Long Term Services and Supports

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented new regulations to improve care for nursing home residents. The regulations include mandated minimum staffing levels to ensure sufficient qualified personnel, increased transparency of how Medicaid payments are used by facilities, and more thorough inspections to hold nursing homes accountable. Additionally, all facilities must now have a registered nurse on-site 24/7 to provide care. These standards aim to enhance the overall quality of life for residents in long-term care facilities.

The AARP Public Policy Institute released a qualitative report to summarize the issues Illinois caregivers and older adults faced finding local LTSS resources. The report includes assessments of the quality of care accessed, supplemented by the first-person comments, and observations of the interviewees. The key themes outlined in the report include onset of illness and recognition of need for care, search for help, receipt of care, and promising policies and practices for improving the LTSS experience.

This article from the Administrative Law Commons and the Elder Law Commons reviews the problems in the nursing home industry revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors of the article provide suggestions to improve oversight practices and accountability through existing statutory regulations that will incentivize nursing homes to provide high-quality care. The article discusses how politics, bureaucracy, and ageism have prevented existing statutory authority from being utilized to its potential.

The White House released a proclamation highlighting the commitment and value of care workers, and recognized this month, April 2024, as Care Workers Recognition Month. It summarizes the efforts taken by the Biden Administration to support care workers in the United States. President Biden mentions the current actions being taken by agencies to achieve proper pay for home care workers by ensuring they receive larger Medicaid payments and promoting programs that support careers in the field. This proclamation expresses the administration’s appreciation of care workers and their dedication.

ATI Advisory, in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, recently released three deliverables as part of their project to address equity in access to long-term services and supports (LTSS). This work has benefited greatly from the contributions of key stakeholders across 30+ unique engagements, including interviews, roundtables, and focus groups. The perspectives, insights, and experiences shared by these individuals were instrumental in the development of the project's findings and helped identify challenges experienced by individuals from historically marginalized communities in accessing LTSS....

KFF’s recent issue brief, “Who Uses Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports?,” examines the characteristics of Medicaid enrollees who receive long-term services and supports (LTSS). LTSS can include assistance with activities of daily living (such as eating, bathing, and dressing) and instrumental activities of daily living (such as preparing meals, managing medication, and housekeeping). The issue brief also examines how individuals who use LTSS compare to those who do not use LTSS and how enrollees who use different types of LTSS differ from each other.

A recently published fact sheet from the National Consumer Voice for Long-Term Quality Care offers guidance for visiting residents in long-term care facilities during the holiday season. This fact sheet outlines the importance of visits from family members in supporting residents’ emotional well-being and ensuring that residents receive quality care. It also emphasizes the rights of residents and family members to determine what visits involve and when they take place. Additionally, Consumer Voice provides practical tips and activity ideas for family visits, along with suggestions for engaging residents during the gift-giving season, including examples of suitable gifts for residents.

AARP's latest Spotlight report highlights the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), a combined federal and state program designed to integrate medical care with long-term services and supports (LTSS) for adults with complex care needs. Eligible adults age 55+ who participate in PACE are able to access a comprehensive range of services, including medical and dental care, physical therapy, prescription drugs, and long-term services and supports (LTSS). PACE has demonstrated success in improving the health and well-being of participants, has high satisfaction among family caregivers, and is cost-effective. This Spotlight provides essential information about the program, including: ...

The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care recently published the Fall 2023 issue of “The Resident Advocate,” their newsletter for long-term care residents containing news and information on rights, care issues, and updates on national policy. This issue includes: Tips for living with a roommate in a long-term care facility, Staffing issues in long-term care and how you can advocate for change, Steps to take when there is a problem in your nursing home, Reminders for visiting long-term care facilities during the holidays, and Participating in this year’s Residents’ Rights Month.

On Thursday, September 28, the AARP Public Policy Institute released the 2023 edition of its LTSS State Scorecard, which uses data from a wide range of sources to describe how state long-term services and supports (LTSS) systems are performing. Released every three years since 2011, the Scorecard measures LTSS systems across five different dimensions: affordability and access; choice of setting and provider; safety and quality; support for family caregivers; and community integration. The upcoming release of this year's LTSS Scorecard will also explore new focus areas, including equity, workforce, and the impact of COVID-19. Furthermore, the 2023 Scorecard will introduce "Innovation Points," a novel feature offering an innovative approach..