All States/Territories

How is the state of Alabama reaching out to consumers and employers with important information regarding help for persons with disabilities who want to work or return to work? To find out, explore several examples of state-wide outreach: two newsletters put out by "BamaWorks", Alabama's MIG program, a brochure, and a website. May be replicable by other states seeking to provide outreach for their own MIG programs.

As increasing numbers of older adults stop or limit their driving and consider other options for mobility, there is likely to be increased attention focused on the use of taxicabs. Taxis certainly offer the opportunity for independence and personalized service; however, there are at least two barriers to widespread use of taxis for transportation: the limited availability of taxis, and the cost of rides. Learn more about the challenges, solutions and potential strategies.

A NORC, the widely used term short for Naturally Occurring Retirement Community is a community that was not originally built for seniors, but that now is home to a significant proportion of older residents. The American population is aging, and these communities will increase over the next 20 years. NORC programs are innovative models that coordinate a broad range of social and health care services to support the senior. The website provides FAQs, a toolbox and assistance with sustainability.

This Trends paper includes: an overview of the challenges involved in providing transportation services to American Indian elders living on reservations and Indian lands; a discussion of the Tribal aging and transportation services infrastructure; a brief description of transportation funding options; and examples of creative solutions from the field. Information may be replicable by transportation programs for elders living in other rural and frontier areas.

Reverse mortgages offer older homeowners a way to tap home equity to meet financial needs in retirement. However, the collapse of the mortgage market in 2008–2009 has led to major changes that impact consumer choices. While consumers have more product choices, reverse mortgages are generally more expensive and more complicated. Learn more about how this has affected aging consumers and what Congress and regulatory agencies are doing to protect consumers here.

Review a summary of this Innovative Communities Summit held in Washington D.C. The report features case studies of how three communities in the United States are working together to improve care transitions and reduce avoidable hospitalizations. The report outlines steps the LTQA should take to encourage and promote the creation of comparable multi-sector innovative communities that would involve local providers as well as consumers and caregivers.

Direct-care workers provide 70-80% of the paid hands-on long-term care and personal assistance received by the elderly or individuals living with disabilities or other chronic conditions. They also constitute one of the largest and fastest-growing workforces in the country, playing a vital role in job creation and economic growth, particularly in low-income communities. This analysis shows that the wages and benefits for these frontline health care workers continue to be woefully inadequate.

New data show that one in ten older adults are victims of mistreatment, with a higher percentage being victims of financial exploitation. Only a small percentage of elder abuse events are ever referred to agencies that can assist victims. Adult Protective Services (APS) offer victims of abuse, neglect, and exploitation a range of services. This report shows how calls to APS have increased since the recession began, but most states have either decreased or maintained their budgets for services.

An exciting new trend in community mental health services is the increasing use of "Peer Specialists" on treatment teams serving people with mental illness. Peer Specialists use their own recovery experiences, along with specialized mental health training, to provide services that are strengths based and recovery oriented. To learn more, explore the attached presentation, article, and mentoring plan.

This needs assessment is one example of how the state of Wisconsin is working to achieve the goals of the Medicaid Infrastructure Grant and to strengthen its employment infrastructure for residents with disabilities. Within this report find input from consumers, employment service providers, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders as well as recommendations for for emerging training needs in order to best serve those involved in the community rehabilitation process.