Aging/Older Adults

Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans, but most falls can be prevented. This resource highlights fall risk factors and ways that caregivers can work with loved ones to develop a falls prevention action plan.

This paper examines whether there is evidence that MLTSS programs increase access to home and community-based services (HCBS). One theory states that MLTSS programs may reduce costs associated with the use of institutional services, thereby allowing states to expand HCBS services and reduce waiting lists. This brief uses this theory and examines changes in a state's HCBS waiting list as one way to measure access to HCBS.

This paper explores how state MLTSS programs interact with federal LTSS initiatives. It examines this interaction in four states: Illinois, Iowa, New York, and Ohio. It specifically focuses on the the interaction of these states' MLTSS programs with the Money Follows the Person (MFP) demonstration, the Balancing Incentive Program, the Health Home State Plan Option, and the Financial Alignment Initiative (FAI).

This paper looks at the impact of various MLTSS policies on access to LTSS. It looks specifically at four states and the policies which these states identify as important to ensuring access. All four states identified network adequacy standards, transition of care, provider reimbursement, and level of care criteria as important factors. In addition, the paper examined participant-directed services policies and care coordination models.

This issue brief summarizes the current evidence surrounding the effects of Medicaid expansion on coverage, access, affordability, health outcomes, and economic indicators. The paper draws primarily from evidence examined in 202 studies reviewed in a previous KFF literature review on this subject.

This report analyzes data on food insecurity among older adults ages 60 and over. It illustrates that while the food-insecurity rate for this population has recently declined, it is still significantly higher than a decade ago. This report also highlights sub-segments of this population who are at particularly high risk of experiencing food insecurity, including older adults with disabilities and older adults who are racial or ethnic minorities.

This report expands upon the already established fact that falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among people 65 years and over. It reports on the increasing rate of deaths from falls, noting that they increased 31% from 2007 to 2016. In people aged 85 and over, this rate increased 3.9% per year. This report emphasizes the need for providers to take actionable steps towards reducing falls, including through targeted interventions such as prescribing balance exercises.

This report looks at methods of calculating the costs associated with falls in older adults. It presents two methods to calculate these costs: partial attributable fraction, which focuses on the details of payer type, and count applied to cost, which utilizes states’ own counts to assess lifetime costs. The goal of this report is to encourage states to use effective cost calculation to plan more targeted preventive measures going forward.

This paper from AARP’s Public Policy Institute discusses the potential implications of the expanded use of telehealth from the lens of older adults and family caregivers. It discusses the hope that telehealth may help address rising healthcare costs, enable older adults to stay in their homes longer, and relieve pressure for family caregivers. It also emphasizes the importance of keeping older adults and their families at the center of telehealth expansion efforts and continuing research.

This whitepaper focuses on the potential of technology to improve mobility for older adults living in rural settings. It discusses ways technology may help to advance transit for this population, including by reducing gaps in transit services, improving access to information, and bolstering safety and accessibility for those who drive. The paper concludes with a list of twelve considerations for industry and philanthropy professionals working to advance rural transit for older adults.