<DOC>
[109th Congress House Hearings]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access]
[DOCID: f:27981.wais]
THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT: IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR AGING AMERICANS
=======================================================================
FIELD HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SELECT EDUCATION
of the
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
AND THE WORKFORCE
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
April 28, 2006, in Westerville, Ohio
__________
Serial No. 109-37
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and the Workforce
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/
house
or
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_______
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COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE
HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON, California, Chairman
Thomas E. Petri, Wisconsin, Vice George Miller, California,
Chairman Ranking Minority Member
Michael N. Castle, Delaware Dale E. Kildee, Michigan
Sam Johnson, Texas Major R. Owens, New York
Mark E. Souder, Indiana Donald M. Payne, New Jersey
Charlie Norwood, Georgia Robert E. Andrews, New Jersey
Vernon J. Ehlers, Michigan Robert C. Scott, Virginia
Judy Biggert, Illinois Lynn C. Woolsey, California
Todd Russell Platts, Pennsylvania Ruben Hinojosa, Texas
Patrick J. Tiberi, Ohio Carolyn McCarthy, New York
Ric Keller, Florida John F. Tierney, Massachusetts
Tom Osborne, Nebraska Ron Kind, Wisconsin
Joe Wilson, South Carolina Dennis J. Kucinich, Ohio
Jon C. Porter, Nevada David Wu, Oregon
John Kline, Minnesota Rush D. Holt, New Jersey
Marilyn N. Musgrave, Colorado Susan A. Davis, California
Bob Inglis, South Carolina Betty McCollum, Minnesota
Cathy McMorris, Washington Danny K. Davis, Illinois
Kenny Marchant, Texas Raul M. Grijalva, Arizona
Tom Price, Georgia Chris Van Hollen, Maryland
Luis G. Fortuno, Puerto Rico Tim Ryan, Ohio
Bobby Jindal, Louisiana Timothy H. Bishop, New York
Charles W. Boustany, Jr., Louisiana [Vacancy]
Virginia Foxx, North Carolina
Thelma D. Drake, Virginia
John R. ``Randy'' Kuhl, Jr., New
York
[Vacancy]
Vic Klatt, Staff Director
Mark Zuckerman, Minority Staff Director, General Counsel
------
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SELECT EDUCATION
PATRICK J. TIBERI, Ohio, Chairman
Cathy McMorris, Washington Vice Ruben Hinojosa, Texas
Chairman Ranking Minority Member
Mark E. Souder, Indiana Danny K. Davis, Illinois
Jon C. Porter, Nevada Chris Van Hollen, Maryland
Bob Inglis, South Carolina Tim Ryan, Ohio
Luis P. Fortuno, Puerto Rico George Miller, California, ex
Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, officio
California,
ex officio
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Hearing held on April 28, 2006................................... 1
Statement of Members:
Hinojosa, Hon. Ruben, Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee
on Select Education, Committee on Education and the
Workforce.................................................. 3
Prepared statement of.................................... 4
Tiberi, Hon. Patrick J., Chairman, Subcommittee on Select
Education, Committee on Education and the Workforce........ 1
Prepared statement of.................................... 2
Statement of Witnesses:
Bibler, David, executive director, Licking County Aging
Program.................................................... 11
Prepared statement of.................................... 13
Gehring, Charles W., president and chief executive officer,
LifeCare Alliance.......................................... 18
Prepared statement of.................................... 20
Geig, Elise, legislative liaison, Ohio Department of Aging... 6
Prepared statement of.................................... 8
Horrocks, Robert, executive director of the Council for Older
Adults of Delaware County.................................. 23
Prepared statement of.................................... 25
Ragan, Ginni, chair, Legislative Affairs Committee, Ohio
Advisory Council for Aging................................. 29
Prepared statement of.................................... 31
Additional Submissions for the Record:
The National Council on Disability, prepared statement of.... 51
THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT:
IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE
FOR AGING AMERICANS
----------
Friday, April 28, 2006
U.S. House of Representatives
Subcommittee on Select Education
Committee on Education and the Workforce
Westerville, OH
----------
The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2:30 p.m., at
the Westerville Senior Center, 310 W. Main Street, Westerville,
Ohio, Hon. Patrick Tiberi [chairman of the subcommittee]
presiding.
Present: Representatives Tiberi and Hinojosa.
Staff Present: Kate Houston, Professional Staff Member;
Lucy House, Legislative Assistant; Ricardo Martinez, Minority
Legislative Associate; and Moira Lenahan-Razzuri, Legislative
Assistant for Mr. Hinojosa.
Chairman Tiberi. Quorum being present, the Subcommittee on
Select Education, the Committee on Education of the Workforce
will come to order. We are meeting today to hear testimony on
the Older Americans Act: Improving Quality of Life for Aging
Americans. I ask for unanimous consent that the hearing record
remain open 14 days to allow member statements and other
extraneous material referenced during the hearing to be
submitted for the official record. Without objection, so
ordered.
Good afternoon. Thank you all for joining us this afternoon
for a hearing of the Select Education Subcommittee of the
Committee on Education of the Workforce. I have a prepared
formal opening statement that I'll ask to be submitted for the
record.
Let me begin by extending our sincere thanks to Tim and the
folks here at the Westerville Senior Center for so graciously
hosting and opening this room up for this hearing. I also want
to thank my friend and my colleague from Texas, Ruben Hinojosa,
for traveling to central Ohio to join us here today for this
important hearing.
I'm especially proud to bring this hearing to central Ohio
to hear from constituents and others to provide us with a local
perspective and expertise on aging issues and inform us about
this process that they work on every day.
I want to just acknowledge and also recognize the former
Director of Aging for the State of Ohio and a constituent and
former colleague, Joan Lawrence, who is here today. Joan, thank
you for being here.
Over the past several months, this subcommittee has been
examining the current program, learning about the evolving
issues facing older Americans, listening to seniors in their
own words, laying out a plan for strengthening services to
seniors that are authorized by this Act and relied upon by
millions of aging Americans each year.
It is with great pleasure to have my colleague and friend
from Texas, Mr. Hinojosa, as a partner in this process. We had
a hearing actually down in Texas recently; and as we move
forward, I hope to work with not just my colleagues on the
committee but all of you to ensure that the Federal Government
is making the most out of the taxpayers' investment in this
program and programs authorized by this Act.
Today we are honored to have with us a distinguished panel
of experts to help us frame the issues for this hearing. I look
forward to hearing your recommendations on the issues and
actions for this subcommittee's consideration.
Before I introduce each of our witnesses, however, I do
want to recognize my colleague, Mr. Hinojosa, for an opening
statement.
Mr. Hinojosa?
Prepared Statement of Hon. Patrick Tiberi, Chairman, Subcommittee on
Select Education, Committee on Education and the Workforce
Good morning. Thank you for joining us for this hearing of the
Select Education Subcommittee of the Committee on Education and the
Workforce. I want to extend my thanks to the Westerville Senior Center
for so graciously hosting this hearing. I also want to thank my friend
and colleague, Mr. Hinojosa, for traveling to the 12th District of
Ohio.
This is the second and final field hearing on the Older Americans
Act, which this Subcommittee is scheduled to consider this Spring.
Field hearings offer Members of Congress a unique opportunity to listen
to witnesses who can give us a local perspective on an issue. Field
hearings are an important part of this reauthorization and I am
especially proud to bring this hearing to the 12th Congressional
District of Ohio to hear from constituents with tremendous expertise on
aging issues to inform this process.
The Older Americans Act recognizes the specialized needs of all
seniors. These needs may include meals and nutrition, transportation,
employment, recreational activities and social services, information
about prescription drug benefits or long term care--to name a few. We
are fortunate that the United States has a sound infrastructure to
support these needs. In fact, our robust aging network includes 655
local and 56 state agencies on aging. This year, the federal government
invested nearly $1.8 billion to support the delivery of these services.
Today, supporting the needs of older Americans is as important as
ever. It is estimated that more than 36 million people in the United
States are over the age of 65, making it the fastest growing age group
in our country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by the year 2050,
persons over age 65 will reach nearly 90 million and comprise almost a
quarter of the total U.S. population. These astounding statistics make
the upcoming reauthorization of the Older Americans Act all the more
important. This year, the first baby boomers turn 60 making this a very
relevant time to be considering amendments to the Act.
Over the past several months, this Subcommittee has been examining
the current program, learning about the evolving issues facing older
Americans, listening to seniors in their own words, and laying out a
plan for strengthening services to seniors that are authorized by this
Act and relied upon by millions of aging Americans each year. It is a
great pleasure to have Mr. Hinojosa as a partner in this process. I am
also pleased that each of you, and many advocates for seniors
nationwide, are contributing to our effort. As we move forward, I look
forward to working with all of you to ensure that the federal
government is making the most out of the taxpayer's investment in the
programs authorized by the Older Americans Act.
Today we are honored to have with us a distinguished panel of
experts to help us frame the issues for this hearing. I look forward to
hearing your recommendations on issues and actions for this
Subcommittee's consideration. Before I introduce our witnesses, I yield
to the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, Mr. Hinojosa, for his
opening statement.
______
Mr. Hinojosa. Thank you very much, Chairman Tiberi. I want
to express my appreciation for inviting me to Westerville,
Ohio, to be able to participate in this public hearing, one
that is very important.
My parents had 11 children; and my mother lived to the age
of 95, and she taught me the importance of taking care of older
Americans.
