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NASUAD Requests that DOL Delay the Effective Date of the Fair Labor Standards Act Final Rule
On Tuesday, May 13, the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) sent a letter to Secretary Thomas Perez of the Department of Labor (DOL) requesting a delay in the effective date of the final rule that would make changes to the fair labor standards act (RIN 1235-AA05). The rule will significantly impact state programs that provide home and community based services to seniors and people with disabilities. Currently, the rule is scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2015; however, there are several areas where guidance is forthcoming. Notably, the department has not yet issued guidance regarding Third Party Employers and Joint Employment arrangements. This guidance will likely have significant financial and operational implications on state programs, and states may not be able to make necessary changes by the January deadline. Because of this, NASUAD requested that DOL delay the regulation effective date for an additional 18 months.
Click here to view the letter to Secretary Perez.
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Administration for Community Living
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ACL Releases Funding Opportunity for No Wrong Door LTSS Planning Grants
On Thursday, May 15, the Administration for Community Living (ACL), in collaboration with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services and the Veterans Health Administration, posted a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for State agencies interested in developing a statewide "No Wrong Door" system for long-term services and supports (LTSS). The FOA is intended to serve as a planning grant that will allow states to assess their no wrong door system, and to identify and describe the governance structure of the system. The opportunity is limited to state governments, and the application must include participation from the State Unit on Aging, the Medicaid agency, and the State agencies that provide services to persons with physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, or behavioral health conditions. Each state may only submit one application, and the Governor's office must designate a lead agency for the grant. The designated agency is also expected to serve as the lead agency for the no wrong door system. ACL expects to award approximately 35 States with funding ranging from $155,000 to $185,000. States that received Part A ADRC grants are ineligible for this FOA. This includes Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. Interested States should submit a letter of intent by June 10 and the full application is due July 15.
Click here for more information.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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New Data and Tools on Physical Activity for Adults with Disabilities
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is calling on adults with disabilities to increase their physical activity. In light of new data published in Vital Signs™ that shows most adults with disabilities are able to participate in physical activity, nearly half of these adults get no aerobic physical activity. Adults with disabilities however, are 82% more likely to be physically active if their doctor recommended it. Instead, only 44% of adults with disabilities who visited a doctor in the past year were told to get physically active. The CDC National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities is offering a package of products and tools to help doctors and other health professionals in promoting physical activity among their adult patients with disabilities.
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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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State Medicaid Director Letter: Accountability #2: Financing and Donations
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid issued guidance to states regarding fiscal accountability in administering the Medicaid program. This State Medicaid Director letter provides guidance to states concerning federal statute and regulations related to the use of provider-related donations to fund the non-federal share of Medicaid payments under the state plan.
The letter is the second in a series that provides guidance on mutual obligations and accountability on the part of state and Federal governments for the integrity of the Medicaid program and the development, application and improvement of program safeguards necessary to ensure proper and appropriate use of both Federal and state dollars.
Click here to view the letter.
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Webinar: Health Insurance Literacy for Champions for Coverage
CMS is holding a webinar about updated information on health insurance literacy on May 21, 2:00 p.m. ET. Attendees will primarily include organizations who have joined the Champions for Coverage program and National Stakeholders and organizations interested in learning information about health insurance literacy.
Click here to access the webinar link.
To dial-in, call 800-837-1935; Conference ID 44812468
Click here to reference the Health Insurance Literacy PowerPoint before the presentation.
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National Institute on Aging
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Home Safety for People with Alzheimer's Disease
The National Institute on Aging has released a publication entitled, Home Safety for People with Alzheimer's Disease. This publication will help caregivers cope with the challenges of caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease and develop creative solutions to increase the security and freedom of the person with Alzheimer's in the home, as well as their own peace of mind. The publication also coincides with Older Americans Month and the theme Safe Today. Healthy Tomorrow. This publication is for those who provide in-home care for people with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders. The goal is to improve home safety by identifying potential problems in the home and offering possible solutions to help prevent accidents.
Click here to view the publication.
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Office of Disability Employment Policy
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2015 Workforce Recruitment Program - School Registration Now Open
The Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) co-manages the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP). WRP connects federal sector employers with highly motivated college students and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to prove their abilities in the workplace through summer or permanent jobs. Annual interviews with students are conducted at the nation's top colleges and universities during the fall semester. To participate in the WRP, a school must be a degree-granting college or university that is accredited by one of the Regional or National Institutional Accrediting Agencies recognized by the U.S. Departme nt of Education. Schools must be registered to participate by a member of the faculty or staff and students cannot register their schools for the program. Registration is open through May 30, 2014.
Click here to view the Regional and National Institutional Accrediting Agencies.
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Workplace Flexibility Fact Sheet
The Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has released a new fact sheet entitled
Workplace Flexibility: A Strategic Business Approach for an Inclusive Workplace. This fact sheet provides many private-sector business examples on the benefits of workplace flexibility as well as how the federal government is using this business approach. The fact sheet also addresses how workplace flexibility strategies can directly or indirectly help employers meet the goals of many federal regulations. In addition to fact sheet, ODEP has provided the Workplace Flexibility Toolkit to assist employers with implementing flexible workplace policies and practices.
