Surveys

In 2017, ADvancing States administered a survey of state agencies that deliver LTSS, including aging and disability agencies as well as Medicaid programs, regarding the significant policy, fiscal, and operational issues occurring within each state. During the survey, we collected detailed information about the structure of agencies, the supports provided, and the populations served by state programs.

A national survey of Area Agencies on Aging is conducted every two to three years. The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) has released their 2017 survey report. They surveyed 622 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), with 412 completing the survey, to discover what services they commonly offer, how AAAs address funding, and what their policy priorities are.

The Community Living Policy Center reviewed the effects of the Better care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) should it pass. Upon review, they conclude that had it been implemented in the mid-2000s then it would have reduced Federal reimbursments becuase of the proposed caps.

The annual summary of the latest statistics on the older population, A Profile of Older Americans:2016 covers 15 topical areas including population, income and poverty, living arrangements, education, health, and caregiving. Principal sources of data for the Profile are the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Profile incorporates the latest data available.

ADvancing States published a new report that offers data from the Long-Term Care Ombusdman Program organizational structure survey that was conducted in early 2015.

ADvancing States in collaboration with the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) released the results from a six-state deployment of the National Core Indicators – Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD™) adult consumer survey. While 13 states are participating in the NCI-AD survey in 2016, six of the states - Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, and North Carolina- received their results more quickly.

The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured released a report that provides an overview of Medicaid enrollment and spending during state Fiscal Years (FY) 2015 and 2016. The results were gathered from interviews with state Medicaid directors as part of the 15th annual survey of Medicaid directors. Enrollment and spending significantly increased in Fiscal Year 2015, which was the first full year that the Affordable Care Act expansions were implemented.

The results of the annual survey represent a snapshot of the current status of state government employees, the agencies that administer the programs, and the services that are provided. The 2015 survey revealed that states are continuing to address the same underlying challenges discussed in the previous reports.The report also includes summary tables that outline specific information about each individual state agency and LTSS program. Email adiaz@advancingstates.org to request a hard copy version.

Justice in Aging, in collaboration with the Alzheimer's Association, released a new survey of dementia training requirements in each state. The number of Alzheimer's and other dementia diagnoses is on the rise, but there is often little to no training for staff and professionals that work with these populations. This survey was conducted to identify the holes in state law and to find promising practices to inform improvements in the future. The findings are available in a five-paper series.

The National Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), the National Council on Aging (NCOA), and UnitedHealthcare released a survey that collected data through telephone interviews from 1,650 older adults and influencers on aging.The survey posed opinion based questions about the process of aging. The results reflect that 86 percent of respondents felt prepared for aging; however, 40 percent were most concerned about maintaining physical health and over 30 percent worried about mental health and memory.