All States/Territories

This report describes the hospital discharge planner (HDP) survey conducted in the beginning of 2006. The HDP questionnaires were disseminated to gather information about the awareness of choice and access to continuum of care services for the elderly and people with disabilities as well as to gather ideas about how to optimize choice and improve access to these services. Review the results and read about the barriers faced by discharge planners.

Interviews were conducted to identify current perceptions, patterns, themes, and suggestions for improving the choice and self-direction, quality and access to long term care supports. This research also identified ways to develop a mechanism to balance state resources for services, and to identify elements for the design and structure of a single point of entry mechanism. Groups included: consumers of HCBS, elderly and younger nursing home residents, family members of consumers, and providers.

This document, in several sections, describes the requirements for the new assessment system in Washington. The purpose is to provide a comprehensive assessment process that identifies the support needs of program participants, fairly and equitably provides a service level to meet their assessed support needs and provides for an individual support plan. This process incorporates the State's existing assessment and calculations for the Medicaid waiver.

The 7th CMS New Freedom Initiative Conference was held March 5-7 in Baltimore. Presentations are available in both PDF and text formats. “Choice and Independence” is a key pillar of CMS’ vision for a person-centered long term services and supports system for the future. The 2007 conference focused on the policies, programs, and tools -including opportunities authorized by the Deficit Reduction Act– available to shape and carry out the vision.

Massachusetts was among the first states to receive a Real Choice grant and like many states, took a while to start the grant activities. The work of this collaboration did not always progress smoothly. Many setbacks were experienced by all parties. However, as the end of the grant drew near, key stakeholders looked back and realized that significant progress had been made. This report and a companion video documents lessons learned for policy makers and other stakeholders.

To help States build the infrastructure needed to remove barriers and create more consumer responsive LTC systems, CMS awarded $70 million in Real Choice Systems Change Grants. Fifty-two Grants were awarded in Sept. 2001 (25 Real Choice, 10 Community-Integrated Personal Assistance Services & Supports, 17 Nursing Facility Transition). This report describes the progress FY01 Grantees have made on their activities during the first year of the three-year Grant period (Oct 1, 2001-Sept 30, 2002.)

The Compendium contains basic information about each of the Real Choice Systems Change Grant awards in FY03–FY04 plus the Family to Family and Systems Transformation Grantees awarded in FY05 and FY06. The Compendium will help Grantees identify others with similar goals and activities. Learn more about how the grants will be used to allow more people of all ages with a disability or long term illness to live and participate in their communities. The sixth edition replaces all previous editions.

CMS awarded Money Follows the Person awards to 17 states and another 21 states may receive awards in the near future. Supporting individuals in institutions to move to the community is a critical component of MFP. Transition coordination, relocation coordination, supports coordination and case management are terms often used to describe this complex activity. This brief reviews optional targeted case management services, 1915(c) home and community based waivers and administrative activity.

Part of the Wisconsin QA/QI grant was to develop a framework to evaluate long-term care services. The framework was based on desired personal-experience outcomes. Once desirable outcomes were recorded, they were used as benchmarks for quality management and outcomes measurement.

The UCare website is a feature of the Utah Department of Human services and exists primarily to help caregivers and provide link to other resources. Resources are for the elderly, people with mental illness, for people with disabilities and their caregivers. Information is available on-line and through a statewide toll free number. Other features to note include provider report cards, guides, a glossary and the long-term care planning tool.