Aging/Older Adults

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has developed a series of practical guides centered around housing and home equity for aging adults. Given the complexities of retirement, debt, and savings, these guides cover essential subjects including managing changes in health, passing down homes to children/heirs, utilizing home equity for financial needs, and addressing the loss of a spouse/partner. These guides offer insights and considerations to assist older individuals in making informed decisions regarding their homes and financial security in later stages of life.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is partnering with the HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to offer free COVID-19 test kits to aging and disability networks, ensuring continued access for older adults and individuals with disabilities. State Units on Aging (SUAs) and Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) can directly order test kits from ASPR's Office of Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC) for distribution to the people they serve. Currently, test kits from various manufacturers (Siemens, Ellume, or Quidel) are available, with a minimum order of 200 kits. Registration is open until September 15, 2023...

AARP recently released a fact sheet describing the prevalence of food insecurity among adults aged 50 and older in 2021. The fact sheet reveals that over 9 million Americans in this age group (approximately eight percent) experienced limited or uncertain access to nutritious food. Moreover, this fact sheet highlights the impact of food insecurity on the health of older adults, showing a higher prevalence of health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, asthma, and depression among food-insecure individuals. The report also explores important variations in food insecurity based on factors such as age, race, ethnicity, income, and educational attainment.

This week, CMS announced its Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, which aims to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia, reduce strain on unpaid caregivers, and help people remain in their homes and communities through care coordination and management, caregiver support, and respite services. Through the GUIDE Model, CMS will test an alternative payment for participants who deliver key supportive services to people with dementia, including comprehensive, person-centered assessments and care plans, care coordination, and 24/7 access to a support line. The intended beneficiary population is community-dwelling Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, including beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) July 21st report, “Use of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines in Older Adults: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, 2023 (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2023;72:793–801)," describes the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendation that adults aged 60 and older may receive a single dose of the RSV. Beginning in May 2022, the ACIP Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines Adult Work Group met to review available evidence regarding the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of these vaccines among adults aged ≥60 years. On June 21, 2023, ACIP voted to recommend that adults aged ≥60 years may receive a single dose..

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is leading the way in a national effort during the week of September 18-22 to increase awareness of falls prevention and empower older adults to take action in reducing their falls risk, maintaining independence, and remaining falls free. As part of this initiative, the National Council on Aging has developed a collection of informative handouts offering older adults practical tips on finding suitable exercise programs, making home modifications, initiating conversations with family and friends about falls, and accessing additional valuable resources.

On July 20th, the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing titled "Laying the Foundation: Housing Accessibility and Affordability for Older Adults and People with Disabilities." Led by Committee Chair Bob Casey (D-PA) and Ranking Member Mike Braun (R-IN), the committee was joined by four disability rights and housing experts to discuss the current state of affordable and accessible housing, regulatory and systemic barriers, and potential solutions, including: ...

The Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation at the University of Michigan recently published a study titled "Detecting Alzheimer’s Disease: Older Adults’ Experiences with Cognitive Screening & Blood Biomarker Testing." The article presents findings from a national survey conducted in January 2023, which explores the knowledge, utilization, and perceptions of cognitive screening and blood biomarker testing for Alzheimer's disease among adults aged 65-80. The study highlights the participants' views on the benefits, limitations, and potential risks associated with these screening methods and offers valuable insights for healthcare professionals and policymakers in the context of early detection and care planning for Alzheimer's disease

n July 7, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced actions to protect consumers from junk health plans, surprise medical bills, and excess costs that lead to medical debt. HHS also released a new report projecting that nearly 19 million older adults and people with disabilities with Medicare will save on average $400 per year on prescription drug costs when the $2,000 out-of-pocket prescription drug spending cap from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) goes into effect in 2025...

Read the latest publication from the Partnership to Align Social Care, USAging’s Aging and Disability Business Institute, and the Camden Coalition to learn more about the benefits of partnerships between CBOs and health plans. This new resource highlights the top five reasons why health plans should partner with CBOs and provides case examples from real-life partnerships.