Reports

This report was prepared to inform the New York City Department for the Aging about other states’ long-term care (“LTC”) point of entry (“POE”) systems. The analysis and case studies in this report focus on the following topics: system structure and integration at the state and local levels, common elements of successful systems, and special features of each POE system.

The Nevada Children with Special Health Care Needs conducted a 5 month multi-method needs assessment that describes demographics, universal needs and barriers families with children with special health care needs face. Completion of this needs assessment represents an opportunity for community input into the prioritization of needs design & implementation of positive changes to the system of care. The report also includes a summary of Selected States’ Service Delivery Models, tables & figures.

The Indiana Waiver Services is a new unit created in Jan ‘04, to consolidate the management and operation of Indiana’s eight HCBS Waivers. Attached are documents that provide a program overview. The Services Unit Summary describes the program; the Priority Diversion Guidelines details the individual criteria for priority diversion; the Waiver Services Organizational Chart provides a pictorial overview; and the Hoosiers at Home Press Release announces the programs goals.

This link provides information on the requirements in Wisconsin for the Aging and Disabilty Resource Centers (ADRC). The attachments include: the administrative rules to implement the pre-admission consultation (PAC) referral requirements; a link to the webpage that describes the pre-admission consultation process and provides links to additional materials; and a document that contains information and data for Wisconsin Preadmission Counseling Referrals during the quarter ending March 31, 2004.

This guide profiles 15 successful programs that have partnered with community organizations to address medication, alcohol and mental health problems in older adults by promoting new linkages between well-known, trusted, and heavily utilized providers of aging services and relevant substance abuse and mental health services. By joining these systems, we can more successfully identify older adults who are at risk and connect them with the prevention, education, outreach, and treatment services.

To keep states abreast of Maine’s efforts to achieve comprehensive health policy reform, the Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance has partnered with NASHP to chart the progress and implementation of the Dirigo Health Reform Act. There were multiple goals for this study and NASHP and LSPA identified five groups of key stakeholders to interview. This report presents the research of six focus groups.

To keep states abreast of Maine’s efforts to achieve comprehensive health policy reform, the Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance has partnered with NASHP to chart the progress and implementation of the Dirigo Health Reform Act. This issue brief addresses benefit design of the health plan, DirigoChoice designed to provide Maine businesses that have 50 or fewer eligible employees, the self-employed, and individuals with an affordable, high-quality option for health coverage.

The Minnesota Finance Authority has made available guides on their website to assist consumers on how to design accessible home modifications and provide details on what funding programs are available from federal, state and local levels. The website provides connection to two distinct guides: The Home Accessibility Remodeling Series and The Home Accessibility Remodeling Funding Resource

Turnover among direct-care workers in long-term care costs U.S. employers about $3,500 per employee, or more than $4 billion a year. This report outlines the known facts about direct-care turnover costs, presents a framework for measuring those costs, and discusses their implications for providers, policymakers, and researchers. The inescapable conclusion is that direct-care turnover is a business problem, a quality of care problem, and a significant public resource problem.

The New Freedom Initiative, announced in February 2001, called for a comprehensive assessment of federal policies, programs, statutes, and regulations to identify barriers that impede community living for disabled individuals—and for recommended solutions. In October 2004 CMS awarded an additional $30 million in Real Choice Systems Change Grants—this money in addition to the 188 grants for over $158 million between fiscal years 2001-03. This report highlights accomplishments of those programs.