New Briefings
March 7, 2018: Summary of ACL Stakeholder Discussion: Opioid Public Health Emergency. The meeting is a product of a collaboration among ACL’s Center for Policy and Evaluation, the Administration on Aging, and the National Institute for Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), along with other colleagues across ACL.
January 17, 2018: Joint Report: Ensuring Beneficiary Health and Safety in Group Homes Through State Implementation of Comprehensive Compliance Oversight. Model Practices to help states strengthen systems as part of efforts to ensure that group homes are safe and healthy places for people with disabilities, as part of a spectrum of integrated options.
December 2017: The Opioid Public Health Emergency and Older Adults. ACL has authored an issue briefing on opioids. Opioid misuse and addiction have become a large, nation-wide issue. Opioid use disorder can affect people of all ages; racial, ethnic, sexual and gender minorities; income classes; and geographic areas. Older adults are among the groups affected by this problem because they often use prescription opioids to cope with painful chronic conditions, such as arthritis, or procedures, such as surgery.
ACL Issue Briefings
ACL’s Center for Policy and Evaluation is developing issue briefings that document how the Aging or Disability Networks and their partners could work to promote community living by addressing each person’s unique needs for health and long-term services and supports. Each issue briefing discusses the scope of a particular challenge that older adults or adults with disabilities face, describes evidence-based programs that could address the challenge, and provides examples of how relevant ACL programs and others can work together to address the challenge. Examples of state and local innovations are included.
Community Living for American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian Elders. The Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) mission includes assisting American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian Elders to live with dignity and self-determination, while participating fully in their communities. This issue briefing provides helpful information to the Aging Network, which includes many organizations serving American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian Elders; and shares some of the innovative programs that promote health and support community living for Elders.
Educating Adults about Chronic Disease Self-Management. Describes the evidence underlying the successful, nationwide implementation of chronic disease self-management education programs. Provides options for states and localities to consider related to financially sustaining these programs. These evidence-based programs use peer leaders to educate adults with chronic diseases about how to self-manage their conditions and live healthier lives. The programs can lead to improvements in healthy behaviors and less use of hospital and emergency department services.
Principles for Person-directed Services and Supports during Serious Illness. At ACL we believe that every person has the right to make choices and to control their own decisions. This right is independent of age or disability or stage of illness. To help ensure that people who have serious illnesses are able to control their care and services, ACL will be using these principles to inform policy discussions and enhance its existing programs and services related to serious illness among adults and individuals with disabilities. To develop these principles, ACL engaged in several activities: development of educational materials and resources, review of relevant literature, discussions with aging and disability stakeholders, and stakeholder review of draft principles.
Promoting Community Living for Older Adults Who Need Long-term Services and Supports. ACL describes how states could provide home and community-based services to adults with disabilities and help them remain in their homes and communities. The special circumstances of older adults with dementia, who are at high risk of nursing home use, are also described.
Dementia-capable States and Communities: the Basics. Discusses how states and communities can become dementia-capable, that is, able to help people with dementia and their caregivers. To show how this can be done, there are examples of innovative programs.
Responding to the Wandering and Exit-seeking Behaviors of People with Dementia. Describes how to address the wandering and exit-seeking behavior of people with dementia who live in the community. Person-centered care is the key to responding to wandering. Knowing people and their needs and history helps caregivers anticipate ways to meet needs and prevent injury.
Opportunities to Improve Nutrition for Older Adults and Reduce Risk of Poor Health Outcomes. There are examples for states and others to consider when seeking to improve adults’ health and well-being through malnutrition interventions for community-living older adults, and those experiencing hospitalization.
Oral Health and Its Impact on Adults who are Older or Have Disabilities. Describes how a person’s overall health is related to their oral health and a number of options states have for expanding access to oral health.