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D.C. Mayoral Candidates Reach Out to Seniors

July 30, 2010 in AARP, advocacy, aging, health care, seniors by SarahMashburn | No comments

There’s a lot that makes the District of Columbia unique, including the fact that it’s one of the “oldest” places in the United States. More than 70,000 people over 65 call the District home (out of a population of just under 600,000 people). It’s no wonder that the candidates for D.C. upcoming mayoral election wanted to reach out to these older adults and learn more about issues that mattered to them.

On July 29, I attended a candidate forum focused on the senior issues with my fellow blog writer Morgan Gable.  AAHSA, AARP DC and Iona Senior Services, along with several other local groups, sponsored the event that the D.C. Senior Advisory Coalition organized. Attendees were given the chance to submit questions for each of the three candidates to answer in just under a minute. As you can imagine, hot topics included housing , transportation and aging in place programs. It was interesting to hear the ideas and insights that each candidate shared.

Take current Mayor Adrian Fenty. He discussed his work to restore and build affordable senior housing in D.C. During his administration, more than 650 units of affordable housing have been built or restored, and he’s got plans to do more of that work if he’s re-elected.

D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray talked about his work to provide services to seniors inside and outside their homes. He discussed his advocacy for a recreation center in Ward 7 as well as his efforts to work with the different Villages popping up throughout the District.

Leo Alexander’s never held public office, but he has no shortage of ideas on how he could help seniors as mayor. He supports reducing the cost of cab fares for seniors and eliminating senior bus fares entirely so it is more affordable for seniors to navigate the city.

What I found interesting is that the seniors, and the candidates, got most excited to talk about the issues that affect voters of all ages, like education and crime. And I don’t think that the District’s older voters are unique in this regard. That’s why I would encourage more organizations to host similar forums in their communities. Does your organization have one planned? Let us know so we can promote it on the blog.

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Senate Matches $825 Million Funding of Section 202

July 23, 2010 in advocacy, housing, politics, seniors by Nancy Libson | No comments

It’s a fait accompli!

On July 21, the U.S. Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Subcommittee matched the U.S. House of Representative’s funding for Section 202 housing with the approval of its fiscal year 2011 appropriations bill.

“The bill ensures the most vulnerable among us have access to housing and provides $825 million for the elderly and $200 million of housing for the disabled,” said THUD Subcommittee Chair Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). “This bill will help our economy continue to recover from the recession and it will help our communities reinvest in our infrastructure, and it does so with a funding allocation that is the same as fiscal year 2010 enacted level.”

Now that both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have agreed to provide $825 million for the Section 202 program for fiscal year 2011, we are assured of funding for new development of Section 202 housing next year even if final action of the 2011 budget will not happen until after the November election.

And we couldn’t have done it without the cards, letters, calls, and visits of AAHSA staff, AAHSA state affiliates, AAHSA members, and our friends and allies among housing advocates in D.C. to members of the House and Senate since the day that the administration released its budget request way back in February.

As you know, the administration recommended that there be no funds for new development of Section 202 housing pending “reforms” of the program to better target funding, to better leverage funding, and to redesign the program as a platform for the delivery of supportive services.

From that moment on, we delivered our message:  We, too, want to reform the program, but it can be done without suspending funding that would not made available until the spring of 2011.

And we are hard at work offering ideas about reform that can be achieved though the notice of funding availability (NOFA) process and without changes in the law.

It seems the congressional appropriators heard our message!

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Independence at Home Provision Will Help Providers Replicate “Medical House Call Program”

July 20, 2010 in innovation, policy, retirement, seniors by PeterNotarstefano | No comments

On July 18, the Washington Post had a wonderful article about the reunion of an 85 year old daughter with her 110 year old mother who lives in D.C. This reunion is the result of the “Medical House Call Program” at Washington Hospital Center.

The program’s staff, which includes physicians, nurse practitioners, and social workers, provides compassionate and skilled primary health care to elders in the comfort of their homes.

