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NASUAD Members at WHCOA Regional Forum in Phoenix
NASUAD members Lance Robertson (OK), Heather Babbitt (WY), Charlie Rehbein (MT), and Nels Holmgren (UT) attended the White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) Phoenix Regional Forum on Tuesday, March 31.
 The four areas of focus for the WHCOA, healthy aging, long-term services and supports, retirement security, and elder justice, are critical to all members of the Aging Network and State Units on Aging throughout the country. If you are unable to make a regional forum, consider holding an event in your state. |
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NASUAD Spring Meeting and MLTSS Symposium Registration Open
The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) will host its 2015 Spring Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 22-25. This year's meeting is divided into two parts with one fee that covers the entire event.
The NASUAD membership meeting will take place April 22 and 23. Participants will learn important updates to federal regulations and policies, discuss findings from the first year of the National Core Indicators-Aging and Disabilities consumer survey, and share experiences on how to address the challenges facing states as they deliver high-quality long-term services and supports. Participants will also have the opportunity to meet and discuss issues of concern with federal officials from ACL and CMS; members will participate in setting NASUAD's policy priorities for 2015.
NASUAD will host the Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Symposium on April 24 and 25. Participants will engage in in-depth conversations about key issues in MLTSS and learn more about the valuable opportunities managed care provides for state system development. Currently, registration spots are being held for state representation, however NASUAD invites our partners in the aging and disability community, health plans and their representatives to be put on a waiting list to see if space is still available.
Click here to register and learn more about both events.
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HCBS Clearinghouse E-Clips
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This section of Friday Update highlights reports that have been added to the HCBS Clearinghouse within the past week. Visit www.nasuad.org/hcbs for more information.
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Housing and Health Care Partnerships ToolkitThe LeadingAge Center for Housing Plus Services has published a new toolkit, Housing and Health Care: Partners in Healthy Aging. The toolkit offers resources and guidance to help providers of affordable senior housing and health care partners work together to improve health, safety, and quality of life for housing residents, while also decreasing unnecessary health services and achieving cost savings.
Click here to access the toolkit.
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More Than a Meal: A Study of Meal Service Delivery In light of a rapidly aging population, increasing costs, and funding that is not keeping pace, programs like Meals on Wheels face unprecedented challenges to meet the growing need for meal and nutrition services. Decision-makers at all levels of government and community-based organizations within the Aging Network are increasingly seeking lower cost solutions to stretch constrained budgets. This study conducted by Brown University compares the experience and health outcomes reported by older adults who receive three different levels of service: daily traditional meal delivery, once-weekly frozen delivery, and placement on a waiting list.
Click here to access the report and infographic.
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Administration for Community Living
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Funding Opportunity for a Paralysis Resource Center
ACL is now accepting grant applications for a National Paralysis Resource Center to improve the health and quality of life of individuals living with paralysis, their families, and caregivers by raising awareness of and facilitating access to a broad range of services relevant to individuals with paralysis. Applications for funding are due April 27 through Grants.gov.
Click here for additional details on the grant opportunity.
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Summer Intern Program to Be Announced
The 2015 CMS Summer Intern Program will be announced during the week of April 6, 2015, via vacancy announcements posted to USAJOBS.gov. Vacancy announcements will only be posted for three days.
This 12-week internship is designed for current students with an unweighted cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. The purpose of the Summer Intern Program is to enhance students' knowledge about CMS programs, mission, vision, and goals. The program seeks to familiarize participants with Federal, State, and local health care programs.
Click here for more information on the program.
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Tax Prep Help from the IRS
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers free tax preparation help through two programs: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program. The VITA program is usually limited to people who make $53,000 or less, individuals with disabilities, the elderly, and people with limited English proficiency. The Tax counseling for the Elderly program offers free tax assistance for all taxpayers, particularly those 60 years old and over, and the program specializes in senior issues, such as retirement and pensions.
Click here for more information on the programs.
