AARP Public Policy Institute

This site showcases AARP’s policies and strategies that support a community’s efforts to create places where people of all ages can live independently as they age. Also, the website provides research on housing, transportation and land use issues with a focus on the impact on older Americans as well as publications on policy topics such as: aging in place, the state of US housing conditions for older adults, universal design and visitability, and "Complete Streets".

This report finds common themes between African American and Hispanic family caregivers and also between the nurses and social workers. The report suggests ways to improve collaboration and communication between families and professionals. Explores the needs of African American and Hispanic family caregivers, finding common themes between the two groups and also between the nurses and social workers.

Published for the past 18 years, the Across the States series was developed to help inform policy discussions among public and private sector leaders in long-term services and supports throughout the U.S. Across the States 2012 presents comparable state-level and national data for more than 140 indicators, drawn together from a wide variety of sources into a single reference. This publication presents up-to-date data and is displayed in easy-to-use maps, graphics, tables, and state profiles.

This report covers the issues of eldercare and the workplace. It identifies discrimination in the workplace encountered by workers with eldercare responsibilities as an emerging trend and highlights the limited protections for working caregivers. The report calls for developing public and private solutions to ensure that workers with eldercare responsibilities receive equal employment opportunity and are protected from workplace discrimination.

This study examines the specific capacities that state Medicaid agencies need to monitor the performance of managed LTSS (MLTSS) programs. It sought to identify promising practices in state oversight as well as the monitoring capacities that should be in place when states begin to implement new or expanded MLTSS programs. Lessons were drawn from oversight practices in eight states (AZ, MA, MN, NM, NY, TN, TX, WI) that have many years of experience operating and overseeing MLTSS.

Person- and family-centered care (PFCC) has gained attention in recent years as a mechanism for transforming health care and long-term services & supports (LTSS). Research shows that PFCC improves quality of care & quality of life. The current shift in payment reform & service delivery away from disease or provider-focused models and toward incentives that reward better coordination, communication, and continuity of care, is likely to promote wider adoption and effective implementation of PFCC.

There are 10 common themes in this summary from the written work of 10 authors of caregiving books. There are 4 areas highlighted at the Forum in which public policies and communities can respond to the needs of family caregivers: greater public education and awareness; more financial relief; better communication, coordination, and collaboration with health care professionals; and heightened recognition of and support for family caregivers in policy initiatives.

Many states are undergoing long-term services & supports (LTSS) transformations. The lagging economy & increased demand for publicly funded LTSS are placing pressure on state policymakers to find solutions. As a result, many states either have or plan to implement Medicaid Managed LTSS, with 12 states having existing programs & another 11 with plans for implementation. Many states used the economic downturn as an opportunity to balance services from institutional to non-institutional settings.

This report examines state policies that are needed to help older adults age in place. These policies include integrating land use, housing and transportation; efficiently delivering services in the home; providing more transportation choices, particularly for older adults who no longer drive; and improving affordable, accessible housing to prevent social isolation.

In an effort to improve care & reduce costs, states & the federal government are seeking new ways to provide services to people eligible for both Medicare & Medicaid. Missing from the discourse are the voices of these dual eligibles. Changes to the way their care is organized & delivered could have profound effects on their health, quality of life, & satisfaction. This project aims to complement state & federal efforts by offering perspectives on what duals want from their models of care.