Click here to view the fact sheet.
Click here to access the toolkit.
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Health Care Wishes Smartphone App
The American Bar Association released a new smartphone app that enables individuals and families to manage and share their health care advance directives and related information. The smartphone app is called My Health Care Wishes. The Resources part of the app also includes a multi-state advance directive.
The app ensures that vital information that affects critical health-care decisions is controlled by the individual and by loved ones accessible at the right time and the right place when most needed. The app is be available for iPhones and Android phones and costs $3.99 for the pro or family version. A lite version is free.
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American Society on Aging
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ASA Announces Call for Sessions for 2015 Aging in America Conference
The American Society on Aging (ASA) announced the Call For Sessions for the Aging in America Conference on March 23-27, 2014 in Chicago, IL. The conference is the nation's largest multidisciplinary conference for professionals who work with older adults, including the businesses increasingly interested in this growing market. As an attendee, exhibitor or faculty member, you will:
- Learn about new and innovative ideas that will help you in your work with older adults;
- Discover practical solutions to the challenges you face on a day-to-day basis;
- Connect with peers and leaders who will transform the way you think about aging;
- Reach a community of professionals who collectively influence the lives of hundreds of thousands of older people through their everyday work.
Proposals are currently being accepted for workshops, and the due date is June 30, 2014. Everyone who submits a proposal before June 30 will be entered for a chance to win a free round-trip flight on Southwest or a complimentary registration to the conference.
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Payment for Non-Visit Functions in the Medical Home/Health Home
Health Affairs recently released a blog post entitled, The Payment Reform Landscape: Payment For Non-Visit Functions And The Medical Home. In this blog post, Suzanne Delbanco, Executive Director at Catalyst for Payment Reform, examines "payment for non-visit" functions, a payment model typically used to support care coordination and patient centered medical homes (PCMH). She writes, "this payment model is a per member per month (PMPM) payment, layered on top of another form of payment like fee-for-service. Providers typically receive this PMPM payment to help them manage their patients' care and to support their coordination with other providers in the "medical home." A lot has been written about care coordination and patient-centered medical homes and their ability to improve care outcomes; however, like their pay-for-performance "cousin," the ability of these models to contain costs remains to be seen."
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National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
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Eldercare Locator One-Pager: May is for Mothers
The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a)
administers the Eldercare Locator, a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging. This May, the Eldercare Locator released a one-pager that focuses on mothers and encourages sons and daughters of aging mothers to do more than just send flowers or give her a call this month.
This new one-pager asks five questions about how mothers are doing and directs adult children to educational and community resources for more information. The questions are:
- Are there major changes?
- What about end-of-life planning?
- Does she know how to avoid scam artists?
- Is home livable?
- How do we keep in touch?
Click here to download all educational resources or call Eldercare Locator at 800.677.1116 to order for free.
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National Center for Mobility Management
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Webinar: Performance Measures in Mobility Management: Experiences from the Field
The National Center for Mobility Management is holding a webinar on May 22, 2014, 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. ET.
This webinar is an opportunity to hear from state and local mobility management practitioners about ways they
are measuring the performance of a variety of mobility management objectives and activities. Emphasis will be
placed on measures created to focus on the impact of mobility management objectives on wider community goals.
Performance measurement expert Meredith Highsmith will explain the framework she uses as well as provide tips
to develop measures to capture the outcomes of mobility management program work in bringing forth positive social,
health and economic outcomes. All presenters will share high- and low-tech tools to communicate value to community leaders.
Click here to register for the webinar.
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National Council on Aging
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Webinar: SNAP Eligibility and Benefits for Seniors
The National Council on Aging is holding a webinar on May 27, 2014, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. This webinar will help attendees understand why the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps) is a valuable tool for seniors who are struggling to pay for food. In this second of a four-part series, attendees will learn about federal eligibility thresholds and deductions seniors can take to maximize their SNAP benefit. Presenters will:
- Review the federal eligibility thresholds for SNAP and point to where participants can find state-specific information,
- Outline the different deductions that seniors can take to maximize their SNAP benefit amount, and
- Walk through scenarios to explain how to receive these deductions given different state contexts.
The webinar is intended both for new advocates in the field of SNAP but also for those who want additional information about SNAP eligibility and deductions.
Click here to register for the webinar.
Click here to download the slides and access the recording of the first webinar in this series, Why SNAP is Important for Seniors.
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National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care
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FREE State-Based Advocacy Skills Trainings
As part of their Consumers for Quality Care, No Matter Where Initiative, the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (Consumer Voice) will be offering FREE state-based, in-person advocacy trainings for groups to make an impact on policy and contribute to the Consumer Voice's national efforts. Participants will include long-term care ombudsman programs, consumer advocacy groups, family/caregiving groups, consumer alliances, and community and senior organizations.