Dr. Eric De Jonge, a physician who works in the program, presented on the Independence at Home Act, which was included in this year’s health care reform law, at our Futures of Aging Services Conference this year.

The Independence at Home provision will help providers replicate this “medical house call” program model throughout the country. The program gives incentives for physicians to improve quality of care and reduce costs.

It also increases physician-patient interaction through regular assessments and patient/caregiver education on treating a chronic disease. It is obvious from the article that Dr. De Jonge has a special positive relationship with his 110 year old patient.

I am pleased that this program can help families stay together in the community. It not only improve health outcomes, it improves the person’s quality of life.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) are encouraging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement the Independence at Home (IAH) program . We shouldn’t have to wait to January 2012 for this innovative program. Implementing this program now will bring us more wonderful stories where older individuals can remain in their own homes with their family.

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Happy Birthday, Older Americans Act!

July 14, 2010 in aging, policy, seniors, take action, wellness by SarahMashburn | 1 comment

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the Older Americans Act (OAA). You may not have heard of this legislation, but I don’t doubt that you’ve seen its impact on the lives of older adults.

Take Meals on Wheels. Or, the bus that takes your older aunt to her doctor’s appointments. There’s also the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which supports state and local programs to offer caregivers respite and supplemental services. These are just of the programs and services that are available thanks to the OAA.

Another thing you should know about the OAA is that the program’s reauthorized every 5 years. That gives policy makers and the public the opportunity to investigate how the OAA programs can be expanded and enhance to meet future needs. The reauthorization process is going on right now, and it’s time to share what you think needs to be added or improved in the OAA.

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is hosting a national “idea exchange” focused on the OAA and what can make it better. On the exchange, you can share ideas big and small, comment on others’ thoughts and vote for what you think are the best opportunities to expand this legislation’s impact.

Look for a blog post later from AAHSA’s Morgan Gable highlighting some of our ideas.

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Senior Resource Center Expands the World of Possibilities for Aging

July 13, 2010 in AAHSA member, fundraising, making a difference, not-for-profit, quality, seniors by Mary Reilly | 1 comment

Senior Resource Center

The earth moves!

Yesterday, I attended a ground breaking for an expansion and renovation of the Senior’s Resource Center in Denver. After a 10-year planning journey and four years of fundraising, the future for Senior’s Resource Center (SRC) includes a state-of-the-art new adult day and respite services building and a significant renovation of their original building.

Since its founding in 1978, headquaters for SRC has been in a “retired” and renovated elementary school. There is little about the old school that supports the work of the staff . Outwardly beautiful, the school sits on a residential street and  is a central part of  the community.

Phase I of the expansion will be a new center and Phase II of the project will be the renovation of  this building to prepare it for its new future. And of course the new building has been designed to compliment the older structure. It will be 17,000 square feet of state of the art program and community space. The architect on this project is Bill Brummett.

John Zabawa, president and CEO of SRC, proudly welcomed over 200 guests that included U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, a few county commissioners and local mayors as well as SRC board members, staff and most importantly, participants served by the current day program.

AAHSA President Larry Minnix also attended via a video and offered the welcome and a wonderful pitch for more funding. He got a big round of applause.

This great effort represents hundreds of people who have had the tenacity and commitment to see what is possible and to figure out how to get there.  I continue to be amazed and inspired by our members and the way they make dreams come true!

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Health Information Privacy Strengthened by New HHS Rule

July 9, 2010 in HIPAA, policy, privacy, seniors by JenniferHilliard | 1 comment

On July 8, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to modify the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy, Security, and Enforcement Rules.

The changes, which would expand individuals’ rights to access their information and restrict certain disclosures of protected health information, stem from the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The proposed modifications to the HIPAA rules issued include provisions:

  • Extending the applicability of certain of the Privacy and Security Rules’ requirements to the business associates of covered entities (and their subcontractors)
  • Establishing new limitations on the use and disclosure of protected health information for marketing and fundraising purposes, prohibiting the sale of protected health information
  • Expanding individuals’ rights to access their information and to obtain restrictions on certain disclosures of protected health information to health plans.  In addition, the proposed rule adopts provisions designed to strengthen and expand HIPAA’s enforcement provisions.