The Older Americans Act is one of the most important pieces
of legislation that our subcommittee has the privilege to work
on. I thank you again for calling this hearing. I am pleased to
be in Ohio and to visit another part of your district. I would
especially like to thank the Westerville Senior Center and all
of the staff and participants for being such gracious hosts. I
must share with you that we have a growing Ohio/Texas
connection. At our last field hearing in Ohio, we met a number
of students from my district in south Texas who were attending
Ohio State University as part of a college assistance migrant
program; and, of course, we now have a University of Texas/Ohio
State football rivalry brewing.
It was ironic that we arrived here in Ohio at the airport
and one of the students who had attended the last hearing that
we had over at Ohio State University campus happened to see the
chairman and me and hurriedly ran up to us and introduced
herself and told us how she had weathered the first winter in
Ohio. Coming from south Texas where we have semitropical
weather--I don't think we have had snow except once in a
hundred years. That was last Christmas. And this young lady was
telling us how she had weathered the snow and all the winter
here in this region and delighted to tell us a little bit about
how she was enjoying the university.
Another connection is the growing number of Ohio residents
who we adopt as winter Texans. We get approximately 150,000
winter Texans to my area because of the climate. And I must say
that they do contribute a great deal to the economic successes
that we are enjoying.
Last month, a couple of winter Texans from Ohio were
featured in our local paper. These women, on the plus side of
85 years young, tutor and read to children in some of the
poorest schools in my area. Their knowledge and caring make a
real difference for our students. Our seniors are a valuable
resource for our communities across the nation. We should look
for ways to maximize their resource.
As we prepare for the reauthorization of the Older
Americans Act, we should never lose sight of the great
potential in our older population. Our nation cannot afford to
waste it. I'm looking forward to our discussion today, and I'm
looking forward to hear the witnesses who have an impressive
record of service and experience. It's essential that we hear
from people who are directly involved with making the Older
Americans Act the success that it is. I share the witnesses'
concern about the resources to meet the challenges of increased
costs and a growing population. I share with you the concern
that you all have expressed at lunch today regarding the
reduction in the budget. We must work together to build the
capacity of our aging network to meet demographic challenges
ahead. We have already asked you to do more with less, but
there comes a time when a system stretched to the limit will
break. We cannot allow that to happen with the Older Americans
Act.
In closing, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for inviting
me again. I want to invite those of you in the audience--thank
you for coming to be with us. I am looking forward to the
witnesses' testimony and continuing the dialog about how we can
achieve our goal of enabling all of our older Americans to
enjoy the dignity they deserve. And I yield back.
Prepared Statement of Hon. Ruben Hinojosa, Ranking Minority Member,
Subcommittee on Select Education, Committee on Education and the
Workforce
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Older Americans Act is one of the most
important pieces of legislation that our subcommittee has the privilege
to work on. Thank you for calling this hearing today.
I am pleased to be in Ohio again and visit another part of your
district. I would especially like to thank the Westerville Senior
Center and all of the staff and participants for being such gracious
hosts.
I must share with you that we have a growing Ohio--Texas
connection. At our last field hearing, we met a number of students from
my district in South Texas who were attending the Ohio State University
as part of the College Assistance Migrant Program. And of course, we
now have a University of Texas--Ohio State football rivalry brewing.
Another connection is the growing number of Ohio residents who we
adopt as winter Texans. Our winter Texans contribute greatly to our
community. Last month, a couple of winter Texans from Ohio were
featured in our local paper. These women--on the plus side of 85 years
old--tutor and read to children in some of the poorest schools in my
area. Their knowledge and caring make a real difference for our
students.
Our seniors are a valuable resource for our communities across the
nation. We should looks for ways to maximize that resource. As we
prepare for the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, we should
never lose sight of the great potential in our older population. Our
nation cannot afford to waste it.
I am looking forward to our discussion today. The witnesses have an
impressive record of service and experience. It is essential that we
hear from people who are directly involved with making the Older
American's Act the success that it is.
I share the witnesses' concern about resources to meet the
challenges of increased costs and a growing population. We must work
together to build the capacity of our aging network to meet the
demographic challenges ahead. We have already asked you to do more with
less, but there comes a time when a system stretched to the limit
breaks. We cannot allow that to happen with the Older Americans Act.
Thank you for being with us today. I am looking forward the
witnesses' testimony and continuing the dialogue about how we can
achieve our goal of enabling all of our older Americans to enjoy the
dignity they deserve.
I yield back.
______
Chairman Tiberi. Thank you, Mr. Hinojosa.
Let's get right to our witnesses. And I will introduce all
of you, and then we'll begin from left--my left to right with
the testimony. First off, I want to recognize Merle Kerns,
Director of Department of Aging, who couldn't be here today;
but in her stead, we have Elise Geig, who is the legislative
liaison for the Ohio Department of Aging. In this capacity, she
tracks and reviews state and Federal legislation and makes
policy recommendations to the Ohio Department's Director on
issues concerning older Americans. Ms. Geig started her career
in the Ohio House of Representatives where she served on the
staff of State Representative Jim Hoops and as a legislative
aide to the Chair of the House Education Committee
Representative, Arlene Setzer.
Thank you for being here today.
Mr. David Bibler is the executive director of the Licking
County Aging Program in Newark, Ohio. The Licking County Aging
Program is a nonprofit organization that provides services
supporting independent and healthy lifestyles for older
individuals. Mr. Bibler is responsible for overall operations
of the agency including overseeing the budget and preparing
funding proposals, personnel policymaking, as well as Federal
and state compliance.
Thank you for being here today as well.
Mr. Charles Gehring is president and chief executive
officer of LifeCare Alliance, one of central Ohio's oldest and
largest nonprofit organizations. LifeCare Alliance's mission is
to provide health, nutrition services to those in need in
central Ohio. LifeCare Alliance markets meals to other Meals on
Wheels providers, child care programs, providers and hospitals.
In addition to his work at LifeCare Alliance, Mr. Gehring
is a professor at Franklin University where he helps instruct
students interested in the management of not-for-profit and
public organizations.
Professor Gehring, thank you for being here.
Mr. Robert Horrocks is the executive director of the
Counsel for Older Adults in Delaware County. He has led the
organization through its early development; is credited with
its successful growth. The counsel provides a variety of
community services to help Delaware County become a better
place to live and grow older. Prior to accepting the position
as the executive director of the Counsel for Older Adults, Bob
served as the assistant director of the Ohio Department of
Aging. In 1997, Mr. Horrocks received the highest honor of the
Columbus based Vision Center when he was selected to receive
the Medic Award as the outstanding visually impaired citizen of
Ohio.
Thanks for being here, Bob.
Last but not least, Ms. Virginia Ragan is here today to
represent the senior community of Westerville, Ohio. She's an
active and engaged member of the community currently serving on
a number of boards and organizations that work to assist and
improve the lives of older individuals. Ms. Ragan has served a
long and distinguished career with the Ohio legislature and was
serving on the staff of Representative John Ashbrook for a
number of years. Her knowledge spans a wide range of issues
including tax reform, financing, in addition to her expertise
in issues involving older Americans. In 2002 and, again, in
2004, Ms. Ragan was appointed by Governor Bob Taft to the Ohio
Advisory Counsel for Aging. She was also named as an Ohio
delegate to the White House conference on aging held this past
December.
Thank you for being here as well.
Before you all begin with your testimony, I want to remind
each of our witnesses to please limit your statements to 5
minutes--your oral statements to 5 minutes. Your entire
testimony that we have already received, Representative
Hinojosa and I have already received, will be submitted in the
record for this hearing in full and will be part of the
official hearing record.
So with that, we will begin. Each of you will give oral
testimony for 5 minutes; and then we will have at least one,
maybe two, maybe three or four rounds of questioning--just
kidding. It's really painless. But we'll go ahead and have you
all testify, and then we will both then question the witnesses.
With that, I can't think of anything else that I missed.
Ms. Houston. You're all set.
Chairman Tiberi. Ms. Geig.
STATEMENT OF ELISE GEIG, LEGISLATIVE LIAISON, OHIO DEPARTMENT
OF AGING
Ms. Geig. Thank you, Congressmen Tiberi and Hinojosa, for
the opportunity to be here today. My name is Elise Geig, the
legislative liaison for the Ohio Department of Aging. On behalf
of Director Merle Grace Kearns, and Ohio's aging network, I
want to thank the committee for scheduling this field hearing
in Ohio.
A little less than a year ago, former director of the Ohio
Department of Aging, Joan W. Lawrence, who is here today,
provided testimony to this committee. On behalf of the
Department, she acknowledged the wisdom of the 89th Congress,
which created the Older Americans Act and praised the elegance,
simplicity, and purpose of OAA. This afternoon I will discuss
how Ohio's aging network is implementing the major objectives
of the OAA and provides some recommendations for
reauthorization.
OAA is the foundation of Ohio's dynamic aging network that
includes the Ohio Department of Aging; 12 Area Agencies on
Aging; the Long-term Care Ombudsman Program; and more that
1,200 service providers, including more than 400 senior centers
like the one hosting this field hearing today.
In addition to managing OAA funded programs, our aging
network manages the PASSPORT program, one of the largest
Medicaid home and community-based service waivers in the
country. ODA also has other programs that support older
Ohioans, including the popular Golden Buckeye Card.
