Results tagged “AARP” from Caring For Our Parents

The news for critical long-term care services and supports provided by the states--either through Medicaid or other funding--keeps getting worse. The toxic combination of a still-slow economy, huge structural budget pressures on all levels of government, and growing demands for aging and disability services is leading to ongoing cuts in both critical benefits to individuals and payments to providers.

The latest evidence comes from two new reports. Following an extensive survey of state officials, AARP reports that 31 states cut their non-Medicaid long-term care services programs in Fiscal Year 2010 and at least 28 expect to slash them in the coming budget year. These essential programs include home-delivered meals, transportation, adult day care, housing, and foster care.

At the same time, a report by the American Health Care Association--which represents mostly for-profit nursing homes-- concludes that skilled nursing facilites are losing increasing amounts of money on their Medicaid long-term care beds. It concludes that nursing facilities are paid $17 per day less for long-term care than it costs them to provide these services. It is easy to criticize these results as self-serving, but the general trend is hard to dispute. And it could result in dramatic cuts in these long-term care resources. While this may not be a short-term problem in communities with an oversupply of nursing homes, this trend may already be curbing services in low-income areas. 

The AARP study reported that only a handful of states cut Medicaid benefits last year, but that was because the federal government, as part of its stimulus effort, increased its share of program payments. In addition, states that took the extra federal money were barred from cutting Medicaid benefits--although they could trim or freeze provider payments. Normally, the federal government pays about 60 percent of the cost of Medicaid while the states pay the rest (the amount varies from state to state).

However, this additional federal Medicaid funding is already winding down, and will disappear completely on July 1. Even more troubling, AARP found many states built the higher federal payments into this year's budgets, a decison that will force even deeper cuts in state programs as those dollars dry up. Just this week, lawmakers in Texas and Ohio proposed major cuts in Medicaid.  

AARP also asked state officials whether they intended to pursue additional federal funding for home and community based services that's been promised under the 2010 health reform law. Despite their serious financial shortfalls and the growing interest among policy analysts and advocates in expanding community services, state officials were remarkably cautious about whether they'd embrace these initiatives.

I'll have more to say about these studies soon, but they are both worth reading.       

Today, The Washington Post and Kaiser Health News jointly published an article I wrote on aging in place villages--an important element in the effort to help seniors remain in their communities. 

There are close to 50 villages now operating around the country, and at least 600 communities interested enough to send representatives to workshops held over the past year by the non-profit community development group NCB Capital Impact.

Villages come in many shapes and sizes, but there are three basic models. One, pioneered by the Community Without Walls in Princeton, N.J. is an all-volunteer group, with modest dues (just $30 for a couple). Beacon Hill Village in Boston relies on a professional staff, provides concierge services to link members with vendors (for services from home health aides to plumbers), and charges substantial dues. The third model, created by the Maryland non-profit Partners In Care, is based on the concept of time-banking. In this design, members  receive credits for their volunteer time which they, in turn, can exchange for the help of other volunteers. 

Different models may work in different communities. But the key to the success of the village movement will come from their bottom-up, community-based nature: Local people pulling together to help one another as they age. It is a powerful concept with a promising future--both for elders and for adult children caring for our parents.       

When I was caring for my parents, I thought what I was doing was both the hardest thing I had ever done and the most rewarding. Now, an important new study suggests I was not alone.

The study, called Caregiving in the U.S., is an important snapshot of what life is like for those providing assistance to aging parents, as well as young adults and children with disabilities. The study concludes that a staggering 65 million Americans are providing some assistance to their loved ones. About 17 million are caring for special needs children. The rest--nearly 50 million-- are helping the frail elderly or adults with disabilities.  

Who are these caregivers? Keep this picture in your mind: A 48-year old woman caring for her elderly mother. She is trying to hold down a job even as she spends about 20 hours a week helping her mom, something she's been doing for four years. There is a good chance she is taking time off work to help her mother with transportation, shopping, managing finances, taking medications, and even getting in and out of bed. 

She is getting help when she can from other family members and friends. About 40 percent rely on paid aides for some help, although that's significantly fewer than in 2004, the last time the survey was done. And about 40 percent feel their caregiving puts a "high burden" on them. 

Among those caring for someone 50 and older, the picture is a bit different. Caregivers are older--more than half are over 50 themselves. They are, typically, helping a 77-year-old widow who is living in her own home and who may be suffering from dementia.

The study was done by the National Alliance for Caregiving along with AARP, and funded by the MetLife Foundation. It follows similar studies published in 1997 and 2004. Read it.