AARP Public Policy Institute

AARP's Public Policy Institute (PPI) publishes a monthly update on employment numbers for people ages 55 and over. AARP PPI has recently released its June 2018 version of the digest. The labor force participation rate for people ages 55 and older remained unchanged from the previous month, while the unemployment rate for people ages 55+ increased to 3.1 percent. The rest of the digest summarizes various employment statistics and compares June numbers to previous reports.

This report looks at the role of millennials as family caregivers. As their older family members age, millennials have taken on more responsibilities, and about one in four family caregivers is now a millennial. Millennial caregivers have unique experiences and face specific challenges which affect the type of support they need. This paper provides insight on these unique experiences.

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 report from AARP's Public Policy Institute is part of a series of papers focusing on innovative strategies. It explores the benefits of self-directed care and looks at best practices used in Texas, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Florida. The report also provides a toolkit for educational and training purposes to help states improve and expand upon their self-directed LTSS programs.

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.

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 from AARP describes promising practices on how aging and disability network agencies, Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs), and Veteran Benefits Offices in seven states have forged partnerships to better support Veterans in community living. The paper includes a checklist for these local organizations to enhance collaboration and truly create a “no wrong door” for Veterans and their family caregivers to receive services in the community.

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.

This paper describes strategies used in four highly ranked or significantly improved states, including Minnesota, to reduce the risk of long-term nursing home care after a hospitalization. Included in the paper is a toolkit of resources that can help others learn more and potentially replicate these practices, as well as contact information for experts.