Buckeye Hills-Hocking Valley Regional Development District (BH-HVRDD) hosted its Semi-Annual Meeting with Barbara Riley, Director of The Ohio Department of Aging, as the keynote speaker. Following her presentation, Director Riley also visited at The O'Neill Center in Marietta. 
 

Nearly 100 representatives from across the region and from state and federal agencies attended. In addition, leaders from Buckeye Hills and its Area Agency on Aging (AAA8) provided semi-annual updates on programs in the district.

During her presentation, Director Riley shared thoughts on the current and future demands for Ohioans aging population.

• Ohio is an aging state. By 2020, the 60+ population will grow by 28% while the state's total population will increase by only five percent.
• 12,000 Ohioans turn 60 each month.
• By 2020, the population over 85 will increase by 43%. 

Because of this tremendous growth, Director Riley shared that Ohio has been carefully looking at how we will be able to afford to support the ever-growing aging population. The state's Unified Long-Term Care Budget program has developed subcommittees to help find a better balance for long-term care funding between home and community-based settings and nursing homes.

"We need to think differently," said Director Riley. "We need to work to build a better system with the focus on the consumer."

According to AARP, nine out of 10 people surveyed would prefer to receive long-term care services in their own home or community. Allowing older adults to receive their long-term care services at home results in Medicaid cost savings.

Director Riley shared that in 2003 Ohio was funding 67% of people in nursing facilities and only 33% of people in home settings. In 2008, that ratio had shifted to 58 percent in nursing facilities and 42% at home. The state's goal is to continue to provide support for individuals to remain at home and work to have a 50/50 ratio.

If the state succeeds in employing a series of prevention and self-care strategies to help individuals with disabilities remain independent longer, the state could reduce the number of people with a severe disability who rely on Medicaid by one percent annually. This one percent reduction in demand could reduce the number of people relying on Medicaid by 11.5% by 2020 - the savings combined with reducing the numbers in nursing facilities could result in a $1 billion savings.