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The National Institute on Aging (NIA) recently released an article discussing the impact of residing in disadvantaged neighborhoods on age-related cognitive decline, with a particular emphasis on its effects on different demographic groups. This study, conducted by researchers from the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the University of North Texas Health Science Center, analyzes data from 1,614 participants aged 50 and above in the Health and Aging Brain Study — Health Disparities. The findings underscore the association between neighborhood disadvantage and cognitive performance for both Mexican American and non-Hispanic White participants...

On January 31, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) released a report titled “Medicare Enrollees and the Part D Drug Benefit: Improving Financial Protection through the Low-Income Subsidy.” The report highlights findings from an analysis of Medicare data from 2020, including that the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) expanded financial assistance in Medicare’s Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) Program would have benefited nearly 461,000 Partial LIS enrollees had the provision been in effect in 2020. An additional 2.9 million Part D enrollees who were eligible but not enrolled in LIS would also have benefited from the program...

On February 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent initial offers to the participating drug companies of the first ten prescription drugs selected for negotiation in the first cycle of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. CMS announced the ten initial drugs selected for the first cycle of Medicare drug price negotiation on August 29, 2023, and on October 3, HHS announced that the drug companies of all 10 selected drugs agreed to participate in negotiations with Medicare. Negotiations will continue over the next several months, with negotiations ending by August 1, 2024...

In response to older adults representing the fastest growing group of people experiencing homelessness, USAging recently released five homelessness prevention case examples featuring different successful AAA programs and partnerships to support housing stability. Agencies can find inspiration and ideas to evolve their own work and partnerships to provide homelessness prevention assistance and housing-related supports for older adults and people with disabilities.

This week, the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) published an article titled, “Community Partnerships: An Effective Inclusion Strategy,” which includes resources, guidance, and successful case studies for inclusion-minded businesses looking to hire, support, and retain employees with disabilities. This resource provides information on diverse avenues for businesses to connect with and support employees with disabilities, including State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies, community-based organizations, state and local workforce development systems, and educational institutions and organizations...

The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, through its Housing an Aging Society Program, recently released its biannual report titled “Housing America’s Older Adults 2023.” The Housing an Aging Society Program aims to deepen understanding of the implications of aging populations and advance policy, planning, design, and public health solutions to address the housing needs of older adults. The 2023 report explores equitable access to affordable, accessible, safe, and connected housing. The report highlights a 34 percent increase in the US population aged 65 and over in the past decade, reaching 58 million in 2022...

SAGE’s Center of Excellence has partnered with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to conduct the “State of LGBTQ+ Aging Survey.” The survey seeks to better understand the current experiences, needs, and resiliencies of older people in the U.S. who identify as LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, Two-Spirit, or related identities). The survey is now open to LGBTQ+ adults 50 years old and older. It takes 30 to 45 minutes and can be conducted online or over the phone.

AARP recently released the “National Inventory of Self‑Directed Long-Term Services and Supports Programs,” building upon the 2023 LTSS State Scorecard and previous inventories to provide an overview of all publicly funded self-directed Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) nationwide. This inventory includes estimates of numbers of participants, populations served, funding sources, and other key variables, and covers significant trends influencing the overall LTSS landscape, such as the well-documented national shortage of direct care workers. This marks the first report released since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, providing insight into the impact of the pandemic on self-direction programs...

On February 6, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) released a final rule to update regulations for implementing its Older Americans Act (OAA) programs. The first substantial update to most OAA program regulations since 1988, the rule aligns regulations to the current statute, addresses issues that have emerged since the last update and clarifies a number of requirements. It aims to better support the national aging network that delivers OAA services and improve program implementation, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that the nation's growing population of older adults can continue to receive the services and supports they need to live — and thrive — in their own homes and communities...

A new brief, “Fostering Financial Empowerment for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities,” published by the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s (ODEP) Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth), provides policy considerations that help youth, young adults, and their families foster financial literacy. These strategies aim to alleviate financial pressures for young individuals as they navigate the transition to employment and adulthood. This brief provides policymakers with key considerations for initiating systemic change to improve financial literacy for youth and young adults with disabilities (Y&YADs)...