, people nearing Medicare eligibility, and their families.

NCOA has published a resource to help older adults navigate mental health information online. The resource discusses important details to pay attention to when reviewing digital content, including the source, author, and date of publication. The resource also explores how individuals can identify misinformation on the internet.

NCOA has published a resource to help older adults navigate mental health information online. The resource discusses important considerations to pay attention to when reviewing digital content, including the source, author, and date of publication, as well explains how to identitfy misinformation.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is has released a request for information to assist in defining a set of key determinants of health that addresses all the elements of the whole person health model, including factors that can influence health either positively or negatively, and that encompass the full continuum of biological, behavioral, social, and environmental domains.

The 10th edition of the Senior Report examines 62 measures from 21 unique sources to provide a comprehensive look at the health and well-being of older Americans. The data demonstrate: Trends that reflect the changing health of our nation’s 65 and older population over the past decade. The impact that social, economic, environmental and other factors have on the health of older Americans. Disparities in health among older Americans by geography, education level, income level, gender, age and race and ethnicity.

In this Health Affairs blog post, Nancy Archibald, MHA, MBA, CHCS’ Associate Director for Federal Integrated Care Programs, outlines perspectives from state Medicaid officials on the federal policies that have advanced Medicare-Medicaid integration, and areas where they believe additional federal policy actions are needed.

This brief outlines lessons from the Center for Health Care Strategies’ MassHealth Care Planning Learning Collaborative, where Massachusetts Accountable Care Organizations and Community Partners integrated care planning across their organizations to improve care for Medicaid members with complex needs. This brief can inform providers, payers, and community partners in other states seeking to improve care for people with complex health and social needs.

The Acting Assistant Secretary for Aging and Administrator of ACL is seeking information on recommended changes, additions, or deletions to Code of Federal Regulation's section on Grants to State and Community Programs on Aging; Grants to Indian Tribes for Support and Nutrition Services; Grants for Supportive and Nutritional Services to Older Hawaiian Natives; and Allotments for Vulnerable Elder Rights Protection Activities, including Subpart A—State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Information must be submitted electronically on June 6, 2022 by 11:59 p.m. ET. All are encouraged to submit electronic comments to: Administration on Aging, OAAregulations@acl.hhs.gov. Include “OAA Regulations” in the subject line of the message.

This research brief synthesizes the latest available information and research relating to the mistreatment of adults with disabilities (AWD). This brief addresses the intersection of AWD and elder mistreatment and provides information about risk factors, national survey findings, intimate partner violence (IPV), adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), barriers to reporting and help-seeking, and recommendations for intervention.