In 2005, Ohio received $46 million in OAA funding. Every
dollar Congress provides through the OAA leverages two
additional dollars for services. In addition, Ohio participants
contribute over 7.5 million toward the cost of services
annually through contributions or costs sharing. Ohio is one of
a handful of states that have implemented the cost sharing
provisions allowed by the 2000 OAA reauthorization.
In 2005, the combination of Federal, state, and local
dollars helped to support over 300,000 older Ohioans and their
caregivers.
While these numbers sound impressive, the need for services
exceeds supply across our state. Many service providers must
place individuals on waiting lists and/or reduce service levels
to existing consumers. Over the past year, service delivery has
been drastically impacted by rising gas and food costs.
Prior to the White House Conference on Aging, we developed
eight recommendations for reauthorization of OAA. Our
recommendations include increase the authorized Federal funding
level of OAA titles and parts by at least 100 million each
above the fiscal year 2005 appropriated level, except Title
III, Part E, National Family Caregivers Support Program, which
should be authorized at 250 million more.
Please note that nationally from 1980 to 2005, there has
been a 50 percent drop in buying power for OAA, Title III,
nutrition and supportive funds. This drop is based on a
comparison of per capita appropriation of OAA Title III,
nutrition and supportive service funds in adjusted dollars
versus age 60, plus, population.
Strengthen and broaden the Federal role of the Assistant
Secretary for Aging to establish new partnerships with centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Fund statewide initiatives that help communities address
the needs of their growing aging populations.
During the past half century, we have built Peter Pan
communities and housing for people who never grow old. Most
communities require people to use automobiles to get to
shopping and services. Our housing is typically multiple story
and not conducive to aging in place. Now that our population is
aging, we need to encourage smart growth that creates
communities for all ages. This may include retrofitting our
existing communities, neighborhoods, and housing. Funding
statewide initiatives could support the capacity building and
coordination that needs to occur to make age-friendly
communities a reality. Provide grants to sustain and expand
Aging and Disability Resource Centers.
While under the Administration on Aging's proposed Choices
for Independence Program, which we support, funds can be used
by states to fund ADRCs. States will have to compete for these
funds and decide what initiatives to pursue, all while
absorbing an estimated 25 percent overall cut in OAA funding
for these specific activities. We recommend that if AoA and
Congress believe that ADRCs are the front door to the aging
network, funds be made available and awarded to states annually
by formula to support the development and ongoing operation of
ADRCs throughout the nation. Ensure that the Older American's
Act promotes the effectiveness of the office of the State Long-
term Care Ombudsman.
Congressman Tiberi, you will be pleased to learn that the
Long-term Care Consumer Guide that you created through
legislation in Ohio has been expanded. In March of this year,
all licensed residential care facilities were added to the
website.
Revised Title III, Part D, Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion provides states with funds to support evidence-based
prevention, disease management, and health promotion programs.
AoA has proposed to eliminate Title III, Part D, in its 2007
budget request. While AoA's proposed Choices for Independence
Program funds can be used by states to support evidence-based
disease prevention, we recommend that AoA and Congress maintain
Title III, Part D, in OAA.
Add provisions to OAA that will help the aging network
promote senior mobility and coordinate human services
transportation.
Currently there are 63 federally funded programs that
provide community transportation. These programs each have
their own union definitions and service delivery requirements.
Coordination and expansion of transportation resources could be
facilitated by having common service delivery requirements
across all programs and funding sources.
And, finally, reduce statutory and regulatory barriers to
participation in the Federal employment and training programs
and increase funding to train older adults to compete in a
changing workplace.
We are concerned that the U.S. Department of Labor views
the Senior Community Service Employment Program as an
employment and training program and is proposing changes that
would limit or potentially eliminate the important community
service benefits of the program.
Ohio is very proud of the aging infrastructure we have
developed over the past 40 years with the support of the Older
Americans Act and is up to meeting the challenges that the
future will bring.
Again, thank you, Representatives Tiberi and Hinojosa, for
the opportunity to share Ohio's progress and recommendations.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Geig follows:]
Prepared Statement of Elise Geig, Legislative Liaison,
Ohio Department of Aging
Thank you, Representatives Tiberi and Hinojosa for the opportunity
to speak here today. My name is Elise Geig the Legislative Liaison for
the Ohio Department of Aging. On behalf of our director Merle Grace
Kearns and Ohio's aging network, I want to thank the committee for
scheduling this field hearing in Ohio.
A little less than a year ago, former Director of the Ohio
Department of Aging Joan W. Lawrence, who is here today, provided
testimony to this committee. On behalf of the Department, she
acknowledged the wisdom of the 89th Congress, which created the Older
Americans Act (OAA) and praised the elegance, simplicity and purpose of
the Act. This afternoon I will discuss how Ohio's aging network is
implementing the major objectives of the Act and developing ``a
comprehensive array of community-based, long-term care services
adequate to appropriately sustain older people in their communities in
their homes.'' I will also provide some recommendations for
reauthorization of OAA.
OAA is the foundation of Ohio's dynamic aging network that includes
ODA, twelve area agencies on aging, the Long-term Care Ombudsman
Program, and more than 1,200 service providers, including more than 400
senior centers like the one hosting this field hearing today.
In addition to managing OAA funded programs, our aging network
manages the PASSPORT program, one of the largest Medicaid home and
community based services (HCBS) waivers in the country, as well as
other community long-term care programs. ODA also has other programs
that support older Ohioans, including the popular Golden Buckeye Card
which provides savings on goods and services for Ohioans age 60 or
older and adults who are totally and permanently disabled.
Further, Ohio is one of a few states where local aging network
partners generate revenue from county senior services property tax
levies. Sixty-one of Ohio's eighty-eight counties have passed such
levies, which collectively raise over $100 million in additional
funding.
The Office of the State Long-term Care Ombudsman and twelve
regional programs, funded by Title VII of the OAA, advocate for the
rights of home care consumers and residents of long term care
facilities.
The Ombudsman program investigates more than 10,000 complaints and
provides nearly 42,500 hours of advocacy and information services
annually. They also collaborate with community organizations and
provide abuse prevention education programs and consultation, and
facilitate legal support for older adults.
The OAA funds the Senior Community Service Employment Program
(SCSEP) administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, through grants to
ODA and six national organizations (i.e., AARP Foundation, Senior
Service America, Inc., Experience Works, Inc., Mature Services, Inc.,
National Center and Caucus on Black Aged, Inc., USDA/Forest Service) in
Ohio. These funds provide for 2,611 SCSEP participant slots. However
service level goals bring the total number of seniors served in Ohio
through SCSEP to 3,655 annually.
In 2005, Ohio received $46 Million in OAA funding for home and
community based services. Every dollar Congress provides through the
OAA leverages two additional dollars for services to Ohio seniors. In
addition, Ohio participants contribute over $7.5 million towards the
cost of services annually through contributions or cost sharing. Ohio
is one of a handful of states that have implemented the cost sharing
provisions allowed by the 2000 OAA reauthorization.
The combination of federal, state and local dollars and participant
contributions helped 300,000 older Ohioans and their caregivers.
Nutrition and transportation services are Ohio's leading services, with
more than 8.5 million meals and 1.4 million miles provided in 2005,
respectively. In 2005, Ohio served 57,000 caregivers through the
National Family Caregiver Support Act (Title III, Part B).
While these numbers sound impressive, need for services exceeds
supply across our state. Many AAAs and service providers must place
individuals on waiting lists and /or reduce service levels to existing
consumers. The risk for institutionalization increases the longer these
individuals remain on a waiting list and go without needed services. If
not for the creativity of our aging network and the commitment of local
voters to pass senior service property tax levies, waiting lists would
grow and waits would be longer.
Population growth and the increasing cost of service delivery
limits our ability to meet the needs of our seniors.
Population Growth: Census data confirms that during the past decade
(1990 to 2000) Ohio's 85-plus age cohort grew by 28 percent (39,700
people.) Based on Census Bureau 2002 estimates, this cohort has grown
an additional 11 percent (19,604) since the 2000 Census. It is this
group that has the greatest level of disability and is most in need of
nutrition and supportive services.
The first baby boomers began to turn age 60 in 2006. Based on 2000
Census Bureau estimates, Ohio's 55 to 60 age cohort includes 553,174
individuals, representing 5 percent of the state's population. As these
individuals turn 60, they will be looking to Ohio's aging network for
supports and services. The services baby boomers will seek are far
different than the age 85-plus cohort and will likely include benefits
counseling (e.g., Medicare, insurance and retirement benefits),
caregiver support, and disease prevention and health promotion
activities.
Costs of Services: Most of the costs associated with community
services and nutrition programs are for the direct provision of
services to older Ohioans. Costs vary by service, but generally include
labor, supplies and transportation. Costs have increased over the past
two years and are anticipated to increase at a rate equal to or more
than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the foreseeable future.
Two cost categories have increased significantly during the past
year: transportation and meals. Rising fuel costs have negatively
impacted the provision of transportation-intensive services (e.g.,
home-delivered meals, medical and adult day care transportation).
According to the American Automobile Association's Daily Fuel Gauge
Report, cost of regular gasoline in Ohio has increased 29 percent and
averaged $2.77 per gallon in the last year (as of April 18, 2006).
Furthermore, approximately 43 percent of all state, federal and
local service dollars support nutrition services. While in the past
year (February 2005 to February 2006) the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
for food and beverages has risen 2.7 percent. A major component of a
nutritious diet is fresh fruits and vegetables, and during this period
the CPI for this component increased 7.9 percent while the overall CPI
increased 3.6 percent.
