The SCAN Foundation - State Policy

Measuring the Health and Wealth of Older Americans

scanadmin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:34:30 +0000

“Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being," provides a comprehensive picture of our older population’s health and well-being,” a consortium of federal agencies said in announcing the latest edition of the encyclopedic chart book. Fifteen agencies collaborated to produce “an accessible compendium of indicators drawn from the most reliable official statistics. The indicators are again categorized into five broad groups: population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care.”

The Impact of Health Reform on Low-income People

scanadmin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:31:45 +0000

Older adults with low-incomes who are receiving long-term services and supports through Medicaid and also are enrolled in Medicare will face significant changes under the Affordable Care Act, according to an April 2010 report by the National Council on Aging. These people are called dual eligibles, because they qualify for two programs, Medicare (federal program for those over 65 and the disabled) and Medicaid (federal-state program for the poor). The report, “April 2010 NCBOE Training: Health Care Reform and Your Clients,” includes material used in a webinar, questions and answers, and key sections of the law.

The Origins of Cash and Carry Programs to Give People Spending Power

scanadmin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:27:41 +0000

Current federal and state policies encourage people who need long-term services and supports to make their own decisions about how to spend for their care. If they do not suffer from dementia or other cognitive problems, they are offered choices about whom they will hire to help with care, including their own family members. This is a relatively new concept, and was pioneered in various local experiments, according to a May 2010 report by Mathematica Policy Research. The report, “The Starting Point: The Balance of State Long-Term Care Systems Before the Implementation of the Money Follows the Person Demonstration,” describes the first round of grants for the program, called “money follows the person,” with the federal government sending money to 29 states and the District of Columbia.

Design of Living Spaces Impacts Comfort and Social Involvement

scanadmin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:23:08 +0000

Assisted living communities are homes for people who need long-term services and supports, but are strong enough physically and mentally to have a significant degree of independence. They are not bed-ridden, or suffering from severe dementia, as is often the case with many nursing home residents. Nevertheless, the designs of assisted living apartments often are not comfortable and welcoming, according to a December 2007 report, “Physical Environments of Assisted Living,” in The Gerontologist, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Health Care Reform and the Role of Family Caregivers

scanadmin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:48:36 +0000

Family members provide most of the care for people who need long-term services and supports. The value of their unpaid labor, if reckoned in dollars, far outweighs the federal and state money spent on caregiving. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will have a major impact on caregiving, according to a July 2010 report, “Health Care Reform and Family Caregivers,” by the Family Caregivers Alliance.

A Success Story in Keeping People Independent at Home

scanadmin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:40:01 +0000

A 40 year-old program in San Francisco has succeeded in delivering long-term services and supports to an elderly population while preserving their autonomy and independence. “The Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, known as PACE, is a model of care that enables frail elders to live independently in their communities,” according to the July 2010 report , “Aging in PACE: The Case for California Expansion,” by the California Health Care Foundation.

Training Vital for Workers Who Deliver Personal Care

scanadmin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:31:24 +0000

For those who receive long-term services and supports at home, there is an essential need for well-trained workers who will stay on the job. Turnover creates uncertainty and unhappiness among those who are cared for, as well as family members who arrange for the care at home. “As states struggle to address shortages and high turnover among direct service workers in their home and community-based services programs, many have identified the need for more worker training as a pressing issue,” according to the September 2009 report, “Direct Service Workforce Core Competencies Annotated Bibliography,” by the Lewin Group. The report has assembled key materials on improving performance and effectiveness among workers in the field of long-term services and supports.

Getting All the Numbers on the Dual Eligibles

scanadmin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:25:57 +0000

“Dual eligibles” are a special category of people receiving long-term services and supports, usually in nursing homes. The dual eligibles are enrolled simultaneously in two programs, Medicare for those over 65 and the disabled, and Medicaid, the health program for the poor. Because it is a complex task gathering data from all 50 states, and presenting it on a comparative basis, the latest comprehensive statistics as compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation show spending only through 2003, with the latest available material. The figures enable researchers to compare on a state-by-state basis a variety of topics.

American Indians Have Higher Diabetes Rates and Associated Long-Term Care Needs

scanadmin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:21:50 +0000

American Indians aged 55 and older have much a higher diabetes rate than Whites and are much more likely to have suffered multiple falls, according to a June 28, 2010 report, “Health of American Indian and Alaska Native Elders in California,” by the UCLA Center for Health Policy research. Due to functional impairment associated with diabetes and falls, this population group is likely to have more long-term care needs.

The Healthcare Workforce is Aging Rapidly, and a Labor Shortage is Coming

scanadmin — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 23:11:43 +0000

Workers who provide long-term services and supports are older than people in many other segments of the labor force, and as they retire, a supply shortage will emerge, according to the June , 2010 report, “Talent Pressure and the Aging Work Force: Responsive Action Steps for the Health Care & Social Assistance Sector,” by the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College. “Health care employers can expect a large-scale exodus of older workers in the forthcoming years, and because the need for skilled workers is likely to increase, employers should anticipate especially strong tensions in matching workers to jobs,” the report said.