Tool

The Aging and Disability Business Institute has launched a new tool to help CBOs show their value as contracting partners to health care entities. The Evidence Bank houses a collection of research studies on common services provided by CBOs that they can use to bolster their own pitches to health care entities.

The SSA has launched a new online tool to help individals declare interest in applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Applicants and individuals assisting applicants can now use this tool to request an appointment to apply for SSI benefits. An individual only needs to provide basic information to make the online request. The SSA will then schedule an appointment to apply for benefits by phone and send notification of the appointment within 7-14 business days.

This blog post explores how the aging network can leverage home and community based services to address needs and improve the quality of life for older adults with HIV/AIDS. The post explains what evidence-based programs are and provides examples of a few that can support this population, including Falls Prevention and Positive Self-Management programs. It also provides a list of trainings and resources to help better serve older adults with HIV/AIDS.

This scan highlights examples of strategies in 11 states, including Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee, Washington State, and Wisconsin, that have been aimed at strengthening the direct care workforce through legislation, American Rescue Plan Act funding and training.

The Arc has annouced their new Virtual Program Library that includes free, on-demand activities for people with disabilities, their familes and service providers. The library features resources related to the arts, community and life skills, health and wellness and more.

The ADvancing States, in partnership with the National Alliance for Caregiving, created an infographic that depicts an overview of statistics on the experiences of caregivers in the United States, documenting their growing contributions to providing care to older adults and persons with disabilities in light of limited resources for caregiver services.

The Arc has released two new videos that provide an overview of special needs trusts and ABLE accounts to help educate people with disabilities about these financial options. Each video explains why to consider using each tool, how they work, what they can pay for, and how you can get started. These videos areavailable in English and Spanish.

CMS announced the 2022 Medicare & You Handbook will be available in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean, as well as English and Spanish. Medicare & You is a resource designed to help Medicare enrollees make decisions about their coverage. The new Chinese version, along with Spanish, large print, audio book, and braille versions of Medicare & You are available on Medicare.gov.

The CDC has provided a new COVID-19 resource on their website for people with intellectual and development disabilities. This resource was developed by the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) to provide individuals with low literacy and their caregivers information on how to stay safe during the pandemic. The virtual resource explains vaccinations, COVID-19 testing, handwashing, mask-wearing and social distancing through videos and visual storytelling.

The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RERC) on Technologies to Support Aging-In-Place for People with Long-Term Disabilities (TechSAge RERC II) published a new tool titled "Guidelines for delivering telewellness programs to older adults with disabilities." This tool provides guidelines for designing telewellness classes for older adults with disabilities and touches on design elements, such as software selection, safety, class organization and logistics, time structure and more.