I am proud to say Ohio's aging network is a good steward of
federal, state and local funds. We target our funds to those citizens
most in need. We have been active in AoA's Performance Outcomes
Measures Project (POMP) since its inception seven years ago. Partnering
with AoA and other states, we have developed various service based
outcome measurement tools. In 2004, we put these tools to work and
surveyed our OAA consumers and found that we are doing an excellent job
in delivering our services to those in greatest need and making a
difference in the lives of our consumers and their caregivers. Some of
what we learned:
Home-delivered meal consumers depend on this service to provide
one-half or more of their daily food intake;
Transportation consumers use the service to get to a doctor or
health care provider;
Homemaker consumers report annual incomes under $15,000; and
Caregiver program consumers believe that services allow them to
provide care longer than they could without services.
The survey also found that consumers were highly satisfied with
their OAA services.
Prior to the White House Conference on Aging, we developed Ohio's
Top Eight Recommendations for Reauthorization of the Older Americans
Act that, if implemented, will have a positive impact on the lives of
Older Ohioans and their caregivers. I am happy to say that our
recommendations are consistent with the top ten WHCoA resolutions.
Our recommendations include:
Increase the authorized federal funding level of OAA titles and
part by at least $100 million each above the FY 2005 appropriated level
except Title III Part E National Family Caregiver Support Program which
should be authorized at $250 million more.
Please note that nationally, from 1980 to 2005, per capita
appropriation of OAA Title III B & C in ``adjusted dollars'' vs. age
60+ population has dropped 50% in buying power. The result: support per
older American has fallen dramatically since 1980. Support per capita
fell from $15.82 in 1980 to $7.90 in 2005.
Strengthen and broaden the federal role of the Assistant Secretary
for Aging to establish new partnerships with Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) for the administration of HCBS Medicaid Waiver
and other long-term care programs.
Coordination across organizations is essential. Developing a
coordinated long term care strategy has been a priority of the Taft
Administration for the last seven years. Since 2001, multiple state
departments, including the ODA and the Ohio Department of Job and
Family Services (Ohio's equivalent to CMS) have worked together to
implement Ohio Access: Strategic Plan to Improve Long-Term Services and
Supports for People with Disabilities.
Fund statewide initiatives that help communities address the needs
of their growing aging populations.
Provide grants to sustain and expand Aging and Disability Resources
Centers (ADRC) in Ohio and 42 other demonstration states and
territories.
Last year Ohio received a grant from AoA and CMS to develop an
ADRC. Our pilot ADRC, to be anchored in the Western Reserve Area Agency
in Aging in Cleveland, will link local and regional entities and create
a seamless service experience for consumers age 60 and older, as well
as adults age 18 and older with physical disabilities. Consumers will
access the network via Internet, phone or in person.
While under the AoA proposed Choices for Independence Program,
which we support, funds can be used by states to fund ADRCs, states
will have to compete for these funds and decide what initiatives to
pursue (e.g., ADRC vs. disease prevention), all while absorbing an
estimated 25% overall cut in OAA funding for these specific activities.
We recommend that, if AoA and Congress believe that ADRCs are the front
door to the aging network, then funds be made available and awarded to
states annually by formula to support the development and ongoing
operation of ADRCs throughout the nation.
Ensure that the OAA promotes the effectiveness of the Office of the
State Long-Term Care Ombudsman at all levels in the context of a
comprehensive elder rights system.
Congressman Tiberi, you will be pleased to learn that the Long-Term
Care Consumer Guide that you created through legislation in Ohio has
been expanded. The website was launched in 2002 to assist consumers in
selecting a nursing home. The site includes regulatory compliance
information, consumer satisfaction data, and federal quality measures
in addition to information provided by each nursing home and is
maintained by the office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
In March of this year, all licensed residential care facilities
(assisted living) were added to the website. This year nursing home
family members will be surveyed for new satisfaction data, and next
year residential care facility residents will get their turn to tell
the public how they like their home.
Revise Title III Part D Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and
provide states with funds to support evidenced-based prevention,
disease management and health promotion programs.
AoA has proposed to eliminate Title III Part D in its 2007 budget
request. While AoA's proposed Choices for Independence Program funds
can be used by states to support evidenced-based disease prevention, we
recommend that AoA and Congress maintain Title III Part D in the OAA.
Add provisions to the OAA (e.g., interagency coordination) that
will help the aging network promote senior mobility and coordinate
human services transportation.
Reduce statutory and regulatory barriers to participation in the
federal employment and training programs and increase funding to train
older adults to compete in a changing workplace.
We are concerned that the U.S. Department of Labor views the SCSEP
as an employment and training program and is proposing changes that
would limit or potentially eliminate the important community service
benefits of the program. For 40 years the SCSEP program has had a dual-
focus: community service, and employment and training. The community
service element has provided SCSEP participants with the needed
training and experience to compete for un-subsidized employment while
affording the aging network (e.g., senior centers, nutrition programs)
and other community organizations (e.g., libraries, hospitals, schools,
police stations, and various governmental agencies) with needed support
to operate their programs. If the community service element of SCSEP is
dropped from the program, we conservatively estimate that 330-400 FTEs
that directly support OAA activities and programs will be lost. This
loss is magnified more when we consider that OAA funds are proposed to
be cut in the FFY 2007 budget and the first of the baby boomers are
turning age 60 this year.
Clarification of Congressional intent for SCSEP is needed. If the
program is meant to serve as only an employment and training program,
then SCSEP should be removed from the OAA and placed in the Older
Worker Opportunity Act or as a title in the Workforce Investment Act.
If you believe, as we do, that SCSEP is a vital resource for seniors
and the OAA, then the program should remain a dual focused program on
community service and employment and training.
Regardless of the decision of Congress, ODA is dedicated to
advocating for older workers. We fully support the need for greater
employment and training options for older Ohioans. To that end, the
Ohio Department of Aging is actively pursuing the creation of a Mature
Worker Council as part of the Governor's Ohio Workforce Policy Board.
We believe this council will fill a desperately needed gap in
understanding the benefits as well as needs of an aging workforce.
Ohio is very proud of the infrastructure we have developed over the
past 40 years with the support of the Older Americans Act and is up to
meeting the challenges that the future will bring.
Again, thank you Representatives Tiberi and Hinojosa for the
opportunity to share Ohio's progress and recommendations.
______
Chairman Tiberi. Thank you, Ms. Geig.
Mr. Bibler.
STATEMENT OF DAVID BIBLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LICKING COUNTY
AGING PROGRAM
Mr. Bibler. Since its initial enactment in 1965, the Older
Americans Act has made an enormous positive difference in the
lives of millions of older Americans. Our challenge in 2006 and
beyond is largely one of demographics. It is projected that the
65 years and older population, which numbered 35 million in
2000, will more than double in size in the next 26 years.
The delegates to the once-per-decade White House Conference
on Aging held in December 2005 were asked to vote on their
priorities from among 73 proposed resolutions. A majority from
the over 1,200 delegates from across the Nation chose as their
No. 1 priority the resolution advocating reauthorization of the
Older Americans Act.
The Licking County Aging Program is a multipurpose senior
center based in Newark, Ohio. From 1997 to 2005, our Title III
services to seniors increased 34.8 percent while our funding
increased only 1.8 percent. The funding clearly has not kept
pace with the increased demand for services.
The services provided by agencies such as the Licking
County Aging Program allow seniors to remain independent and
living in their homes as long as possible. This is where they
prefer to live. This is also a great savings to our government
and taxpayers because institutional care can cost as much as
$60,000 per year, compared to $12,600 for the annual cost of
in-home care. It simply makes sense both economically and
socially.
I would like to discuss with you what I think are four
priority initiatives. The first initiative is to increase the
authorization levels. The Aging Network seeks to raise the
authorized funding levels of all the titles of the Older
Americans Act by at least 25 percent above fiscal year 2005
over 5 years, except for Title III, E, which should be
authorized at $250 million. In Licking County, the number of
meals we have served has risen for seven consecutive years. In
1998, we served over 128,000 meals; and by 2005, that number
had grown to 191,000 meals. During that timeframe, our food
costs have increased 73 percent. We are on pace to exceed
200,000 meals this year.
Title III, E, the National Caregiver Grant, is relatively
new but has been a great asset not only for the seniors that we
care for but for the family members who care for their loved
ones. The 24-hour caregiver faces a great amount of stress. At
the Licking County Aging Program, we have been able to help
caregivers in creative ways that have simplified their lives
and given them peace of mind. We are helping family members who
are caring for their loved ones at home, again, saving
taxpayers millions of dollars that Medicaid doesn't have to pay
for institutional care.
The second initiative is to senior mobility and
transportation services. Include statutory language in the
Older Americans Act that increases support to the Aging Network
to promote senior mobility and to facilitate coordination of
human services transportation. At the Licking County Aging
Program, our aging vehicles traveled more than 300,000 miles in
2005. That is equal to circling the earth 12 times. For a rural
county such as ours, transportation is vitally important to get
clients to their much-needed destinations. We don't have public
transit systems to get them there.