“HHS strongly believes that an individual’s personal information is to be kept private and confidential and used appropriately by the right people, for the right reasons,” Joy Pritts, chief privacy officer at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), said in a release.  “Without such assurances, an individual may be hesitant to share relevant health information.”

In addition to issuing the notice of proposed rulemaking, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) also updated its breach notification site.  Breaches of unsecured protected health information affecting 500 or more individuals that are reported to the HHS secretary are now posted in a new, more accessible format that allows users to search and sort the reported breaches.

The new format includes brief summaries of the breach cases that OCR has investigated and closed, as well as the names of private practice providers who have reported breaches of unsecured protected health information to the secretary.

The proposed rule will be published in the July 14 edition of the Federal Register.  Comments will be due no later than 60 days following publication in the Federal Register.

In related news, HHS also launched Health Data Privacy and Security Resources.

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House THUD Subcommitte Marks Up 2011 Appropriations for Section 202

July 1, 2010 in congress, housing, policy, seniors by Nancy Libson | No comments

Today, the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) completed the first step in the 2011 appropriations process for Section 202 housing by marking up a $67.4 billion bill that includes $825 million for the 202 program.

The bill’s 202 funding is the same as last year, notwithstanding the president’s request to suspend the new construction program and the Assisted Living Conversion Program (ALCP) pending reforms. The overall bill is $500 million below the FY2010 enacted level and about $1.3 billion below the president’s request.

“Even with an allocation below last year, we were able to put together a bill that continues to invest in our transportation and housing programs,” Chairman John W. Olver (D-Mass.) said in his opening statement.

The housing team at AAHSA is very proud that we were the first ones to explain to the committee that HUD could make important reforms to the program administratively and during the notice of funds availability (NOFA) process without suspending funding.  If not for our efforts, the subcommittee might have held back essential funding for new development of 202s.

Chairman Olver and the members of the subcommittee agreed with us and have directed HUD to take administrative action to improve the functioning of the program.

Right now, the funding breaks down as follows:

  • $825 million for Housing for the Elderly and $300 million for Housing for Persons with Disabilities, restoring cuts proposed in the budget request of $551 million and $210 million, respectively. In addition, the bill instructs HUD to take administrative action to improve the functioning of these programs.
  • $9.4 billion for the renewal of all project based rental assistance contracts, $830 million above last year’s level.
  • $19.5 billion for Section 8 Tenant-based rental assistance, $886 million above last year in order to renew all vouchers currently in use; provide 10,000 new vouchers for homeless veterans through the VASH program, which is funded at $75 million; and a new demonstration to provide housing and services to homeless families and individuals.
  • $200 million for HOPE VI, a $65 million increase above last year, to provide grants to rehabilitate severely distressed public housing.
  • $2.1 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants to provide permanent and transitional housing for homeless families and individuals.

*Full summary table.

The future is uncertain as few believe that there will be final appropriations bills until after the election…but it is a good first step.  We know that HUD is working on changes to the Section 202 program based on the feedback that we and other stakeholders provided back in March and subsequently.  So, we may not see any of those changes until the NOFA comes out in September or October.

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Washington Update: President Signs Temporary “Doc Fix” Bill

June 28, 2010 in Medicare, advocacy, congress, retirement, seniors by Marsha Greenfield | No comments

U.S. Capitol BuildingThe good news from last week is that “Docs” have been “Fixed,” at least temporarily.

As you may recall, on June 18 the U.S. Senate passed the Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010 (H.R. 3962), which extends in Section 101 Medicare’s Physician Sustainable Growth Rate (also known as the Doc Fix) for an additional five and a half months (Nov. 30, 2010), with a 2.2% increase. This applies to nursing homes’ Part B therapy reimbursement, so this issue affects our members as well as the docs.

After much grousing, the U.S. House of Representatives capitulated and adopted (417 to 1) the Senate bill on Thursday, and the president immediately signed it.

