Posted February 8, 2024

AARP LTSS Choices/LTSS State Scorecard: Resources and Practices Spotlight Series

Posted In: Age-Friendly Health Systems, Tools & Guides

The AARP Public Policy Institute is publishing a Resources and Practices series with Spotlight reports on models of care in conjunction with its LTSS State Scorecard and LTSS Choices initiative to help states improve their long-term services and supports systems.

The Resources and Practices series includes:

NEW: National Inventory of Self-Directed Long-Term Services and Supports Programs - This paper builds upon the 2023 LTSS State Scorecard and previous inventories and provides an overview of all publicly funded self-directed LTSS nationwide, including estimates of numbers of participants, populations served, funding sources, and other key variables. It also covers significant trends influencing the overall LTSS landscape, such as the well-documented national shortage of direct care workers.

The Spotlight series consists of reports, blogs, videos, podcasts and virtual convenings looking to spark ideas for immediate, intermediate and long-term options for transforming LTSS. See these Spotlight reports featuring effective models of care that states can adopt:

NEW: Nursing Home Workforce Issues and Inequities - This report examines nursing home worker issues, including low wages and benefits and lack of career advancement opportunities. It highlights the importance of addressing these issues and inequities to ensure residents receive the quality care they need and deserve. Addressing these challenges will require a multifaceted approach outlined in this Spotlight, including improving compensation and benefits and strengthening training and education programs to attract and retain skilled workers.
NEW: Addressing the Gap: Exploring Disparities in Long-Term Services and Supports - This paper explores the history of racial and ethnic inequities in nursing homes, discusses trends in nursing home admissions by race and ethnicity, and proposes recommendations for change. The recommendations in this report focus on system-level changes aimed at eliminating inequities faced by Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) residents, as well as other residents of color who are Medicaid beneficiaries.
NEW: Respite Services: A Critical Support for Family Caregivers - This paper explores respite, its impact on family caregivers, and barriers to its use. It also reviews federal and state programs that provide and/or pay for respite including some examples of innovative programs that exist in communities. The authors provide recommendations toward improvements in respite research and programs and offer insights on how some respite programs are being scaled up.
How the PACE Model Integrates Medical Care With Long-Term Services and Supports - This AARP report examines how the PACE model (program of all-inclusive care for the elderly) provides access to a comprehensive range of long-term services and supports (LTSS) and medical care for eligible adults ages 55+. The report discusses the challenges and opportunities for expanding and enhancing PACE, which combines Medicare and Medicaid coverage to meet the medical, prescription drug, physical therapy, dental and LTSS needs of those enrolled.
CAPABLE: A Model of Empowering Older Adults to Remain Independent - This article looks at the CAPABLE (Community Aging in Place – Advancing Better Living for Elders) restorative services model that is person-centered and offers holistic services that help the older adult remain independent in their homes, reducing the need for LTSS. The article looks at how the model works, details the promising evidence, limitations of the model and where there is room for further expansion.