Strengthen Coordination to prevent elder abuse. The Aging
Network seeks an increase in authorization of Title VII
provisions and services to enhance the Aging Network's capacity
to increase training of law enforcement officials and medical
staff, broaden public education and community involvement
campaigns, and facilitate coordination among all professionals
and volunteers involved with the prevention, detection,
intervention, and treatment of abuse and neglect of vulnerable
older adults. Individuals and agencies that are dedicated to
protecting older adults against abuse, exploitation, and
neglect often do so within a fragmented system and with limited
resources.
In Licking County, we have only case manager and Adult
Protective Services for a senior population of more than
23,000. This is an injustice to our elderly. Too many seniors
are abused and neglected, many by their own family members.
This area needs to be addressed.
The fourth initiative is tapping the potential of civic
engagement. Healthy older adults represent a powerful asset to
meet the needs of frail elders and solve other serious social
problems. The Older Americans Act has historically focused on
the needs of the frail elderly while paying insufficient
attention to the significant benefits to be derived from older
adults making meaningful contributions. This reauthorization is
the time to correct this increasingly costly oversight. Many
older adults across the country could be strategically
mobilized to bolster the long-term care system, tutor and
mentor children, facilitate access to health services,
strengthen families, give advice to businesses, and provide
respite to caregivers.
I would like to thank Representative Tiberi for inviting me
to share my perspective and the general views of my colleagues
from Ohio senior centers, and also I would like to thank
Representative Hinojosa for attending this hearing as well. We
urge prompt and decisive congressional action to renew the
Older Americans Act in 2006.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Bibler follows:]
Prepared Statement of David Bibler, Executive Director,
Licking County Aging Program
Why Is It Needed?
Since its initial enactment in 1965, the Older Americans Act (OAA)
has made an enormous positive difference in the lives of millions of
older Americans. The Act established the primary vehicle for organizing
and delivering community-based services through a coordinated system at
the state level. Nutrition, home care, senior center services,
transportation, employment, protections against abuse and neglect,
disease prevention, family caregiver support--all of these have been
extremely beneficial to seniors over the years. These OAA programs
provide vital support for elders who are at significant risk of losing
their ability to remain independent in their own homes and communities,
enabling them to avoid or delay costly nursing home care.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
roughly 26 million older adults over the age of 65 have physical
limitations or need assistance with activities of daily life, such as
eating, bathing, dressing or getting around (2003). Among adults over
age 80, almost three-quarters (73.6 percent) report at least one
disability.
The most preferred form of long-term care is provided through home
and community-based services, such as home-delivered meals, personal
care, homemaker services and respite care. Community based supports and
services allow older adults with physical limitations to remain
independent and live where they choose, saving the federal government
and the nation's taxpayers the cost of expensive institutional care.
Recent data from the Administration on Aging (AoA) show how
successful OAA programs and services have been in assisting older
adults and their caregivers. AoA reports that 86 percent of family
caregivers of OAA clients said the services ``allowed them to care
longer for the elderly than they could have without the services.''
Additionally, OAA-provided meals and services have allowed the nearly
one-third of elderly home-delivered meals clients who have health
conditions that make them nursing home eligible remain in the
community.
The breadth and depth of OAA programs and services provide
essential support to older adults who wish to age in place. One of the
reasons the OAA is so successful is that it is based on an effective
and efficient system--the national Aging Network--which serves as the
infrastructure for aging service delivery at the federal, state and
local level. The OAA binds together all 650 Area Agencies on Aging
(AAA) and 240 Title VI Native American aging programs across the
country, providing a support structure for planning, service
coordination, oversight, and advocacy on programs and services that
reach more than eight million older Americans every year. AAAs serve as
the focal point at the community level to link seniors and their family
caregivers to a myriad of services.
AAA's and senior centers serve as points of entry for the complex
and fragmented range of home and community-based services for older
adults and their caregivers. AAAs and Title VI agencies leverage
federal dollars with other federal, state, local and private funds to
meet the needs and provide a better quality of life for millions of
older adults. According to AoA: ``In FY 2003 state and local
communities leveraged approximately $2 from other sources for every $1
of federal funding; for intensive in-home services, the ratio was
closer to $3 to $1.''
Our challenge in 2006 and beyond is largely one of demographics. It
is projected that the 65 years and older population, which numbered 35
million in 2000, will more than double in size to about 70 million in
the next 26 years. By 2030, one out of every five people in the U.S.
will be age 65 and older. People 85 and older are currently the fastest
growing segment of the population, increasing at a rate four times
faster than any other age group.
In 2006, the first of the 77 million baby boomers reach the age of
60. The aging of the baby boomers over the next 25 years will impact
every aspect of American society. The rapid increase in the aging
population will challenge the Aging Network to meet the accompanying
rise in demand for adequate health and supportive services. The
reauthorization of the Older Americans Act in 2006 provides an ideal
opportunity for Congress to ensure that the necessary system of
services is in place to meet the needs of the current aging population
as well as the needs of the aging baby boomers.
The delegates to the once-per-decade White House Conference on
Aging (WHCoA), held in December 2005, were asked to vote on their
priorities from among 73 proposed resolutions. A majority of the over
1,200 delegates from across the nation were selected by members of
Congress and the governors. Those delegates--leaders in the aging
network from every part of the country--chose as their number one
priority the resolution advocating reauthorization of the Older
Americans Act. That is a powerful statement to Congress and the nation.
The aging network applauds the wisdom of those delegates and
supports a non-contentious reauthorization of the OAA, with the hope
that it can be accomplished this year. A small set of controversial
issues delayed the last reauthorization for five years. We believe
that, on balance, the Act is in good shape and that these same
controversial issues should not be revisited in the upcoming
reauthorization. We should learn from the experience of the previous
reauthorization and not reopen carefully crafted compromises that are
now working well.
A Local Perspective
Multi-purpose senior centers across the nation are an integral part
of the service delivery system. The creation and long-term support of
such senior centers was an important component of the original intent
of the OAA. The Licking County Aging Program is a multi-purpose senior
center based in Newark, Ohio. In 2005 we served 4,134 seniors,
providing a total of 274,751 units of services, including 191,665 home
delivered and congregate meals, 35,031 hours of home services (personal
care, homemaking, respite and chore), and 28,778 one-way trips to
medical appointments and meals sites. In 1997 those respective numbers
were 128,962 meals, 33,511 hours of home services and 26,990 one-way
trips. By comparison, in 2005 we received $361,973 in Title III funds
and in 1997 we received $355,449. During this 9-year period the
services that we provided increased 34.8 percent while our funding
increased only 1.8 percent. The funding clearly has not kept pace with
the increased demand for services.
The services provided by agencies such as the Licking County Aging
Program, allow seniors to remain independent and living in their homes
as long as possible. This is where they prefer to live. This is also a
great savings to our government and taxpayers because institutional
care can cost as much as $60,000 per year, compared to $12,600 for the
annual cost of in-home care. It simply makes sense both economically
and socially.
I would like to share with you a story that epitomizes what our
agency, and many others like us, is all about. Mrs. Potter called our
office one day asking if the agency would send her a meal. She said she
was tired of her son's macaroni cheese dishes. Our nutrition secretary
could tell Mrs. Potter was quite elderly but was not prepared for her
story. Mrs. Potter was born in 1894 during the second administration of
Grover Cleveland. At the time we had initial contact with her she was
103 years old.
She had become bedridden and was dependent on her son for care. He
was in his late 70's and caring for his mother was wearing down his
health. The Licking County Aging Program responded with our noontime
meal program, along with home services to care for Mrs. Potter's
domestic and hygienic needs. Mrs. Potter had two favorite ``dishes''
from the agency as she called them: our applesauce and the man who
delivered it, Brad, himself a senior citizen.
Brad is typical of our drivers. He does not just deliver a meal, he
delivers a smile and some of his time. For some of our senior clients,
our meal driver is the only person they see. That is what is so
critical about our meal program. We deliver not just meals, but a knock
at the door, a smile and a little conversation.
Mrs. Potter lived until she was 110 years old. Shortly after her
death the Licking County Aging Program held one of our popular monthly
events. Mrs. Potter's son read in our newsletter that we were going to
be serving coconut cream pie for dessert and he thought no place made
better coconut cream pies. When he called in his reservation, our
nutrition department baked him an additional pie to take home.
This is a story behind our services. It is the story of people and
caring. It is the story of a life connection for seniors who vitally
need to know they matter, that people still care about them.
Priority Initiatives
1. Increase Authorization Levels
The aging network seeks to raise the authorized funding levels of
all the titles of the Older Americans Act by at least 25 percent above
FY 2005 over five years except for Title III E which should be
authorized at $250 million. The increased authorization levels will
ensure the Aging Network has the necessary resources to adequately
serve the projected growth in the numbers of older adults, particularly
the growing ranks of the 85 and older population who are the most
frail, vulnerable and in the greatest need for aging supportive
services.
The OAA is the major federal social services program for older
adults in the United States. It has provided vital community-based
supports to millions of older adults for almost forty years. Since
1980, however, there has been a substantial loss in the OAA program's
capacity at the state and community levels to provide services to older
Americans due to rising costs due to inflation, increasing numbers of
older adults requesting services, and expanding service demands as
life-spans have been extended.
As the aging population grows, so does the need for home and
community-based services. The impending demographic shift will create
an unprecedented level of demand for health and social services as
millions of aging baby boomers begin seeking such supports. The OAA
provides well-established, trusted, community-based infrastructure of
services responsive to the needs of older people and their families.
