Physical Disabilities

Presentations from the 2016 National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference.

While faced with new challenges, reduced budgets, and growing populations requiring more services, states are stronger than ever, and the work they do is more effective than ever in reaching individuals and addressing their needs. The National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference 2017 highlights these achievements, allowing states to share best practices, present unique partnerships, and recognize the work of their peers.

Chronic conditions are a part of many Americans’ lives, and there are valuable programs that have been demonstrated to help people with chronic conditions to self-manage their daily lives and the disease with which they live. This briefing discusses self-management programs, and focuses on programs that rely on peer leaders who educate small groups about chronic disease self-management.

ADvancing States’s National Information and Referral Support Center has published a set of promising practice profiles stemming from the Technology in Practice: Contest to Identify Promising Practices in the Use of Technology in Aging and Disability I&R/A Programs. The contest was designed to identify promising practices in the use of technology in information and referral/assistance (I&R/A) programs serving older adults, people with disabilities, and family and friend caregivers.

The ADvancing States created an infographic that depicts an overview of the oral health experiences of older adults and persons with disabilities. This resource highlights who is impacted, what happens as a result, why this happens, and where we can go from here.

In 2017, ADvancing States administered a survey of state agencies that deliver LTSS, including aging and disability agencies as well as Medicaid programs, regarding the significant policy, fiscal, and operational issues occurring within each state. During the survey, we collected detailed information about the structure of agencies, the supports provided, and the populations served by state programs.

The Administration for Community Living’s National Adult Protective Services Technical Assistance Resource Center has released their first National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS) FFY 2016 data report. NAMRS is a voluntary data reporting system which collects data from state and local Adult Protective Services systems. This report contains information about the quantity and type of data submitted by states, the District of Columbia, and territories.

This is the first major research paper in this emerging field of managed long-term services and supports (LTSS) that addresses family caregivers’ needs. Family caregivers of people with self-care needs often make it possible for the members of managed care plans to live at home rather than in institutions. Managed care plans, therefore, have strong financial incentives to support these family caregivers, thus improving quality of life and reducing the overall cost of care.

A report by The Menges Group on behalf of the Association for Community Affiliated Plans estimates the current savings of the managed care model in Medicaid and the additional savings that can occur if remaining fee-for-service (FFS) expenditures were moved into a capitated MCO setting. The report estimates that in 2016, the MCO model delivered nationwide Medicaid savings of $7.1 billion. This represents an overall savings of 2.6% on all the funds paid via capitation.

A national survey of Area Agencies on Aging is conducted every two to three years. The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) has released their 2017 survey report. They surveyed 622 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), with 412 completing the survey, to discover what services they commonly offer, how AAAs address funding, and what their policy priorities are.