Aging/Older Adults

This Health Affairs article, written by Katie McEvoy of the National Association of Medicaid Directors argues for structural stability and continued federal financial support for Medicaid. The article highlights the importance of Medicaid in supporting older adults and people with disabilities, its important role in Health Care Infrastructure And State Economies, and the public support for the program.

The Nutrition and Aging Resource Center has created this resource to support Title IIIC meal programs navigating the expiration of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). The factsheet reviews what nutrition programs should expect as well as recommendations on how to meet requirements as flexibilities related to the PHE end.

This report is the most comprehensive and representative assessment of self-reported outcomes among older adults and people with physical disabilities receiving publicly funded LTSS since 2018. These data were collected from 13,663 people between June 2021 and July 2022. The sample includes individuals from 15 regionally representative states and a variety of LTSS programs, including: Medicaid HCBS, Nursing Facilities, and Older Americans Act recipients.

The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) released a white paper as part of its efforts to meet the changing needs of the growing senior population. The document outlines challenges to offering more affordable assisted living for low- and middle-income seniors, as well as solutions that could help improve access to necessary care. NCAL reinforces the need for public-private partnerships to increase affordable assisted living options for low- to moderate-income older adults who can no longer live at home. NCAL also highlights Medicaid as one of the major challenges, as the program is chronically underfunded and limits access to assisted living care.

The AARP Public Policy Institute (PPI) contracted with NORC at the University of Chicago to examine the implications of the Medicaid continuous enrollment unwinding process for older Americans. NORC analyzed Medicaid enrollment trends for the age 50-64 population prior to and during the COVID-19 public health emergency and used this data to model the impact of resuming Medicaid eligibility reassessments, or redeterminations, in this population. This paper discusses these findings as well as their context within the larger health care system. The paper also provides an overview of federal and state actions taken in advance of the ending of Medicaid continuous enrollment and discuss policy options that could help ease the transition.

2023 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures is a statistical resource for U.S. data related to Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia. Background and context for interpretation of the data are contained in the Overview. Additional sections address prevalence, mortality and morbidity, caregiving, the dementia care workforce, and the use and costs of health care and services. The Special Report examines obstacles and opportunities for achieving better care in an era of new treatments for Alzheimer’s.

Every May, ACL leads the nation’s observance of Older Americans Month (OAM). This year's theme is Aging Unbound, which offers an opportunity to explore diverse aging experiences and discuss how communities can combat stereotypes. ACL is providing resources to help organizations celebrate Older Americans Month in promoting flexible thinking about aging – and how we all benefit when older adults remain engaged, independent, and included.

A new report from the Alliance’s Homelessness Research Institute analyzes 2018 data from the Vulnerability Index Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool to examine the different ways in which older adults exit homelessness; identify disparities in types of exits by shelter status, race, ethnicity, and gender; and recommend issues that need further research and policy attention.

Earlier this week University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation released findings from the University of Michigan National Poll on Health Aging. The new report share results gathered in late January 2023 that add to previous data from polls fielded in 2018 and during all three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report shared that one in three (34%) of older adults reported feeling isolated from others in the past year, a decline from the 2020 report findings.

The National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices (NTG), and the Health Matters Program at the University of Illinois Chicago issued a new brief “Over Medication of Older Adults with Intellectual Disability: Risks for Brain Health”. The advisory cautions readers that arise from over medication and suggestions for steps that can be taken to prevent the over- medication of older adults.