Promising practices

This report provides an overview of the activities of the Nursing Assistant Institute. The Nursing Assistant Institute was created to develop and implement enduring solutions to the nursing assistant shortage in central Virginia. The report looks at the activities and impact of this program.

This report describes how the State of Illinois simplifies access to home and community-based services for people with disabilities age 60 and older. Local Case Coordination Units coordinate eligibility determination and case management for Medicaid waiver services, state-funded home and community-based services, and Older Americans Act services. This report explains the implementation and impact of this program.

This report describes how the State of South Carolina is addressing a problem of inconsistency between an individual’s needs and the service plans developed to meet identified needs. South Carolina added a feature to its automated Case Management System that reminds case managers of needs identified in the assessment that may potentially be included in the service plan. The report details the interventions, implications, and impact of this automated system.

This report provides a description of Vermont’s home and community based service system. Details on the state’s programs are provided. Services include attendant, adult day, housing, and homemaker programs.

This report explains the State of New Jersey’s single entry system for long-term supports and other services for older people, including a toll-free telephone number for information and services. The effectiveness of the system in each of New Jersey's 21 counties is evaluated through compliance with state protocols and consumer satisfaction reports. The report provides the intervention, implementation, and impact of the program.

This document highlights North Dakota’s plan to pay family caregivers for services. North Dakota, as part of its efforts to increase alternatives to nursing homes, uses state funds to provide monthly payments to spouses and other family members to care for low-income people with disabilities, including older people living at home. The report provides background, implementation, and impact information for the program.

This report details the State of Wisconsin’s Aging and Disability Resource Centers that offer information to the general public about a wide range of community supports available to older persons and persons with disabilities. The Resource Centers also give in-depth advice about long-term support options and provide a single entry point for persons seeking access to the state’s home and community based services programs.

This report provides a description of Oregon’s home and community based service system. The document provides information on several service areas and programs including streamlining program access, person-centered services, and person centered management systems. Future directions and lessons learned are also discussed.

Assistive technology often makes a critical difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses, yet it remains underutilized and poorly understood. This paper discusses the concept of assistive technology and offers suggestions for finding resources to assist individuals to make better use of assistive technology to achieve independence.

The State of Colorado has established Single Entry Point (SEP) agencies that provide an access point for several publicly funded long-term supports for people with disabilities, including older people, people with physical disabilities, people living with AIDS, and people with brain injuries. SEP agencies provide education to individuals about available options and provide easier access for individuals and families to the programs. This report describes the SEP system in Colorado.