“I’m pleased that Congress has acted to ensure the security of our seniors’ health care,” President Obama said after signing the measure. “A 21-percent pay cut to physicians’ payments would have forced some doctors to step seeing Medicare patients – an outcome we can all agree is unacceptable.”

So, the “Doc Fix,” retroactive to June 1, is now resolved for the next few months.

Of course this is a mixed blessing, as the passing of the “doc fix” removes one of the major incentives to pass the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 (H.R. 4213), which was pulled out of consideration for the time being by Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) after U.S. Senate once again failed to invoke cloture (57-41). We assume that at some point H.R. 4213 will return to the floor, however, it’s not likely to return this week, and next week both houses of Congress go home for the July 4th break.

This legislation is quite important because it contains the provision ensuring that RUGS-IV is implemented in full Oct. 1, 2010, the Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) extension, and funding for the Housing Trust Fund.

We will be thinking through our strategy and reporting back as we confer with leadership staff in both the House and Senate early this week.

I am trying to think if anything else exciting happened last week, but every other day was a cloture vote and that dominated the political scene.

More next week!

Craig Collins-Young contributed to this post.

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New Media for Aging Services: Social Media Helps Generates Leads

June 24, 2010 in making a difference, residents, retirement, seniors, social networking by Craig Collins-Young | 1 comment

According to an article posted today on Mashable.com, a recent marketing survey from Unisfair found that social media outlets (74%) are now seen as the emerging channels for lead generation in 2010 and beyond.  The next closest channels were virtual  (39%), followed by mobile channels (34%).

The study is yet another example of why members of the aging-services community should be connecting with at least one social media platform.

Barbara Christner of Redstone Highlands recently noted that Redstone started engaging in a social networking because residents at her community “don’t use the telephone as much as they used to. Instead, they e-mail each other or write on each other’s Facebook walls.” Christner adds, “Not even a year later, we have reached nearly 200 fans that are regularly commenting and engaging in conversations on our page.”

Redstone’s observations make sense. The fastest growing demographic on Facebook, for example, is “boomers and seniors.” In 2009, nearly 18 million seniors were active online, spending roughly 58 hours navigating the World Wide Web per month. With the silver tsunami or age wave of retiring baby booms heading our way, more and more people are seeking out information and recomendations on aging services…and they are finding answers within their social communities.

The power of Redstone’s Facebook community is that each of its 200 fans is connected to another group of friends, and those friends are connected to friends, etc. Redstone’s presence on Facebook makes it easier for fans to recommend it to others, and that has the potential generate an enormous amount of new clients.

Beyond the potential for new clients, another important aspect of being involved with social media is educating the public.  In an interview earlier this year with Carenetworks blog, Roxann Rogers Meyer, director of sales and marketing
 for Immanuel Senior Living, said that her organization “measures success by the number of people we educate about who we are, what senior living is all about, and the benefits of staying active in a retirement community.”

Meyers added, “Our executives justify the importance of being involved in social media because, above all, it’s vital to be part of the conversation. And while it may not necessarily translate into a reservation right now, it begins the conversation and may turn into something in the future.”

So, to summarize: social media = potential for leads.

Give it a shot.

If you’ve had a successful run with social media, send me your story: ccollins-young@aahsa.org

see as the emerging channels for lead gen in 2010 and beyond
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Older Drivers Do Not Cause More Accidents, Report Finds

June 22, 2010 in policy, seniors by Craig Collins-Young | No comments

Just a quick post today. It made me think of my grandfather, who was able to drive (and drive well) until he was 85 years old.

According to a new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) report, the number of car accidents caused by seniors is not on the rise. What’s more, when seniors are involved in an accident, less of them are dying.

“Trends for older drivers are improving both ways,” said Anne McCartt, IIHS senior vice president for research and an author of the new reportMcCartt explains. “Seniors are less likely to get into police-reported crashes in the first place, and they’re less likely to die from their injuries when they do crash. This isn’t what we expected, given driver demographics and other influences.”

The report points out that a partial explanation to the decline may be that older adults are policing themselves.

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