Quality

In Empowering Arizona’s Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (EAzI), consumers actively contribute to quality improvement as interviewers, interviewees, and focus group participants. Four focus groups were used to learn what criteria consumers use to judge the quality of HCBS. Aside from the report, there is also a flyer and website used in recruiting EAzI participants. The website has a way to get information in Spanish and an online application.

Use these training materials to help people with disabilities become skilled employers. The booklet provides specific information about consumer-directed options in Arkansas. The curriculum presents workshops that introduce the consumer direction model and develop abilities related to finding, hiring and supervising employees. Notes for the trainer and handouts are provided for each module.

The Older Americans Act (OAA) requires states to submit a Plan on Aging every 1-4 years focused on reforming long-term care to help keep older people independent. Arkansas presents information on their organization, programs, goals, funding, and people served. Their plan covers areas including Cash & Counseling, Money Follows the Person, transportation planning, disaster preparedness, and others.

States can use this in the development or improvement of their own protocol for reviewing sites that deliver Medicaid and grant funded services. The purposes of the reviews are to ensure compliance with regulations, assist in development of policies and procedures, and identify potential areas for training and program improvement. Protocols are organized by review method and specify which indicators are measured, source of data to be gathered, and example inquiries.

This resource provides tools, contact information, and lessons learned from eight research projects that focused on providing a more stable and qualified workforce. These projects, including state demonstrations and applied research and evaluation programs, are part of the four-year, $15.5 million Better Jobs Better Care initiative. The report compiles the major findings, and the resource catalog provides surveys, policy analyses, training and assessment materials, and many more practical tools.

This document describes new processes developed at an Area Agency on Aging (AAA) in Florida to ensure that clients are receiving quality case management services. The report contains flow diagrams depicting evaluation process for monthly home visits, provider review during annual monitoring, and complaint tracking as well as the new client satisfaction process which is to implemented annually.

Presentations from NASHP’s 21st annual state health policy conference are now available. The conference is planned by state health policymakers for state agencies' staff, legislators, and legislative staff. Review the presentations to learn how others are improving and innovating healthcare through state-level policy.

The 2008 national Aging and Disability Resource Center meeting took place in October in Boston. Find here the presentations and handouts from the workshops and plenary sessions. Topics ranged from nursing home diversion to quality to information flow and technology.

In an effort to address integration across CMS Home and Community-based Services Programs, CMS worked with its National Quality Contractor to develop an this matrix. The Grid highlights specific quality requirements across HCBS program authorities that include program standards, measures, accountability, and sources of financing for quality activities. The tool is expected to be a helpful resource for planning purposes and for providing technical assistance to states and researchers.

This letter is another in a series of CMS communications that support state efforts to improve the quality of services and supports provided through the Medicaid Home and Community-based Services waiver program. This communication announces three new items designed to assist states in enhancing oversight and operations: GAO Mortality Study in Developmental Disabilities, HCBS Quality Requirements Grid: A Technical Assistance Tool and the National HCBS Quality Enterprise award to Thomson Reuters.