Elder Justice

ADvancing States presentation at the NAPSA Conference on Medicaid and Adult Protective Services.

This week, the Senate Finance Committee released the language and summaries of legislation to help nursing home efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Act would call on nursing homes to ensure that a portion Federal relief funds, made available on or after July 1, for responding to COVID-19 would be used for personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 testing in long-term care facilities. The Act also has language for expanding resources for elder justice activities.

The Congressional Research Service has published an updated report on The Elder Justice Act. The report provides background on the legislation, breaks down the provisions in the Act, lays out different funding mechanisms, and highlights pertinent issues for Congress to consider.

This guide was created in conjunction with the Rural and Tribal Elder Justice Summit. The goal of the summit was to enhance the ability of elder justice professionals to respond to the unique needs of older adults residing in rural and tribal communities by sharing best practices and proposing innovative strategies to fill the identified gaps in service needs. This guide provides information and resources on the challenges rural and tribal communities face in responding to elder abuse.

The Elder Justice Compendium is a resource hub for civil legal aid attorneys and advocates working with older adults. The Compendium provides an overview of existing resources that are available to attorneys who are assisting victims of elder abuse. It is divided into different topic sections with a brief introduction to each subject area followed descriptions of available resources. Example topic areas include guardianship, scams, and client-centered advocacy.

This report highlights elder justice legislation from February to August 2018. The legislation referenced in the report was elicited using NCEA's Listserv as well as independent websites. This particular edition compiles updates from twenty-one states and also includes policy news at the national level.

In 2017, ADvancing States administered a survey of state agencies that deliver LTSS, including aging and disability agencies as well as Medicaid programs, regarding the significant policy, fiscal, and operational issues occurring within each state. During the survey, we collected detailed information about the structure of agencies, the supports provided, and the populations served by state programs.

The John A. Hartford Foundation recently released Elder Justice: A John A. Hartford Foundation Change AGEnts Issue Brief. A startling statistic shows, "that at least 2 million older adults (one in 10 people over the age of 60) is abused or mistreated each year." This brief was generated from two gatherings of elder justice thought leaders aimed to help The John A. Hartford Foundation plan a course of action that builds on the strengths of existing efforts and funded programs.

The White House released the final report from the White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA). President Barack Obama hosted the sixth WHCOA on July 13, 2015. Prior to the conference, events were hosted all over the United States to allow stakeholders to provide their input. The final report summarizes the work done both at the WHCOA and during the pre-conference activities and feedback elicited throughout the process.