To illustrate how the cost of providing services has risen over the
last five years, I would like to share examples of a few situations in
the state of Ohio. In many areas of Ohio, especially the more rural
areas, a pattern that holds up across the country, transportation is
one of the most requested services by older adults. It is also one of
the most under-funded and suffers from the most rapidly rising costs.
Lack of funding has forced the Toledo-based AAA to provide 40 percent
fewer trips in 2005 than it did in 2002. Its AAA neighbor to the
southeast, PSA 5 out of Mansfield, reports it had to offer
transportation services to 21.5 percent fewer consumers between 2000
and 2005. Besides the oft-recognized increases in fuel costs, vehicle
maintenance and insurance costs have also risen dramatically.
Food prices have also risen in recent years, driving up the cost of
home-delivered and congregate meal programs that are funded under OAA
Title III. The Central Ohio AAA paid $4.60 for each home-delivered meal
served in 2000; that same meal is $5.05 today. In Southeastern Ohio,
the cost of a home-delivered meal has reached $6.53, up from $5.81 five
years ago.
The Perry County Senior Center reports that they keep waiting lists
for home-delivered meals and homemaker services, but that ``many of the
clients are deceased before we can serve them.'' In Lucas County, the
number of seniors enrolled in programs has increased by 42 percent
since 2000.
In Licking County, the number of meals we have served has risen for
seven consecutive years. In 1998 we served 128,613 meals and by 2005
that number had grown to 191,665 meals. During that time frame, our
food costs have increased 73 percent. We are on pace to exceed 200,000
meals this year. Unfortunately, appropriations for OAA programs have
not reflected this explosive growth and increased costs. Additional
funding is needed.
Title III-E, the National Family Caregiver Grant is relatively new
but has been a great asset not only for the seniors that we care for,
but for the family members who care for their loved ones. The 24-hour
caregiver faces a great amount of stress. At the Licking County Aging
Program we have been able to help caregivers in creative ways that have
simplified their lives and given them peace of mind. For example, we
have used Title III-E funds to purchase an airline ticket to fly a
client to Texas to live with her sister, her only living relative that
was able to care for her. We have moved a washer and dryer upstairs for
an elderly man who is caring for his wife but was unable to get up and
down the stairs to wash their clothes. In addition, the National Family
Caregiver Grant has allowed us to provide thousands of hours of respite
to family members who desperately needed a few hours of relief from the
responsibilities of care giving. We are helping family members who are
caring for their loved ones at home, again saving taxpayers millions of
dollars that Medicaid doesn't have to pay for institutional care.
However, Title III-E is grossly under funded and much more is needed.
Another factor also needs consideration. In Ohio and nationwide
this year, the roll-out of the new Medicare Part D prescription drug
plan has placed additional responsibilities on local providers, largely
without additional funding. Older adults and their families have turned
to local senior centers en masse during the 2005-2006 enrollment
campaign. Yet only a small number of local aging programs received new
resources from states or national pilot projects to support their one-
on-one counseling and enrollment assistance efforts.
To respond to the overwhelming demand for Medicare Part D
assistance, senior center staff members were often shifted from other
responsibilities to help with enrollment, making this level of effort
unsustainable and taking them away from their other jobs. Even when the
initial enrollment period ends, the public will continue to turn to
local senior centers. Millions of seniors will continue to need
counseling and enrollment assistance every year, as they become newly
eligible for Medicare or seek to change their prescription drug plans.
In order for senior centers to continue the tremendous amount of
work that Medicare Part D enrollment assistance has generated, we need
new funding to support and sustain this effort.
2. Strengthen Senior Mobility/Transportation Services
Include statutory language in the Older Americans Act that
increases support to the Aging Network to promote senior mobility and
to facilitate coordination of human services transportation. Mobility
is essential for an individual to live at home and in the community.
Transportation provides necessary access to medical care, employment,
shopping for daily essentials and the ability to participate in
cultural, recreational, and religious activities. As the population
ages, enhanced efforts are needed to help older drivers remain on the
road for as long as safely possible and to provide safe, reliable and
convenient alternative means of transportation for those for whom
driving is no longer an option.
Transportation is a priority service under Title III of the Older
Americans Act. However, transportation competes for limited funding
against many other support services. Coordination of transportation
services among human service providers has been identified as a means
of increasing the capacity of local providers to provide, in the most
cost-efficient means possible, their older adult clients with the
transportation services necessary to maintain their independence and
quality of life.
At the Licking County Aging Program, our agency vehicles traveled
more than 300,000 miles in 2005. That is equal to circling the earth 12
times. We have the second largest county geographically in the State of
Ohio and we currently have seven vehicles with more than 200,000 miles
on their odometers. Safety for our clients is our utmost concern and
more funding is needed that would allow us to purchase vehicles and
provide more services. For a rural county such as ours, transportation
is vitally important to get clients to their much-needed destinations.
We don't have public transit systems to get them there.
3. Strengthen Coordination to Prevent Elder Abuse
The aging network seeks an increase in authorization of Title VII
provisions and services to enhance the Aging Network's capacity to
increase training of law enforcement officials and medical staff,
broaden public education and community involvement campaigns, and
facilitate coordination among all professionals and volunteers involved
with the prevention, detection, intervention and treatment of abuse and
neglect of vulnerable older adults. Abuse, exploitation and neglect are
common occurrences for far too many of today's older adults and this
problem will only be exacerbated by the rapid growth of the aging
population over the next decade. To date there is no federal law that
comprehensively addresses elder abuse and neglect, from prevention to
intervention through prosecution. Individuals and agencies that are
dedicated to protecting older adults against abuse, exploitation and
neglect, often do so within a fragmented system and with limited
resources.
In Licking County we have only one case manager in Adult Protective
Services for a senior population of 23,534. This is an injustice to our
elderly. Too many seniors are abused and neglected, many by their own
family members. This area needs to be addressed.
4. Tapping the Potential of Civic Engagement
Healthy older adults represent a powerful asset to meet the needs
of frail elders and solve other serious social problems. Tapping
healthy older adults as an asset to solve social problems is an
economic imperative with the potential of raising our standard of
living. An article in the June 27, 2005, Business Week stated: ``If
society can tap Boomer talents, employers will benefit, living
standards will be higher, and the financing problems of Social Security
and Medicare will be easier to resolve.'' The article goes on to say:
``Increased productivity of older Americans and higher labor-force
participation could add 9% to gross domestic product by 2045 on top of
what it otherwise would have been. This 9% increase would add more than
$3 trillion a year, in today's dollars to economic output.''
The OAA reauthorization creates the opportunity for AoA to play a
central role in developing the resource potential of aging into real
value for the nation. The OAA has historically focused on the needs of
the frail elderly while paying insufficient attention to the
significant benefits to be derived from older adults making meaningful
contributions. This reauthorization is the time to correct this
increasing costly oversight. As part of AoA's established aging
network, many older adults across the country could be strategically
mobilized to bolster the long-term care system, tutor and mentor
children, facilitate access to health services, strengthen families,
give advice to businesses and provide respite to caregivers; all civic
activities shown also to contribute to their own well-being. There is
much to gain by leveraging relatively small investments in civic
engagement into major returns on the value of contributions in
education, health care, transportation, housing, and long-term care.
5. Recommendations from the Administration on Aging
We are supportive of the Administration on Aging's Choices for
Independence initiative. AoA's Choices for Independence proposal can
strengthen and improve the OAA and provide significant benefits to
seniors in need.
The initiative has three components. The Consumer Empowerment
component can provide important information on planning for long-term
care, including using reverse mortgages to stay at home. The Community
Living Incentives component can help address the expensive
institutional bias in our nation's long-term care system by improving
access to more cost effective home and community services for
vulnerable, moderate income seniors. The Healthy Lifestyle component
can build on AoA's current, highly successful Evidence-Based Prevention
Demonstration Program to assist older adults to make behavioral changes
that have proven to be effective in reducing the risk of disease and
disability.
Although we appreciate the proposed $28 million investment in the
initiative, we believe additional resources will be needed to fully
achieve the proposal's goals, and that funding should not be taken from
current OAA programs such as Title III-D.
We oppose AoA's recommendation concerning consumer contribution, or
cost sharing. This was one of the major controversies that held up
reauthorization last time. To help break the logjam, the National
Council on Aging (NCOA) and the National Association of State Units on
Aging (NASUA) collaborated on a delicately balanced compromise that is
the foundation of the current law provision. We oppose reopening this
contentious issue for two basic reasons:
1) Nutrition providers are currently required to provide
participants with an opportunity to make non-coercive, voluntary
contributions, and AoA data show that many seniors do contribute. These
voluntary contributions by seniors account for 32% of the total income
in congregate meals programs and 25% in home-delivered meals. That
system works well and should be retained. Congress should not be
erecting additional barriers to participation in nutrition programs.
Congress should do its utmost to assure that no senior who needs
nutrition assistance is denied because of inability to pay mandatory
cost-sharing.
2) The 2000 reauthorization required the AoA to complete a study of
cost-sharing practices, to determine their impact on participation.
That study has not been completed. Congress should await the results of
this analysis before considering any change to the compromise in
effect.
6. Recommendations from the Department of Labor
The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), authorized
by Title V of the OAA, is our nation's premier workforce program for
low-income older Americans, and we strongly hope that it is not again a
source of controversy in this reauthorization, as it was in the
previous reauthorization. SCSEP builds employment skills, renews each
individual's sense of self worth, and provides needed wages to low-
income seniors. It also offers valuable social and economic benefits to
communities, and extends the reach of community-based organizations.
