Reports

HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson released two papers titled Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities. <i>Barriers at Every Step</i> coupled with its companion report, <i>Guidance for Practitioners</i>, advance the consumer’s ability to verify – and furthers chances of eradicating – inequity in housing opportunities for persons with disabilities. This newly released study employs a number of newly developed, field-tested tools for measuring housing discrimination.

This is the fourth in a series of <i>Data Profiles, Family Caregivers of Older Persons</i>. This Data Profile (Number 4, August 2005) examines primary family caregivers age 25 to 64 who are working and those who are not working. Review the statistics, demographics and other characteristic differences between working and non-working caregivers.

This tool kit has been designed as a result of three years of collaboration building workshops in 33 different states. The impetus arose from the need to disseminate the latest information on aging and intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) and to find ways in which agencies can collaborate to assist caregivers and care recipients. This tool kit is an accumulation of the materials presented at the workshops and provides agencies with resources for forming new partnerships.

This Congressional briefing examined the \"Cash and Counseling\" program, which provides an individualized allowance that Medicaid beneficiaries can use to hire a personal care assistant of their choice - often a family caregiver - or purchase items that help them live independently, such as chair lifts. As policymakers look to the future, what are the lessons learned from the first phase of the cash and counseling program?

MinnesotaHelp.com is the state ADRC information network and they have shared a number of resources offering information on their Information and Assistance Datebase. Included in this posting are three presentations: a. An overview of the database b. the ADRC role c. Consumer use of resources. The technology business case summaries the impact of the database system. The technology project management document details the roles and responsibilities of individuals who operate the resources.

Facts about fast track, presumptive and expedited eligibility. Includes information about how can states implement it, who pays when mistakes are made and which states expedite the financial eligibility decision. Fast track and presumptive eligibility are two ways to expedite a person’s financial application for Medicaid.

This document was created by the CMS Quality Council, in an effort to delineate and advance a vision for improving of medical care. It provides a summary of CMS's many quality-related initiatives. The goal of the quality roadmap is to ensure the right care for every person every time and to do this by making care safe, effective, efficient, patient-centered, timely and equitable.

From the spring of 2004 through January 2005, a series of surveys was administered to long term care workers (DCWs) and their employers in the tri-county area of Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties of Michigan. The survey was designed to establish a baseline profile of the area workforce and identify potential areas for advocacy on behalf of the workforce, especially in the areas of recruitment, training and retention. This report contains survey questions and results.

Rutgers/NASHP Community Living Exchange sponsored a one-day meeting of the Vermont and Maine direct support worker associations. The purpose of the event was to provide a leadership development opportunity for the staff and volunteer members of the two association's board of directors. Sixteen people attended the meeting including nine direct support workers.

The main aims of this paper are to categorize and analyze different types of arrangements allowing home-care users choice and map the prevalence, to review outcomes in terms of flexibility, care quality, satisfaction and conditions for care givers, and to analyze the implications for employment and fiscal sustainability. This paper covers services in 12 OECD countries (Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States).