Caregivers

This online course is intended for care facility staff and advises on person-centered approaches to communicating with older adults. Changing Talk: Online Training (CHATO) includes three, one hour long modules and concludes with a 15-minute evaluation. An implementation toolkit with CHATO training resources is also available.

The Narrative Matters section of the October issues of Health Affairs, focused on disability and health, is holding a poetry contest. Health Affairs is looking for poems touching on topics related to disabilities and health by writers who have experience with disability. Family members and caregivers of people with disabilities are welcomed to submit work as well. The winner will receive a $500 prize and have their poem featured in the October issue of Health Affairs. The deadline to submit a poem is July 25, 2022.

On Monday, June 27, 2022 the Biden Administration announced a new model aimed at improving cancer care for Medicare patients and lowering health care costs. CMS’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation designed the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) to test how to improve health care providers’ ability to deliver patient-centered care and consider patients’ unique needs. The model will focus on supporting patients, caregivers, and survivors, while addressing inequities and providing patients with treatments that address their individual needs.

This CMCS informational bulletin provides an update on the 2022 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Spousal Impoverishment Standards. Certain Medicaid income and resource standards are adjusted annually in accordance with changes in the SSI federal benefit rate (FBR) and the Consumer Price Index (CPI). These include some of the standards described in section 1924 of the Social Security Act, which describes the financial eligibility rules that apply when married individuals seek coverage of certain long-term services and supports. Included with this informational bulletin is the revised 2022 SSI and Spousal Impoverishment Standards chart that displays the updated MMMNA and Community Spouse Monthly Housing Allowances.

Several states are seeking ways to effectively address the health, economic, and social challenges experienced by family caregivers, especially those from marginalized communities. This brief outlines practical strategies to identify and reach family caregivers used by cross-sector state teams participating in Helping States Support Families Caring for an Aging America, a CHCS initiative made possible by The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

NADRC's "Dementia Training Resources for Professionals and Volunteers" provides links to training and educational materials for professionals and volunteers working with people living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). The resources are intended to increase the dementia-capability of organizations, professionals, and volunteers by providing information on how to recognize, understand, and meet the unique needs of people living with ADRD and their caregivers.

This brief outlines lessons from the Center for Health Care Strategies’ MassHealth Care Planning Learning Collaborative, where Massachusetts Accountable Care Organizations and Community Partners integrated care planning across their organizations to improve care for Medicaid members with complex needs. This brief can inform providers, payers, and community partners in other states seeking to improve care for people with complex health and social needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted long-standing issues of understaffing and insufficient care delivery in nursing homes. On February 28, 2022, the Biden Administration announced it would be implementing a minimum staffing standard for nursing homes and increasing scrutiny on corporate owned nursing homes. This report analyzes federal data regarding nursing home staffing levels and how it effects residents' outcomes.

A Master Plan for Aging (MPA) is a cross-sector, state-led strategic planning process that can help states transform the infrastructure and coordination of services that support older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.This brief outlines unexpected benefits of the MPA process, and illustrates how they can help states respond to new priorities and challenges, such as public health emergencies and health equity.

The majority of individuals who need long-term services and supports (LTSS) in the United States rely on unpaid assistance from family and friends. The economic value of the unpaid care they provide is estimated to be over $470 billion annually. Unmet needs and waiting lists for Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) place significant strain on individuals with disabilities and their families. This report explores how increasing access to HCBS services can reduce out-of-pocket costs for families and strengthen employment and financial wellbeing of family caregivers.