Shrinking Caregiver Supply to Impact In-Home Care: AARP

Shrinking Caregiver Supply to impact In Home Care
A dramatically shrinking supply of caregivers will have major implications on how long-term supports and services are delivered to seniors, says AARP, and it will impact peoples’ ability to remain at home if they develop long-term care needs.

“Family caregivers—including family members, partners, or close friends—are a key factor in the ability to remain in one’s home and in the community when disability strikes,” says the AARP Public Policy Institute in an Insight report. “More than two-thirds of Americans believe that they will be able to rely on their families to meet their [long-term services and supports] needs when they require help, but this belief may collide with the reality of dramatically shrinking availability of family caregivers.”

The United States is less than two decades away from what’s been called “the 2030 problem”—when a large number of boomers enter late old age at the same time that the caregiving population is in steep decline, says AARP.

“These trends have had major implications for public programs that provide LTSS assistance,” says the report.

What’s happening is a plummet in the “caregiver support ratio”—the number of potential caregivers between the ages of 45 and 64, for each person aged 80 and older. The 80-plus demographic is the most likely to need LTSS, says AARP, while the boomer generation is currently functioning as the most common age range for caregivers.

Between 2010 and 2030, the caregiver support ratio will go from seven potential caregivers for each person in the “high-risk” years of 80-plus, down to four.

“The departure of the boomers from the peak caregiving years will mean that the population aged 45–64 is projected to increase by only 1 percent between 2010 and 2030,” says the paper. “During the same period, the 80-plus population is projected to increase by a whopping 79 percent.”

Seven in 10 people aged 80 and older had some kind of disability in 2010, AARP says, while nearly 56% have a severe disability and about a third need assistance from others with one or more activities of daily living.

Timely policy action is needed to meet the expected needs of the growing senior population, says the report.

“Rising demand and shrinking families to provide support suggest that the United States needs a comprehensive person- and family-centered LTSS policy that would better serve the needs of older persons with disabilities, support family and friends in their caregiving roles, and promote greater efficiencies in public spending,” AARP concludes. “The challenges that face us are real, but they are not insurmountable—if we begin now to lay the foundation for a better system of LTSS and family support for the future.”

Written by Alyssa Gerace

SEEKING EXPERIENCE PT's ,OT's and Home Health RN's

Seeking Experienced PTs, OTs & Home Health/Hospice RNs throughout metro Atlanta!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Visiting Nurse Health System

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Visiting Nurse Health System is seeking PTs and OTs with at least 2 years home health, clinical or hospital experience, as well as RNs with at least 2 years home health, hospice and/or hospital experience (Med Surg, ICU and/or ER).

All qualified candidates should RSVP to Natasha Hall at Natasha.Hall@vnhs.org or 404-215-6095.

Back-to-School Booster #8

 

 

Work with the Media to Promote Enrollment of Eligible Children and Teens

Television, radio, newspapers, the Internet – families stay connected with the news from a variety of sources. Working with the media can help you broaden your reach this Back-to-School season as you educate your community about free and low-cost health insurance and how to get eligible children and teens enrolled.

Here are a few ways to work with the media to enhance your Back-to-School efforts:

1. Become the “Go-To” Person for the Media in Your Community: Build relationships with local reporters from newspapers, TV and radio stations, blogs and other media. Demonstrate that you are a trusted source of accurate information and that they can rely on you to help them craft engaging stories. Show that you respect their deadlines. Reach out to reporters that regularly write about health issues, family finances, school issues – any areas that provide an opening for you to talk about the importance of health insurance and the availability of Medicaid and CHIP for eligible children. And don’t forget about Spanish-language and other ethnic media in your area. Help reporters connect with community leaders, health professionals, advocates and others that are credible spokespersons. And be a liaison to connect reporters with families who have been able to enroll their children in Medicaid or CHIP and can attest to the benefits and peace of mind coverage can bring. Booster in Action: This video shows how Health Care for All, a Massachusetts organization, built relationships with a variety of media outlets and ramped up children’s health coverage awareness and participation in a one-day enrollment phone-a-thon.
2. Generate Interest in Children’s Health Coverage: As families are thinking about getting their children and teens ready for school, they are faced with finding ways to get them the immunizations, eye exams, and sports physicals they need to fully participate. Back-to-School season is a great time to pitch stories to local media about the importance of health insurance. Tie your pitch to a Back-to-School enrollment event or a local school district’s requirement that children get health exams in order to participate in school sports. Contact local reporters and share stories about what it has meant for a student to get enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP and how local outreach organizations are helping families sign up. Booster in Action: Philadelphia’s Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) launched an initiative with the Philadelphia Eagles’ Youth Partnership to connect more children and teens with health insurance when they visit the Eagle Eye Mobile to get vision care. Participation from newsmakers, like the school superintendent, generated news coverage in the Philadelphia Tribune and the Philly Record.
3. Provide Editorial Content to Local Media Outlets: Write a letter to the editor or an opinion article on why health insurance for children and teens can help them start the school year strong. If possible, include local statistics on the numbers of kids who are eligible but are not yet enrolled. Send newsletter articles to local community papers and blogs. Contact your local TV and radio stations and ask them to run the Connecting Kids to Coverage public service announcements and promote your Back-to-School events. Booster in Action: Visit our Back-to-School web page to download “radio readers” and the Campaign’s TV and radio public service announcements in English and Spanish. You’ll also find tips on how to use the PSAs for outreach. Watch our recent webinar on media outreach for more great ideas.

