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March 1, 2007
Advocacy/Policy
President's Budget Proposes Cuts in Community-Based Care Programs The FY2008 budget that President George Bush has submitted to Congress calls for cutbacks in several programs that help you serve older people living in the community. The proposed budget allocates no funds for preventive health services and Alzheimer's disease demonstration grants that the Administration on Aging oversees. In addition, several important programs would be cut by millions if the budget is approved. These programs include the National Family Caregiver Support program ($2 million in proposed cuts), congregate nutrition services ($2 million), and home-delivered meals ($1 million). The Social Services Block Grant, which helps states provide services to older people living in the community, would be reduced from $1.848 billion in 2006 to $1.306 billion in 2008. We must persuade Congress not to accept these damaging cuts. Find out how to make your voice heard. Read the AAHSA Action Alert on the budget or contact Peter Notarstefano at (202) 508-9406. Transportation Services National Center on Senior Transportation Opens A new National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST) is working to increase the availability of safe and coordinated transportation services for older people living in the community. The center, which opened January 30, is administered by Easter Seals in partnership with the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging and the Federal Transit Administration. The center will offer technical assistance, training, education and communication tools so that communities, transportation agencies, governments and individuals can address barriers and/or respond to opportunities related to senior transportation. The center will also test new ideas to increase and improve community mobility for seniors. For more information, contact the NCST at (202) 347-3066. You can read more about the center at the Easter Seals Web site. New Transportation Study Focuses on Rural Areas Inadequate funding tops the list of challenges facing transportation programs that serve rural older people. But a new study suggests that many rural transportation programs are tackling these challenges with everyday solutions and innovation. "Transportation Innovations for Seniors: A Report from Rural America" features five case studies on innovative transportation services in Maine, South Dakota, Missouri, Kansas and Texas. The report, published by the Beverly Foundation and the Community Transportation Association of America, points out that involving volunteer drivers and staff has been a key to success for many programs. View the full report. Home Health Care Grants Will Fund Caregiver Training Programs Community colleges around the country will soon be able to apply for $25,000 grants to establish or enhance programs that train workers who will care for older people at home. The Caregiving Project for Older Americans is a collaboration between the International Longevity Center-USA and the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education. The project will use funds from the MetLife Foundation to award up to 12 grants. Look for a Request for Proposals in March 2007. Grants will be announced in June. Find out more. U.S. Supreme Court Will Hear Home Care Overtime Case In late April, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case that could affect whether home health agencies must pay overtime to workers who provide "companionship services." The case involves a home care worker, named Evelyn Coke, who sued her employer (Long Island Care at Home) under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Coke claimed that she was entitled to minimum wage and overtime for the work she did. Her employer claimed that the FLSA exempts employees engaged in "babysitting services" and "companionship services" from these benefits. The Supreme Court's decision will affect all agencies nationwide. We expect that the court will issue its decision in June, and we will inform you of any changes that might impact the services you provide. For more information, contact Peter Notarstefano (202) 508-9406. Hospice Care Insurers Experiment with "Open Access" Hospice Care Two major insurance companies-Aetna and UnitedHealth-are experimenting with new policies that would allow patients with terminal illnesses to enter hospice care even if they are still undergoing advanced treatments for their medical conditions. Most insurers, including Medicare, require terminal patients to forgo medical treatment in order to qualify for hospice care. According to a recent article in The New York Times, Aetna and UnitedHealth hope that their new policies will encourage more patients with terminal illnesses to choose hospice care instead of the more expensive end-of-life care offered in hospitals. Many terminal patients must settle for this hospital-based, end-of-life care because they are unwilling to give up hope that their prognosis can be improved with additional treatment. The Times article, "A Chance to Pick Hospice, and Still Hope to Live," appeared in the newspaper's February 2 edition. Visit the Aetna Web site to read about that company's coverage policies. Technology AAHSA's Stone Offers Advice on Evaluating New Technologies A February 4 article in The New York Times examined several technologies that can help family members monitor the health and activities of aging relatives who live independently. Some monitoring systems collect information about older clients-including blood pressure, medication use, and details of daily routines-and send that information to relatives or caregivers. Robyn I. Stone, executive director of AAHSA's Institute for