All across our nation SCSEP enrollees perform valuable community
services in senior centers, libraries, schools, and health and social
service institutions.
In sharp contrast to the approach that AoA has taken, the
Department of Labor is pushing for revisions in OAA that will harm
seniors, their families and their communities. The best course for
Congress to take with Title V is to continue it as it is, with minor
improvements.
We strongly oppose DoL's proposed far-reaching structural changes
to SCSEP, such as block-granting the program to the states, eliminating
national grants, de-emphasizing community service (which benefits
program participants, the aging network, and communities served),
eliminating participants under age 65, and eliminating fringe benefits
for participants. These changes would make the program far worse, not
better. Such changes are unwarranted, and would be disruptive and
harmful to older workers and communities.
We support the broad consensus--which was recently developed by all
13 national SCSEP sponsors and subsequently supported by many other
aging organizations--that the following principles should help guide
Congress's efforts in reauthorizing Title V: (1) Continue the current
system of funding both national and state grants, including the current
percentage split of the funds; (2) Maintain the program's historic dual
emphasis on both community service placements and unsubsidized
placements for participants; (3) Maintain the current age and
eligibility requirements for participants, so that services can be
targeted to persons with the greatest economic and social need; (4)
Retain current policy on program budgets; and (5) Strengthen the role
of the Administration on Aging in SCSEP, because Section 505(a) of the
OAA does not appear to be working as intended.
SCSEP is a proven program that has a good track record of providing
training and placement for difficult-to-serve populations of older
adults. The program should be allowed to continue doing what it does
well. Many not-for-profit organizations such as the Licking County
Aging Program rely on the assistance of the Title V programs to provide
employees at no cost, while at the same time we are giving them
valuable job training. The paycheck they receive from their SCSEP
sponsor is needed to supplement their social security income just so
they can meet their basic daily needs.
I would like to thank Representative Tiberi for inviting me to
share my perspective and the general views of my colleagues from Ohio's
senior centers. We urge prompt and decisive Congressional action to
renew the Older Americans Act in 2006.
______
Chairman Tiberi. Thank you.
Mr. Gehring.
STATEMENT OF CHARLES W. GEHRING, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER, LIFECARE ALLIANCE
Mr. Gehring. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to
share thoughts, and the thoughts of the thousands of clients
served every day by LifeCare Alliance regarding the critical
importance of the Older Americans Act. I'm Chuck Gehring,
President and Chief Executive Officer of LifeCare Alliance,
central Ohio's oldest and largest provider of services to
seniors and chronically ill individuals. To give you some
scope, founded in 1898, LifeCare Alliance prepares and serves
over one million meals each year to more than 5,000 clients in
Franklin and Madison Counties. We operate 28 congregate dining
centers, which serve over 182,000 meals annually, where seniors
and chronically ill individuals find friends and needed social
contact. Over 4,200 people actively serve as volunteers in our
Meals-on-Wheels program, contributing 116,000 volunteer hours
and donating more than 350,000 miles of travel in their own
vehicles. We also operate the federally funded Senior Farmers
Market Program, which provides critical food to many needy
seniors in our community.
Our Help-at-Home program provides over 18,000 homemaker
visits and 14,000 home health aid visits annually. Our visiting
nurse program, which is how we started, completes over 11,000
home visits annually, while our 11 senior wellness centers
receive 6,400 annual visits. And we also provided 11,000 flu
shots last year, and we are the chairs of the Central Ohio Flu
Coalition.
We also operate two other agencies that have merged into
us: Project Open Hand Columbus, which provides home-delivered
meals and congregate dining centers for those living with HIV/
AIDS; and the Columbus Cancer Clinic, which provides screenings
and home care support to those living with cancers. Please note
that most of these clients are in the later stages of their
diseases, they have poverty-level income, and many are seniors.
The vast majority of LifeCare Alliances are below the Federal
poverty level. Seventy percent live on less than $600 per
month. Seventy percent see no other adult on a regular weekly
basis other than our workers. Seventy percent have diabetes.
All are homebound in need and hungry.
The work this subcommittee is doing today is of critical
importance to LifeCare Alliance and our thousands of clients,
and we commend you for holding this hearing. The
reauthorization of the Older Americans Act in 2006 must be the
highest priority for Congress. The Meals-on-Wheels program,
paid for in part by the Older Americans Act, is about hunger in
America. I understand that when hunger in America is discussed,
we normally talk about children. The fact is that millions of
elderly Americans would be hungry if not for the Older
Americans Act and the Meals-on-Wheels program. They would also
spend considerably more time in the hospital and die sooner.
For many of our clients, our program provides the only meals
they receive each day and the only visitor to their home.
Finally, without the Older Americans Act, American
taxpayers would pay significantly more in taxes to support our
senior clients in governmentally supported facilities and
nursing homes where none of our clients want to be. In fact,
the latest figures provided by AARP indicate that for each
senior that we keep independent and in their own homes, where
100 percent of our clients tell us they want to be, taxpayers
save over $40,000 per year. This means that LifeCare Alliance
alone saves Ohio taxpayers over $300 million a year. What other
act of Congress for the American people has this kind of return
on investment for the American people while giving our seniors
exactly what they want?
LifeCare Alliance, working with funds from the Older
Americans Act saves taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars
additionally each year. By keeping seniors safe and healthy in
their own homes, we keep them out of hospitals, saving
significantly more by not using Medicare/Medicaid funds. The
national average for seniors is that they spend nine and a half
days each year in the hospital. Our clients, using services
from the Older Americans Act, spend less than 1 day a year in
the hospital.
As you can see, the practical side of the Older Americans
Act is incredibly positive, providing staggering financial
savings to taxpayers. It allows seniors to remain in their own
homes where they want to. Meals-on-Wheels reduces and often
eliminates hunger for seniors in America. Our nurses and home
health aids keep clients clean and healthy. Nothing could make
more sense in America. LifeCare Alliance works every day and
has a dramatic and positive community impact every day. Our
people and programs substantially improve and change lives
every day saving billions of taxpayers' dollars nationally each
year, reducing hunger among our seniors, providing quality of
life, providing services and comfort that cannot otherwise be
provided. And this is the legacy of the Older Americans Act.
Where do we go from here? Here are a couple of thoughts:
First, obviously, we encourage you to please reauthorize
the Older Americans Act.
Second, the Older Americans Act needs more funding. In
recent years, many of the titles of the Older Americans Act
have been kept at existing levels or even reduced. The fact is
that while LifeCare Alliance continues to fundraise
aggressively, continues to initiate social entrepreneurship
efforts to generate funds, continues to improve operational
efficiencies, there is a limit to how much we can raise.
LifeCare Alliance's policy is to accept all clients who call;
and with ever increasing numbers of seniors, we simply will run
out of funds at the rate we are going.
Third, please consider linking the Older Americans Act
funding increases to increases in senior populations. In
Franklin and Madison Counties, and I know in Delaware County,
the number of seniors will more than triple during the next 12
years, according to statistics from Scripps Gerontology
Institute at Miami University. By linking funding to the number
of seniors, we can better ensure services as the baby boomers
reach senior age.
Fourth, please consider the discontinuation of moving funds
from Title III, C, to Title III, B, that's meals to support
services. All services funded by the Older Americans Act are
critical and meals provide reduced hunger amongst seniors in
America. Also Title III, C, can no longer act as the bank to
support other services. In the last 5 years alone, $174 million
have been transferred from Title III, C, to Title III, B,
representing a national loss of 38 million meals.
Fifth, please support increases in transportation funding,
especially for individual trips for medical care.
Transportation to doctors and treatment facilities continues to
be a tremendous need in central Ohio.
Thank you for this opportunity to present critical
information to your committee. I stand ready to assist you in
any way I can with your efforts. Please feel free to call upon
me or any of the other panelists in any way we can to help you.
And, finally, since we're in Westerville, may I just share
a brief story. For many years, for the last 12 years, the
students of Westerville North High School have--they were the
fist high school in Columbus as part of a class to deliver
Meals-on-Wheels. We now have 12 high schools in central Ohio
delivering Meals-on-Wheels.
A year ago at Christmastime, two 18 year-old girls from
Westerville North High School went to a client's house who was
deaf. And, you know, deaf people cannot hear the knock on the
door; but she did not answer. They knew how much she enjoyed
her Meals-on-Wheels. They went the extra mile and found the
manager. To make a long story short, the lady was found on her
floor of her apartment passed out. She had terminal cancer. The
girls didn't know this. Nobody can know this. It's private. But
she had terminal cancer and that lady was going to die the next
day anyway; but because of the program and because of what the
Older Americans Act did and because of what these two
Westerville North High School students did, this lady was able
to die in her daughter's arms instead of on the floor of her
home. Her daughter still tells us there is no greater gift she
could have ever been given. That's the legacy of the Older
Americans Act.
Thank you for your time.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Gehring follows:]
Prepared Statement of Charles W. Gehring, President and
Chief Executive Officer, LifeCare Alliance
Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to share thoughts, and
the thoughts of the thousands of clients served everyday by LifeCare
Alliance, regarding the critical importance of the Older Americans Act.
