Reports

Ten grants were awarded to states to develop a profile of the publicly funded LTC system and to assist CMS to develop national benchmarks that will be used to measure the degree and success of states' efforts to offer community based LTC services. Review Michigan’s report which focuses on the priority population of the elderly and adults with physical disabilities, but also includes systems that serve adults with developmental disabilities, adults with mental illness and children.

Find case studies and articles related to organizational change from traditional facility and group-based services to individualized supports. Reports present learned lessons and challenges based on site visits to organizations which offer supports for community living, employment and are engaged in change initiatives. New reports from 2011 include "Organizational Change: Approaches & Strategies" and "Stepping out of the Organizational Comfort Zone."

Under a Cooperative Agreement with AoA, the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging convened a panel of experts on strengthening the LTC workforce. The experts were organized to address five areas of concern: supply of DCWs and family caregivers; retention of these helpers; readiness or capacity of these helpers to provide care; quality of care they provide in terms of outcomes for those in their care; and the impact of the ACA, including the CLASS Act, on family caregivers.

Read about the implementation of the Workforce Inclusion Act of 2002 in CA. This study examined the use of In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) in the workplace and barriers to its use. Information was collected on the impact of state budget cuts and program changes made for fiscal year 2009-10. A policy recommendation was made to modify IHSS by giving consumers more flexibility in using their IHSS hours with less task-specificity, and increasing consumer-direction of their authorized hours.

Since the inception of the HCBS waivers, Minnesota has experienced an increased demand to provide services to individuals living in the community. Review a report on county and state use of available resources for the following waiver programs in MN: Community Alternative Care (CAC), Community Alternatives for Disabled Individuals (CADI), Developmental Disabilities (DD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Overviews of each waiver are provided as well as enrollment and expenditure data.

The authors of this report conclude that in the 10 years since the Olmstead decision, there has been little national (though some individual state) progress moving people with disabilities out of nursing facilities and public institutions and into communities with supports. The report includes an overview of Olmstead, institutional data, and recommendations for improvement.

Are MIGs assisting individuals with disabilities to become employed? An annual GPRA report has been produced since 2007. This report builds on previous work, and shows the continued impact of MIG funding in 2008 on programs and services that facilitate employment among individuals with disabilities. As the MIG program approaches the end of its authorized period, many states are committing to evaluating the programs, documenting their impacts, and sustaining the efforts beyond 2011.

Examine a snapshot of workforce competencies that have been identified for professionals who work in LTC settings. It focuses on providers who serve long-term care needs of the older population. The paper also examines whether the competencies are the same or different from what is needed to care for the geriatric population in acute and ambulatory care settings.

Forthcoming legislation provides an opportunity to improve specialized transportation services, particularly those funded by the Federal Transit Administration. This report recommends that policymakers take steps to strengthen coordinated planning, increase support for mobility management, and improve data collection and reporting on these services. Also included is a link to a table delineating key characteristics of the FTA Programs and some background papers.

What are the housing challenges facing older adults? Find out in this report that also explores strategies to better enable older adults to age in place or in their community. It discusses accessible, safe, and affordable housing, access to social services and transportation, and housing models that help to allow aging in place. Also included is a link to an online toolkit, and a series of fact sheets on housing for seniors.