Aging/Older Adults

NCLER has released a Tip Sheet providing information about federal utility assistance programs, including the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program, and others that can help keep older adults and individuals with serious illnesses safe and healthy.

The White House has released a fact sheet outlining how the Administration has collaborated with the disability community and taken action to address the needs of individuals with disabilities while considering the impacts of the pandemic. The Administration has communicated eight key steps they will take to further ensure that individuals with disabilities, regardless of where they live or the level of community transmission of the virus, have equitable access to COVID-19 testing, masks, and other critical mitigation strategies.

On Thursday, February 24, 2022, CMS released a CMCS Informational Bulletin with the updated 2022 Federal Poverty Level Standards. The 2022 guidelines reflect the 4.7 percent price increase between calendar years 2020 and 2021. After this inflation adjustment, the guidelines are rounded and adjusted to standardize the differences between family and household sizes. The informational bulletin also includes a 2022 Dual Eligible Standards chart that displays the new standards for the Medicare Savings Program categories.

This webcast, part of the WellSky & Guidehouse webinar series “Supporting the New Age of HCBS,” highlights federal and state leaders' visions for the future of workforce management, with a focus on person-centered care. A panel of experts answered questions around Section 9817 funding toward long-term workforce development and developments in Washington, DC.

This new communications resource, developed by CHCS and the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers’ National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs, identifies clear and consistent language that can help strengthen the complex care community. The language represented in the guide reflects perspectives of stakeholders and people with lived experiences, and is intended to support providers, program leaders, consumer advocates and communications professionals in developing complex care approaches.

On Thursday, February 17, 2022 CMS released a request for information (RFI) regarding access to Medicaid and CHIP Services. The RFI is broad and extends beyond prior CMS access inquiries, which largely focused on eligible beneficiaries ability to receive covered Medicaid services. This RFI includes topics such as how beneficiaries enroll in and maintain access to coverage, access to the actual services, and payment rates.

To celebrate Black History Month and National Caregivers Day, NCLER interviewed Dr. Donna Benton of the University of Southern California’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. During the interview, Dr. Benton discussed her work supporting Black caregivers, the importance of caregiving in the Black community, and strategies for advocates to support their Black older adult clients. She also spoke about the need for legal assistance in advance planning and addressing housing scams in the Black community.

The peer-reviewed healthcare journal, Health Affairs, has dedicated its February issue to the topic of racism and health. Google and Twitter have flagged racism as "sensitive content" and are blocking Health Affairs' paid media advertisements to promote the content. This article by Becker's Hospital Review discusses censorship of racial and ethnic issues and explains why sharing facts about health disaparites is important on these digital platforms.

The National Senior Health & Fitness Day has two dates for 2022: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 and Wednesday, October 26, 2022. On these days, over 1,000 local groups will host health and wellness events for 100,000+ older adults across the country. Local organizations interested in hosting an event must register to legally use the National Senior Health & Fitness Day name and logo. Even registration opens next week and has a fee of $34.95 per location. National Senior Health & Fitness day is also hosting a theme contest to select a slogan for the upcoming events. Adults ages 50+ are welcome to submit theme ideas that are focused on the importance of physical activity for older adults.

This blog post explores how the aging network can leverage home and community based services to address needs and improve the quality of life for older adults with HIV/AIDS. The post explains what evidence-based programs are and provides examples of a few that can support this population, including Falls Prevention and Positive Self-Management programs. It also provides a list of trainings and resources to help better serve older adults with HIV/AIDS.