The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign’s weekly Back-to-School boosters offer quick outreach and enrollment tips throughout the summer. Did you miss a Booster from a previous week? Visit the Booster Catalogue to read all of the weekly Boosters released this summer. If a friend or colleague forwarded this email to you, you can sign up to receive the weekly tips and other news from the Campaign. You can also follow the Campaign on Twitter and Facebook.

Servicemembers with Student Loans Could be Missing Out on Help

Servicemembers with Student Loans Could be Missing Out on Help

Many members of the military with student loans are spending way too much to pay off those loans. They are not accessing the student loan repayment protections and forgiveness benefits that have been granted to them under federal rules.

New resources available to help consumers navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace

 

HHS awards $67 million to Navigators and recognizes more than 100 organizations as Champions for Coverage

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced $67 million in grant awards to 105 Navigator grant applicants in Federally-facilitated and State Partnership Marketplaces. These Navigator grantees and their staff will serve as an in-person resource for Americans who want additional assistance in shopping for and enrolling in plans in the Health Insurance Marketplace beginning this fall. Also today, HHS recognized more than 100 national organizations and businesses who have volunteered to help Americans learn about the health care coverage available in the Marketplace.

“Navigators will be among the many resources available to help consumers understand their coverage options in the Marketplace,” said Secretary Sebelius. “A network of volunteers on the ground in every state – health care providers, business leaders, faith leaders, community groups, advocates, and local elected officials – can help spread the word and encourage their neighbors to get enrolled.”

Today’s announcement builds upon the significant progress in outreach and education made this summer. Consumers can learn about and enroll in coverage later this fall through HealthCare.gov. HHS launched 24-hours-a-day consumer call center ready to answer questions in 150 languages. More than 1,200 community health centers across the country are preparing to help enroll uninsured Americans in coverage, and a partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services will help trusted local libraries be a resource for consumers who want information on their options. In addition, HHS has begun training other individuals who will be providing in-person assistance, such as agents and brokers and certified application counselors.

Navigators are trained to provide unbiased information in a culturally competent manner to consumers about health insurance, the new Health Insurance Marketplaces, qualified health plans, and public programs including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The Navigator funding opportunity announcement was open to eligible private and public groups and people who are self-employed who met certain standards to promote effectiveness, diversity, and program integrity.

Navigators will be required to adhere to strict security and privacy standards – including how to safeguard a consumer’s personal information. They’ll be required to complete 20-30 hours of training to be certified, will take additional training throughout the year, and will renew their certification yearly. All types of enrollment assisters – including in-person assistors, Certified Application Counselors, and agents and brokers – are required to complete specific training and are subject to federal criminal penalties for violations of privacy or fraud statutes, on top of any relevant state law penalties.

The growing list of Champions for Coverage is one more example of businesses and organizations across the nation pitching in to help consumers understand the coming options for quality, affordable coverage. Champions for Coverage, among others, include:

• American Medical Association
• League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
• NAACP
• National Baptist Convention
• National Partnership for Women and Families

For a list of Navigator awardees or more information about Navigators and other in-person assisters, please visit: http://cciio.cms.gov/programs/exchanges/assistance.html

Click here to learn more about organizations participating in Champions for Coverage: http://marketplace.cms.gov/help-us/champions-for-coverage-list.pdf.

To become a Champion of Coverage, visit: http://marketplace.cms.gov/help-us/champion-apply.html.