Reports

Alabama’s Department of Senior Services (ADSS) launched a project to promote civil service by integrating AmeriCorps Members into its State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) and Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program. This innovative means to increase benefits assistance and enrollment has proven successful, especially for programs such as Medicare Savings Programs (MSP). This report describes AmeriCorps programs generally as well as the positive results of ADSS’s AmeriCorps project.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program is the only federally mandated job training program that explicitly serves low-income adults, age 55 and older, to promote economic self-sufficiency and community service. This paper provides an overview of the program’s goals, its structure in different states, its funding, and the relationship between stakeholders. The mission of the SCSEP serves to empower older individuals by making them more employable in both the public and private sectors.

A February 2012 online survey consisting of 30 questions was sent to all states and focused on three topics: consumer-directed personal care services; assessments and care plan changes; and case management. The survey results provide information about respondent states’ practices regarding Medicaid funded LTSS. Consumer-directed care was found to be provided majorly through waivers; most assessments contracted out; and case management paid for as a service rather than administrative cost.

This survey was sent to all states and consisted of three questions regarding the enrollment of Medicaid providers of home and community-based services. Of the 23 states that responded, the results highlight different enrollment procedures and opportunities for HCBS providers and varying agency oversight. The results show that Medicaid HCBS provider enrollment oversight varies by state, the majority reporting that the Medicaid agency, as opposed to the state aging agency, manages the process.

The debate surrounding the deficit reduction and the debt ceiling for FY 2012 has many implications for aging and disability policies, especially Older Americans Act (OAA) services. This brief outlines the current negotiations and proposals put forth to reach a long-term, bipartisan budget reduction agreement, including the McConnell Plan; the McConnell-Reid Plan; the Gang of Six; the Coburn Plan; and the Senate Budget Resolution. The Congressional Appropriations process is also discussed.

The National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) is pleased to share a comprehensive set of recommendations for reform of the Older Americans Act (OAA) when it is reauthorized by the 109th Congress in 2005. NASUA believes that the forthcoming reauthorization of the Act provides an opportunity to modernize its structures, programs, and services to prepare to serve the next generation of older persons and their families.

Review a new survey of organizations that provide services within the I&R/A Network. The following themes emerged from the survey: aging and disability networks continue to integrate; the use of technology in I&R/A service delivery is slow to develop; the role of I&R/A organizations is expanding; and there are opportunities for improved coordination and quality service delivery. Review the recommendations that address these themes.

State aging and disability agencies have operated within a tumultuous environment for the past several years. It has become increasingly more difficult to reconcile the needs of older adults and people with disabilities with the resources available to address those needs. Five themes are identified from the 2012 state of aging and disabilities surveys, which include the acceleration of Medicaid managed long term services and supports and continuing loss of historical knowledge around the nation.

This report is the product of a dialogue concerning the role of the Ombudsman program as representation for residents of long-term care facilities in a system that is moving towards home and community-based long-term care. The report follows three key areas in which Ombudsmen can play a role—HCBS, diversion from nursing homes, and transition from institutional care—and considered the program’s resources, federal limitations, and conflicts of interest.

Collaboration between Long-Term Care Ombudsmen and Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) is beneficial in making informed long-term care choices. ADRCs are a vital bank of information for people considering home and community-based services in lieu of institutional settings. This report presents findings from a survey of states’ Ombudsman programs on what types of collaboration exist; some work with ADRCs by making referrals, conducting training, and/or exchanging information.