Aging/Older Adults

This report finds U.S. health care spending increased rapidly in response to the pandemic. This was primarily driven by increased federal spending, including financial assistance to providers to make up for lost revenue through the Provider Relief Fund and the Paycheck Protection Program, and increased federal public health spending including spending for vaccine development, COVID testing, and health facility preparedness. As a result, growth in federal government spending on health care has increased by 36% in 2020.

USAging and the Eldercare Locator have launched the 2021 Home for the Holidays campaign. The campaign brochure, Healthy Aging in a Pandemic World: What Older Adults and Caregivers Need to Know Now, describes the changes that families, friends and caregivers may notice among themselves and the older adults in their lives. The brochure poses questions readers should ask themselves and their loved ones as we all navigate this stage of the pandemic. It also and provides information on how older adults, caregivers and families can connect to services that agencies provide to address these changes.

ACL recently published a new report sharing new information and insights on Older Americans Act (OAA) services, reveals major OAA milestones, and key information on the impact and necessity of services for older adults. This report includes highlights from OAA Title III programs in 2018.

The Research & Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities has released a report on the effects of social isolation and loneliness have on people with disabilities living in rural and urban areas. Findings from the research report include: -People with disabilities report more than double the rates of social isolation and loneliness than people without disabilities -Rural people with disabilities report significantly fewer social connections but similar rates of loneliness compared to urban people with disabilities -Structural barriers related to employment and transportation may play a role in social isolation and loneliness disparities among people with disabilities

COVID-19 is a long-lasting and complex disaster situation involving a public health emergency and an economic crisis, with particularly acute impacts for older adults, people with disabilities, and others with certain health conditions. States are responding with changes in policies and procedures to ensure individuals have access to public benefit programs (e.g. Medicare Savings Programs, LIS/Extra Help, SNAP, and LIHEAP). ADvancing States has a new brief highlighting where states are with benefit access and enrollment since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results in the brief comes from the 2021 ADvancing States Membership Survey: COVID-19 Benefits Access and Enrollment, a follow-up to the 2020 survey.

The NIDILRR-funded Community Living Policy Center published a research brief discussing the results of a recent study of the long-term services and supports needs of people with disabilities and older adults in the US. The study explores how many people need more services than they currently receive and the connection between unmet HCBS needs and community living and health outcomes. The brief describes study findings and potential next steps for researchers and service providers to address gaps in services and supports.

Health care stakeholders can use this Playbook Collection to understand recent evidence behind telehealth-delivered interventions and learn about practical strategies to support effective implementation of these programs for people with complex needs.

With older populations growing faster in rural areas than urban areas, new research focuses on health care access, health-related behaviors, and health conditions among rural versus urban older adults, and on racial and ethnic disparities within each group. Adults ages 50 and older living in rural areas are more likely to forgo medical care due to cost than those living in urban areas. Additionally, Black and Hispanic older adults living in rural areas are much more likely than their White counterparts to skip medical care due to cost.

In a November 1 informational bulletin, CMS encourages states to adopt two strategies to help more people enroll in Medicare Savings Programs and State Health Insurance Assistance Programs. In addition to informing the advocacy work of the aging and disability networks, the bulletin also includes information that can help our networks identify older adults and people with disabilities who likely would be eligible for the programs.

Resilient American Communities (RAC) and BellAge has put together two Winter Holiday Fact Sheets to help older adults stay safe from COVID-19. The fact sheets are based on research that shows many people underestimate the lethal threat that the pandemic presents to older adults and when they understand the risks, they are more likely to take actions to keep them safe.