Reports

This analysis examines how U.S. federal laws may be affected if the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is ratified by the country. The authors summarize each CRPD article along with with U.S. laws that either guarantee the same rights or contradict the convention. The authors conclude that better implementation of existing laws or congressional action would bring federal law in line with CRPD.

Centers for Independent Living (CILs) have been providing important services to individuals with disabilities since the 1970s. State Medicaid programs have contracted with CILs to provide Medicaid-funded services. This paper examines four important home and community-based services (HCBS) provided by CILs and funded by Medicaid: case management/support coordination; personal assistance services; nursing facility transition services; and equipment and home modification.

A reader can use this report to better understand proposed rule changes regarding which TCM services are eligible for federal financial participation. Various perspectives on the changes are presented. Several tables and graphs illustrate past and projected TCM expenditures. Prompted by the Americans with Disabilities Act, CMS issued the interim rule in order to limit the growth of TCM costs. Current proposed legislation would delay rule implementation until April 1, 2009.

State leaders are interested in the experience of states that developed adult foster care as part of their service array, trends in provider supply, regulations governing providers, and quality oversight practices. This report is based on the policies and practices in five states – Arizona, Maine, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. The states were selected based on their approach to licensing and Medicaid coverage for this residential option. The report focuses on programs for older adults.

In order for Oregon to balance its two-year budget for 2001-03, the Seniors and People with Disabilities Division (SPD) in the Department of Human Services was mandated to reduce LTC spending by nearly 30%. This paper analyzes the 2003 cuts to Oregon’s Medicaid long-term care (LTC) system, the impact of those cuts on a well-developed home and community-based services (HCBS) system, how the state has responded, and lessons that could be learned from its response.

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The Taskforce on the Aging of the American Workforce was created to address concerns that the supply of workers and vocational skills may not meet demand as baby boomers begin to retire. In this report the Taskforce outlines factors that may be limiting older Americans’ access to jobs. It also presents strategies to encourage and enable older Americans to remain in or reenter the workforce. The Taskforce is composed of nine relevant federal agencies.

This paper outlines the most common barriers to implementing livable communities and outlines cases where these barriers were overcome using planning and zoning tools. Housing, transportation and mobility, land use, cooperation and communication, public involvement in community planning, and leadership are the components of livable communities that are addressed.

The author reviews international scholarly literature and case studies to identify four frameworks of integrated care for the elderly. The frameworks are summarized and compared based on underlying philosophy and policy, administrative and clinical best practices, and how they propose integration of different services. The review also highlights four key elements that are present in each framework and must be structured to support one another.

This annual report by Genworth Financial provides detailed information on the cost of long-term care (LTC) in the U.S. Current costs and historic trends are identified and organized by state, setting of care, and type of service provider. The website includes interactive state maps and further information on private funding options for LTC.