Reports

The supply of affordable assisted living facilities is now insufficient to meet the demands of low-income, frail older persons. This gap between demand and supply is much more apparent in some locations than others. This article uses various measures of locational inequality to assess the extent to which counties in Florida have less than their fair share of ALFs, particularly in comparison to the locations of Medicaid nursing home beds.

The purpose of this project is to promote transition from an institution-based to a community-based system, in keeping with the goals of the federal New Freedom Initiative. This document summarized the policy recommendations of the Texas Independent Living Partnership over the three-year grant period, providing a resource to Texas state agencies, Centers for Independent Living, and other interested parties for ongoing systems advocacy and program development.

Consumer advocates and state leaders have been exploring ways to identify nursing home residents who want to return to their homes and communities. One effort involves the potential use of the Long Term Care Minimum Data Set (MDS), particularly Section Q, which addresses residents’ discharge preference. This technical assistance document provides practical information about how state agencies can use these federal data on nursing home residents to improve their nursing home transition efforts.

A number of states have developed rental housing locators that allow online searches for affordable housing units. These sites range from bare-bones databases of state-financed developments to elaborate sites with multiple search criteria, extensive information about accessibility for persons with disabilities, current vacancy information, and links to local service agencies. This report reviews several web-based sites based on several factors and compares the findings.

This is the first in a series of papers synthesizing the ideas and practices of states as they improve the quality of home and community based services (HCBS) and supports for older persons and persons with disabilities. Building on the experiences and challenges of the QA/QI Systems Change grantees, the paper addresses four fundamental questions about quality management. The intent is to provide an account of current practice, and a structure for how states view their options.

Washington’s automated, comprehensive, person centered assessment and planning tool measures the personal care needs of anyone receiving services at home or in a residential setting and develops a care plan. The tool contains 60 different screens, some relate to risk. Participant selects a service setting and then the program computes eligibility, need and a service plan that crosses settings. The package contains: CARES Training Manual, CARES Assessment, Eligibility & Rates for LTC Services.

Case Studies on the Role of the National Aging Services Network-- These case studies highlight 14 state or community programs whose innovations have strengthened local options for older Americans. The sites were selected with valuable input from a Technical Advisory Group, the Administration on Aging, and feedback from the states themselves. This report is one of 5 in a series called Case Studies from the Aging Network: Health and Social Support Systems Integration.

In consumer-directed care, few state aging networks have been more involved than Vermont. For the past 20 years, Vermont has undertaken considerable effort developing its consumer-directed approach to health and long-term care, including significant supports to consumers and their families who choose to participate in consumer-directed programs. This report is one of 5 in a series called Case Studies from the Aging Network: Health and Social Support Systems Integration.

Reverse mortgages are specialized loans that enable seniors to tap their home equity while they continue to live in the home. With an estimated average amount of over $72,000 available to older households from these loans, reverse mortgages can help pay for several years of out-of-pocket expenses. This project’s goal is to outline the rationale for increasing the use of reverse mortgages for long-term care and to identify areas where government interventions may be able to stimulate the market.

This electronic briefing book was distributed at a seminar requested by congressional staff to provide an overview of the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children’s Health Insurance programs. The sessions featured experts from the Government Accountability Office, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, Congressional Research Service, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, plus public and private entities. This link contains presentations, handouts, reports, websites, and other resources.