Long Term Services and Supports

The Disability Network Business Acumen Center holds a call or webinar on a monthly basis with partners concerning topics of interest to those who work in the field. Notes, PowerPoint presentations, and an audio recording from each call can be found here.

Presentations from the 2014 National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference.

Presentations from the 2015 National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference.

Presentations from the 2016 National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference.

While faced with new challenges, reduced budgets, and growing populations requiring more services, states are stronger than ever, and the work they do is more effective than ever in reaching individuals and addressing their needs. The National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference 2017 highlights these achievements, allowing states to share best practices, present unique partnerships, and recognize the work of their peers.

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.

This is the first major research paper in this emerging field of managed long-term services and supports (LTSS) that addresses family caregivers’ needs. Family caregivers of people with self-care needs often make it possible for the members of managed care plans to live at home rather than in institutions. Managed care plans, therefore, have strong financial incentives to support these family caregivers, thus improving quality of life and reducing the overall cost of care.

A national survey of Area Agencies on Aging is conducted every two to three years. The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) has released their 2017 survey report. They surveyed 622 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), with 412 completing the survey, to discover what services they commonly offer, how AAAs address funding, and what their policy priorities are.

This report provides a multidimensional look at state performance for the delivery of long-term services and supports (LTSS), based on a uniform set of performance measures and how performance has changed over time. It also includes the role that housing and transportation play in assisting older adults, people with physical disabilities and their family caregivers, as well as promising practices and emerging innovations to foster greater information exchange.

This report proposes jobs for caregivers that would help alleviate two national concerns for caregivers: the need for quality employment and the need to still act as caregivers. It discusses ways to promote the well-being of older adults, individuals with disabilities, children, and their families by laying the framework for opportunities to improve the quality and increase the quality of caregiving employment to create jobs that meet family caregiving needs.