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Supreme Court Decision Limits Provider Ability to Sue States
On Tuesday, March 31, the Supreme Court issued a decision in the Medicaid lawsuit, Armstrong v. Exceptional Child Center, Inc. The case originated in Idaho, and initially dealt with a challenge of the state's Medicaid reimbursement rates for certain services. On appeal, the Supreme Court was asked to determine whether providers have legal standing to sue state Medicaid agencies about reimbursement rates under the Medicaid statute, the Constitution's supremacy clause, or any other law. In the ruling issued Tuesday, the court opined that providers do not have legal standing to sue. The 5-4 decision stated that the Medicaid statute provides the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and CMS by designation, the sole enforcement authority over Medicaid reimbursement rates.
Click here to view the decision.
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American Association of People with Disabilities
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Tony Coelho Media Scholarship
The NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Scholarship will offer four scholarships for college students with disabilities who are pursing communications or media-related degrees. Each recipient will receive $5,625 for tuition and fees for the spring, summer, or fall semesters of 2015. All applications and supporting materials are due on Friday, April 24 by 5:00 p.m. ET.
Click here for complete details on the scholarship and how to apply. |
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National Asian Pacific Center on Aging
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NAPCA Announces New CEO
The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) Board of Directors has selected former NASUAD Board member Dr. Wesley Lum to lead the organization as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. Having most recently served as the Director of the Hawaii Executive Office on Aging, Dr. Lum has 20 years of experience in the fields of aging and health.
Click here to view the full press release.
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National Council on Aging
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Webinar: Strong Brains, Sharp Minds
This two-part webinar series will cover fundamentals about the aging brain and the latest brain science research. Presenters will also address risk factors and self-care opportunities. Part 1: Understanding the Building Blocks will take place on Thursday, April 9 at 1:30 p.m. ET. Part 2: Offering Practical, Low-Cost Brain Health Programs in your Community is scheduled for Thursday, May 7.
Click here for more details and registration for the webinar.
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National Institute on Aging
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New Online Portal for Alzheimer's & Dementia Resources
The Alzheimer's Disease Education & Referral Center has made available a new online portal with free clinical practice tools, training materials, and other resources for health and aging professionals. The portal provides tools for assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management as well as factsheets and articles on care, disease-specific information, and clinical trials and studies.
Click here for access to the website.
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National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities & Dementia Practices
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Workshop Series on Dementia and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
The National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices (NTG) has scheduled a series of two-day workshops based on the NTG's newly developed Education and Training Curriculum on Dementia and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Content includes national dementia policy, dementia program and support options, direct care and supports based on degree and stage of dementia, medical issues, environmental designs, supporting families, and other related matter. The workshops are geared for program staff and other personnel in disability-related, healthcare, and aging-related agencies, as well as family members and others needing to know more about how dementia affects people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and how to provide community-based supports and care for affected adults. Workshops are currently scheduled for King of Prussia, Pennsylvania (April 7-8), Kansas City, Missouri (April 27-28), and Schenectady, New York (June 9-10).
Click here for more details or contact Nina Bennett at ninabennettNTG@gmail.com.
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Gerontological Society of America
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Careers in Aging Week, April 5-11
Next week, April 5-11, is Careers in Aging Week. Schools across the country are recognizing the field of gerontology with networking events, film screenings, and professional panels.  Click here for more information on CIAW. |
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Job & Internship Postings
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DCTV Internship Opportunity for High Schoolers
In partnership with the D.C. Office on Aging, DCTV is offering an internship for high schoolers in grades 10-12 to participate in The Centenarian Project, an intergenerational video profile of DC residents who are 100+ years old. The profiles will be aired on DCTV's seven cable channels. The internship requires a commitment of six hours a week from April 20 to July 3. Applicants must submit their applications by Thursday, April 9 before 5:00 p.m. ET to be considered. Click here to access the application and full details. |
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AmeriCorps VISTA Openings with NE State Unit on Aging
The Nebraska State Unit on Aging, in Lincoln, NE, is looking for four outgoing, self-motivated individuals interested in helping the minority and impoverished aging population in the State of Nebraska. Through the Nebraska Strengthening Aging Populations (NSAP) program, VISTA members will collect data, create volunteer databases/spreadsheets with aging-related data, develop training manuals and materials, create a standardized Senior Center Operational manual template, and research the policies and procedures required for Health Promotion/Disease Prevention programs to obtain evidence-based status. Interested applicants should have postsecondary educational or work experience with non-profit organizations, social work, or grant-funded projects. The program will from June 2015 to June 2016. Applications must be submitted by April 27.
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