the Future of Aging Services, told the newspaper that consumers should "do their due diligence" on companies that offer these monitoring services, and should make sure that aging parents agree to share the information collected by high-tech systems. Read the article. Meeting News Explore HCBS Policy Issues at AAHSA's March Conference Learn about the status of recent HCBS legislative initiatives during an HCBS Policy Forum to be held this March at AAHSA's Future of Aging Services Conference & Exposition. The conference takes place March 19-21 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. Learn more at the conference Web site. Calling All Innovators Has someone in your organization created an innovative program? Do you know an individual whose leadership in aging services merits special recognition? Now is the time to tell his or her story. AAHSA is now accepting applications for our 2007 Awards. The winners will receive free registration for AAHSA's 2007 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Orlando, where they will be recognized for their accomplishments. Applications are due by April 15. To apply, see the awards brochure mailed recently to AAHSA members, or find full details and nomination forms on AAHSA's Web site. Contact Deborah Cloud at (202) 508-9458 for more information. Gateway to New World of Aging: July 29-August 1 "Gateway to the New World of Aging" will be the theme when the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging holds its 2007 Annual Conference in San Francisco July 29 to August 1. The conference is open to Area Agencies on Aging and Title VI directors and staff, aging commission members, service providers, academic researchers, federal, state and local agency officials, and other professionals in the aging network. For more information, visit the conference Web site. News from the States Ohio: More Home Care Could Save Millions A recent study suggests that Ohio could save millions of dollars each year by caring for more of its older and disabled citizens at home rather than in nursing homes. The study was commissioned by the Ohio Council for Home Care, a trade association that represents 350 home care agencies. "An Economic Study of Long-Term Care Costs in Ohio" reports that the state spends about 71 percent of its total long-term care budget on nursing home care, and only 29 percent for home care. In 2005, Mississippi was the only state that spent a lower percentage of Medicaid long-term care dollars on home care. The report estimates that it costs $11,800 a year to care for a person at home compared to $56,000 to care for the same person in a nursing home. Read the full report online. Pennsylvania: Grants Will Revitalize Senior Centers Pennsylvania recently awarded $4 million in state grants to revitalize 153 senior community centers across the state. The funds will finance repairs, renovations and new equipment at the centers. In addition, some centers will use their grants to develop strategies for attracting and serving new clients, particularly Baby Boomers. View a list of the grant recipients and descriptions of the work they will undertake with the new funds. Reports and Studies Cities and Counties Aren't Planning for an Aging Population A new study reports that less than half of American cities and counties have plans in place to meet the needs of aging Baby Boomers. The report, "The Maturing of America - Getting Communities on Track for an Aging Population," was issued by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging in partnership with the International City/County Management Association, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, and Partners for Livable Communities. Researchers working on the study found that most of the 10,000 local governments they surveyed do not have policies, programs or services in place to enhance the ability of older adults to live independently and contribute to their communities for as long as possible. View the full report. Report on Older People with Disabilities has "Almost No Good News" A recent AARP report suggests that there is "almost no good news" related to quality of life for older people with disabilities. The report, "A Growing Crisis in Health and Long-Term Services and Supports for Older People with Disabilities" updates data that AARP collected in 2002 during interviews with persons aged 50 and older. The new data was collected during interviews with the same individuals who were interviewed in 2002. Older people interviewed in 2005 were more likely to say that their disability had prevented them from realizing their full abilities. More 2005 survey participants expected their quality of life to get worse over the next four years. Twice as many 2005 survey participants expressed concerns about paying for long-term services and support. Three quarters (74 percent) said they are not receiving the help they need because they cannot afford to pay for it. Read the report. State Health Fact Sheets Include HCBS Data The Kaiser Family Foundation is now offering the latest (2003) state-by-state figures on home and community-based services. Visitors to the foundation's State Fact Sheets Web site can compare data for all states in 11 health topic areas, including "Demographics and the Economy," "Medicaid and SCHIP," "Medicare," and "Women's Health." Choose "Medicaid and SCHIP" and you can access 12 sets of charts and graphs that provide 50-state comparisons in such areas as HCBS participants, expenditures, and waiting lists; home health participants and expenditures; and Personal Care Services participants and expenditures. View past issues of the HCBS Report. AAHSA · 2519 Connecticut Ave. NW · Washington DC 20008 · www.aahsa.org
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