The trainings will involve:
- A pre-training conference call where participants will learn how to strategize around a particular issue.
- On-site half-day or full-day training with Consumer Voice staff.
A full-day training will cover all topics listed below; a half-day training will include two out of the four following topics:
- How to craft an effective advocacy message.
- Delivering your message in person: the nuts and bolts of meeting with a key decision maker.
- Delivering your message: utilizing both traditional approaches and social media.
- How to grow, support, and activate your network.
Applications will run from June 2 - June 23. More details about the application process and the trainings will follow soon. In the interim, organizations should acquire 20 individuals who want to receive these trainings. Priority will be given to applicants who will be joined by other advocates outside their organization or program.
Click here to contact Sara Cirba, Advocacy and Development Associate, if you are interested in receiving Consumer Voice's advocacy skills training or have any questions; or call 202-332-2275 ext. 221.
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National Senior Citizens Law Center
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Advocates Guide to Consumer Rights in Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services
The National Senior Citizens Law Center has announced a guide entitled, Just Like Home: An Advocate's Guide to Consumer Rights in Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). This guide provides consumers, advocates and other stakeholders with information regarding multiple facets of the new standards, including consumer rights in HCBS, and the guidelines for determining which settings are disqualified from HCBS reimbursement. This guide is based on the federal rules and subsequently issued guidance, and will be updated as further information becomes available.
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Rehabilitation Research and Training Institute
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Webinar: Pain in People with Developmental Disabilities
The Rehabilitation Research and Training Institute is holding a free webinar on pain in people with developmental disabilities (DD) on May 22, 2014, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. This webinar is intended to benefit nurses, social workers, counselors, and other healthcare professionals who have contact with individuals with developmental disabilities, whether it is in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, home care, residential program, community clinic, residence, or rural healthcare clinic. The webinar will identify pain assessment tools and sources for individuals with DD; syndrome-specific indicators of pain; staff attitudes about pain complaints; and effectively document the medical record. Free CEUs are available.
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Elder Justice Opportunities
The Weinberg Foundation announced several opportunities in the elder justice:
- The Foundation is seeking a Program Associate to run its Maryland Small Grants Program. Started in 2007, the Maryland Small Grants Program (MSGP) helps eligible nonprofits more easily and efficiently apply for grants of up to $50,000 a year for up to two years, with the possibility of renewal.
- The Foundation is seeking a Program Associate to make recommendations for grants in the program area of Older Adult Services. Each year, the Weinberg Foundation grants approximately $100 million to nonprofits that provide direct services to low-income and vulnerable individuals and families, primarily in the U.S. and Israel. Since 1980, the Foundation has distributed grants totaling $1.7 billion.
- The Foundation continues to be interested in receiving Letters of Inquiry for elder justice projects. In particular, the Weinberg Foundation is interested in proposals pertaining to multidisciplinary elder abuse teams, elder abuse shelters, and/or other innovative programs that provide direct services to older adults.
Click here for more information on employment.
Click here for more information on Letters of Inquiry.
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Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement
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Perspectives of Millennial and Boomer Women: Who's Better Off?
The Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement is holding a briefing and reception on June 10, 2014, 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET (Registration and light refreshments at 9 a.m.) in Washington, DC. This event will feature a panel discussing recent research on the financial well-being of Millennials and Boomers. Attendees will include individuals from women's and aging organizations, the financial literacy and retirement planning communities, financial service organizations, policy organizations, and government agencies.
More details and a complete agenda will follow soon.
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The Area VIII Agency on Aging Cascade County is seeking an Aging Services Director to direct, manage, supervise, and coordinate the activities and operations of the Aging Services Department. The Director will also perform complex supervisory, administrative and professional work in planning, organizing and directing various programs of the Aging Services Department. This includes overseeing the Medicaid Waiver, Meals on Wheels, Foster Grandparents, and Local Ombudsman in accordance with standards and general policies established by the Board of County Commissioners. The nature of the work performed requires the Director to establish and maintain close cooperative working relationships with the Board of County Commissioners, Finance Director, Human Resource Director, supervisors, department employees and the general public.
Click here to apply and learn more about the position.
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Director of the Information and Referral Support Center
NASUAD is seeking a new Director of the Information and Referral Support Center. The position is responsible for managing all programmatic aspects of a federal grant including communication with Information and Referral/Aging network, participation in and development of programming for the annual AIRS conference, in-person, electronic and remote training for I&R/A professionals, and provision of technical assistance to state agency staff . The position is also responsible for representing NASUAD at various meetings, contributing to the website and weekly newsletter, preparing for the annual HCBS conference and other tasks including membership surveys.
Click here to apply and learn more about the position.
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Israeli farmer Gilad Wolf began developing new designs of wheelchairs better suited to off-road applications, after breaking his pelvis and suffering pain from a stock chair. With help from Rad-BioMed Technology Accelerator in Tel Aviv, he got the help required to transform concept sketch into a patent-pending product called SoftWheel. Learn more here.
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