Aging/Older Adults

Previous studies have demonstrated that socially isolated older adults are at greater risk for poor health and death than their well-connected counterparts. The AARP Public Policy Institute has released a new report that examines whether social isolation also affects health care spending among older adults, and finds that a lack of social contacts among older adults is associated with an estimated $6.7 billion in additional Medicare spending annually.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a $400 million federal workforce investment program projected to serve over 67,000 low-income unemployed older adults in program year (PY) 2017. This is the only federally funded program to target older individuals who want to enter or reenter the workforce. The fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget eliminates all funding for SCSEP. This white paper examines the evidence on the value of SCSEP and discusses the potential effects of cutting it.

This issue brief provides an overview of state agency data systems that are utilized to collect, aggregate, and analyze data for the administration of the Older Americans Act (OAA) programs. This report provides a snapshot of current state systems in 2017, changes to which are impacted by both national and state-level factors.

This report reviews federal health and housing policies, noting the barriers created that seniors with clinically-driven housing insecurity must navigate. It also reviews a series of initiatives that ACAP members are undertaking to address housing as a social determinant for this vulnerable population, with examples from California, Ohio, and North Carolina.

This fact sheet from the AARP Public Policy Institute provides 10 key facts about the Medicare population. It includes information about age, health, coverage, financial resources, and more.

This Spotlight from the AARP Public Policy Institute discusses the Medicare home health benefit that serves millions of Americans. The Medicare home health benefit allows many homebound older adults to get skilled care in their homes. This Spotlight includes information about Medicare rules for coverage of home health care services.

This paper provides direct insights from managed care leaders about family caregiver supports and provides examples of how progressive managed care plans are supporting family caregivers who are caring for plan members with LTSS needs. The paper discusses how it is important to understand and address family caregivers’ roles and their needs in order to have a high-performing LTSS system, because the family provides the lion’s share of LTSS to people who need help.

Blog post about culture change in aging and disability community-based organizations (CBOs).

This issue brief from the Administration for Community Living describes the nutritional quality of congregate and home-delivered meals offered through the Nutrition Services Program and examines their compliance with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The brief also discusses how the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010 was used to assess the nutritional quality of the congregate and home-delivered meals.

The brief includes information on disparities in health and disability; innovative approaches that Native communities have used to address identified disparities; how Native communities have used the Older Americans Act and other federal programs that aim to promote health and support community living for Elders; and aspects of successful programs for Native people.