Press Releases

The John A. Hartford Foundation Statement on Upcoming Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act

STATEMENT ON UPCOMING REAUTHORIZATION OF THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) will hold a hearing on March 7 to discuss the 2024 reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. “I commend Senators Sanders and Cassidy and the HELP Committee for beginning the Older Americans Act reauthorization process on a bipartisan basis. “For nearly 60 years, the Older Americans Act has strengthened communities in every corner of the country by providing essential services that help millions of older people remain healthy and at home as they age. As states, cities and health systems become more…

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New AARP Scorecard: Minnesota and Washington State Top Rankings for Long-Term Care Services and Supports for Older Americans, Including Family Caregivers

Report Finds Systemic Gaps in Nursing Homes, Home and Community Based-Care, and Support for Family Caregivers Washington, DC (September 28, 2023) – AARP’s new Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Scorecard finds that more than three years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, care provided in the United States for older adults and people with disabilities is painfully inadequate. The report finds that major gaps persist in every state, especially related to support for family caregivers, the long-term care workforce, equity in nursing homes, and emergency preparedness. Minnesota (1st) and Washington state (2nd) outperformed all other states in the country, particularly due…

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The John A. Hartford Foundation Statement on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Nursing Home Staffing Standards

STATEMENT ON CMS NURSING HOME STAFFING STANDARDS The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on September 1, 2023 issued a federal nursing home staffing proposal: Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting (CMS 3442-P) “The proposed federal nursing home staffing level requirement is a critical and important initial step in ensuring that older adults receive quality care in nursing homes. As we witnessed during the pandemic, facilities that were understaffed and under-resourced had dire outcomes for older adults and major burnout for staff, signaling a need for the federal…

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The John A. Hartford Foundation Statement on CMS 'GUIDE' Model for Comprehensive Dementia Care

STATEMENT ON CMS ‘GUIDE’ MODEL FOR COMPREHENSIVE DEMENTIA CARE The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 31, 2023 issued tools and guidance for comprehensive dementia care: Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) “The new model for how Medicare will deliver and pay for comprehensive dementia care represents a watershed moment for people with dementia and their family caregivers, who are so often left out of the conversation. The GUIDE model can transform care for millions of families living with dementia, helping them get the care and respite they desperately need in the communities they call home. “This…

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The John A. Hartford Foundation Board of Trustees Elects Two New Members

New York, NY (June 8, 2023) – The John A. Hartford Foundation today announced that Ginna Baik and Phyllis D. Meadows have been elected to its Board of Trustees. Ginna Baik is leader of Senior Living Alexa Smart Properties for Amazon, where she directs business and strategy development. She has had more than a decade of experience in older adult care and technology, with a mission to provide scalable technology and services to underserved populations. Phyllis D. Meadows, PhD, MSN, RN, is senior fellow with the Detroit Program at The Kresge Foundation, where she advises the Detroit and Health teams…

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Accredited Geriatric Emergency Departments Continue to Grow Within VA Hospitals

The Department of Veterans Affairs adopts new standards and approaches for treating older Veterans during and after a medical crisis. WASHINGTON, D.C.—April 19, 2023—The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest integrated healthcare system in the nation, today announced that 60 of its 111 emergency departments have earned Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). Another 11 departments are on track to earn the designation in coming months and the VA has plans to expand the program to the majority of its hospitals over the next three years. Geriatric emergency departments provide specialized…

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The John A. Hartford Foundation Statement on the Biden Administration Executive Action to Support Care Workers

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION EXECUTIVE ACTION TO SUPPORT CARE WORKERS “Family caregivers play a pivotal but too often unrecognized role in the United States, where many make personal sacrifices to meet the daily needs and preferences of older adults. The Biden-Harris Administration should be commended for investing in caregiving through today’s executive action, which builds on the groundbreaking RAISE National Strategy to provide respite care and mental health support to family caregivers and improve working conditions for direct care workers in the home, community, and in our nursing homes. Older adults everywhere deserve reliable, high-quality, age-friendly care delivered in a supportive environment…

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The John A. Hartford Foundation Statement on the State of the Union Address

PRESIDENT'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS INCLUDES COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE NURSING HOME CARE AND SUPPORT FAMILY CAREGIVERS “People who care about improving the lives of older adults can take heart in President Biden’s focus last night on better care for all of us as we age. “The president was right to highlight Congress’ bipartisan commitment to protect our vital safety net programs that older adults in the United States rely on to provide needed medical care and help with daily living. “The president was right to highlight the urgent need to rigorously protect older adults from nursing homes that endanger…

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The John A. Hartford Foundation and the American Society on Aging Joins Allies Across the Globe in Celebration of Ageism Awareness Day

The John A. Hartford Foundation and the American Society on Aging will celebrate Ageism Awareness Day on Oct. 7, 2022. Modeled after the United Nation’s International Day of Older Persons (Oct. 1), Ageism Awareness Day provides an opportunity to draw attention to the existence and impact of ageism in our society.

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