I am Chuck Gehring, President and Chief Executive Officer of
LifeCare Alliance, Central Ohio's oldest and largest provider of
services to seniors and chronically ill individuals. Founded in 1898,
LifeCare Alliance prepares and serves over one million meals each year
to 5,000 clients in Franklin and Madison Counties. We operate twenty
eight congregate dining centers, which serve over 182,000 meals
annually, where seniors and chronically ill individuals find friends
and needed social contact. We provide a wide selection of meals,
including diet, vegetarian, pureed, soft, frozen, Kosher, Somali, and
other ethnic meals. Over 4,200 people actively serve as volunteers in
our Meals-on-Wheels program, contributing 116,000 volunteer hours, and
donating more than 350,000 miles of travel in their own vehicles. Our
volunteers equate to almost one hundred full time employees, saving
millions for this critical program. We also operate the federally
funded Senior Farmers Market Program, which provides critical food to
needy seniors in our community.
Our Help-at-Home program provides over 18,000 homemaker visits and
14,000 home health aide visits annually.
Our Visiting Nurse Program completes over 11,000 home visits
annually, while our eleven senior wellness centers receive 6,400 annual
visits. We also provided over 11,000 flu shots last year, and provided
the chair of the Central Ohio flu coalition. We assist in arranging
medications, and have started a falls prevention program.
In addition, two other agencies have merged into LifeCare Alliance
since December, 2004. Project Open Hand provides home delivered meals
and congregate dining centers to those living with HIV/AIDS. The
Columbus Cancer Clinic provides screenings and home care support to
those living with cancer. Most of the Project Open Hand and Columbus
Cancer Clinic clients are in advanced stages of their afflictions,
unable to work, and with poverty level income. Many are seniors. Most
would need to live in governmentally supported facilities if we did not
assist them in remaining in their own homes.
The vast majority of LifeCare Alliance's clients are below the
federal poverty level. 70% live on less than $600 per month. 70% see no
other adult on a regular basis other than our workers. 70% have
diabetes. All are homebound, in need, and hungry.
The work this subcommittee is doing today is of critical importance
to LifeCare Alliance and our thousands of clients, and we commend you
for holding this hearing. The reauthorization of the Older Americans
Act in 2006 must be the highest priority for Congress. The Meals-on-
Wheels program, paid for in part by the Older Americans Act, is about
hunger. I understand that when hunger in America is discussed, we
normally talk about children. The fact is that millions of elderly
Americans would be hungry if not for the Older Americans Act and the
Meals-on-Wheels program. They would also spend considerably more time
in the hospital, and die sooner. For many of our clients, our program
provides the only meals they receive each day, and the only visitor to
their home.
Finally, without the Older Americans Act, American taxpayers would
pay significantly more in taxes each year to support our senior clients
in governmentally supported facilities and nursing homes, where NONE of
our clients wants to be. In fact, the latest figures provided by AARP
indicate that for each senior LifeCare Alliance keeps independent and
in their own homes, where 100% of our clients tell us they want to be,
taxpayers save over $40,000 per year. This means that LifeCare Alliance
ALONE saves taxpayers over $300 million each year.
What other act of Congress has this kind of return on investment
for the American people, while giving our seniors exactly what they
want.
LifeCare Alliance, working with funds from the Older Americans Act,
saves taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. By keeping
seniors safe and healthy in their own homes we keep them out of
hospitals, saving significantly more by not using Medicare/Medicaid
funds. The national average for seniors is that they spend 9.5 days
each year in the hospital. Our clients average less than one day per
year in the hospital.
As you can see, the practical side of the Older Americans Act is
incredibly positive, providing staggering financial savings to
taxpayers. It allows seniors to remain safe and healthy in their own
homes, where they want to be. Meals-on-Wheels reduces, and often
eliminates hunger for seniors in America. Our nurses and home health
aides keep clients clean and healthy. Nothing could make more sense for
America.
One of our clients is a 90 year old female, living alone in the
home she has lived in for fifty years. Her husband was also a client
until he passed away two years ago. She receives Meals-on-Wheels, and a
homemaker to clean her home. She uses a walker and notes that while her
health and mind remain reasonably sound, she simply can not cook for
herself any more. ``Standing at a stove, trying to cook is
impossible'', she says. ``With a walker, I can't stand very long, and
I'd lose my balance and fall or burn myself. People just don't realize
how hard it is to chop a carrot or cook food at my age''. This client
raves about our Meals-on-Wheels, takes advantage of our special lenten
menu, and saves Ohio taxpayers over $40,000 each year by remaining
independent and in her own home, where she wants to remain.
Other clients report similar amazing stories. LifeCare Alliance
engages over seventy businesses and schools to volunteer with
delivering Meals-on-Wheels. One local high school, which has allowed
their seniors to deliver Meals-on-Wheels as part of a class for the
past eleven years, reported the following story. Two senior girls were
delivering to a deaf client. When the woman did not answer the door,
the girls searched for the building manager, knowing that this woman
looked forward to her meal every day. They could have simply placed a
notice on her door that they could not find her. But, being well
trained volunteers of LifeCare Alliance, they cared about the client
and went far beyond what was expected. These two eighteen years old
girls were delivering the meal as volunteers because the Older
Americans Act provided funding, and developed programs that could use
volunteers, thus vastly reducing costs. To make a long story short, the
girls' efforts resulted in finding the client on the floor, in
distress. The girls did not know that this client had terminal cancer.
The client's cancer would cause her to die the following day, and there
was nothing they could do about that. However, their efforts by being
LifeCare Alliance and Older Americans Act volunteers allowed this
elderly client to die in the arms of her daughter, instead of alone, on
the floor of her home. Her daughter has noted to us that being able to
hold her mother in her final hours was perhaps the greatest gift she
had ever received. As you can see, the value of the Older Americans Act
is way beyond my previous calculations of savings to American
taxpayers.
LifeCare Alliance, working with funds from the Older Americans Act,
has a dramatic and positive community impact EVERY DAY. Our people and
programs substantially improve and change lives EVERY DAY. Saving
billions of taxpayers dollars nationally each year, reducing hunger
among our seniors, providing quality of life, providing services and
comforts that can not otherwise be provided, this is the legacy of the
Older Americans Act.
Where do we go from here? I am listing below my thoughts for your
committee as you continue your work to reauthorize the Older Americans
Act.
First, please reauthorize the Older Americans Act.
Secondly, the Older Americans Act needs more funding. In recent
years, many of the Titles of the Older Americans Act have been kept at
existing levels, or even reduced. Retaining funding at existing levels
means that the programs I have described receive annual cuts. As the
funds are distributed by Area Agencies on Aging, those agencies must
retain funds to pay for pay increases, and increased expenses. This
results in funding cuts to organizations like LifeCare Alliance. The
fact is that while LifeCare Alliance continues to fundraise
aggressively, continues to initiate social entrepreneurship efforts to
generate funds, continues to improve operational efficiencies, there is
a limit to how much we can raise. LifeCare Alliance's policy is to
accept all clients who call. With ever increasing numbers of seniors,
we simply will run out of funds.
As an example, in the summer of 2003, Madison County Hospital
contacted us about assuming their Meals-on-Wheels and Congregate Dining
program in Madison County. The hospital had lost $155,000 the previous
year operating the program. We agreed to do this, because nobody else
would. In the past three years, we have greatly reduced the loss, but
we still have a loss. The Older Americans Act funding in Madison County
is supplemented by funds from United Way, client contributions, and our
new fundraising efforts. We constantly strive to obtain new volunteers
to reduce our costs. We have reconfigured distribution routes, changed
the way we deliver meals, and reduced staff. We still have a loss. The
Madison County clients receive Meals-on Wheels from LifeCare Alliance
everyday because we know that nobody else will take over this program.
How many other programs like the one in Madison County will cease to
exist in the upcoming years? We can avoid this with reasonable
increases in funding for the backbone of these critical senior
programs-The Older Americans Act.
Thirdly, please consider linking Older Americans Act funding
increases to increases in senior populations. In Franklin and Madison
Counties, the number of seniors wills more than triple during the next
twelve years, according to statistics from Scripps Gerontology
Institute at Miami University. By linking funding to the number of
seniors, we could better insure services as the ``baby boomers'' reach
senior age.
Fourth, please consider the discontinuation of moving funds from
Title IIIC to Title IIIB (Meals to Support Services). While all
services funded by the Older Americans Act are critical, meals are the
most needed to reduce hunger among seniors in America. Also, Title IIIC
can no longer act as the ``bank'' to support other services. All
services must be supported with funding. In the last five years, $174
million have been transferred from Title IIIC to Title IIIB,
representing a loss of 38 million meals nationally.
Fifth, please support increases in transportation funding,
especially for individual trips for medical care. Transportation to
doctors and treatment facilities continues to be a tremendous need in
Central Ohio.
Thank you for this opportunity to present critical information to
your committee. I stand ready to assist in any way I can with your
efforts. Please feel free to call upon me for information and
assistance. Finally, thank you for all your efforts. I truly realize
that you support the Older Americans Act, but struggle with federal
budget reductions. I hope I have assisted in sharing information as to
how important the Older Americans Act is. Thank you.
______
Chairman Tiberi. Thank you.
Mr. Horrocks.
STATEMENT OF ROBERT HORROCKS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COUNCIL FOR
OLDER ADULTS OF DELAWARE COUNTY
Mr. Horrocks. Congressman Tiberi and Congressman Hinojosa,
thank you so much for this opportunity to testify; and thank
you for bringing this field hearing into central Ohio. You'll
forgive me--You have my written testimony. You'll forgive me
for not reading a statement today. I thought it would be good
to chat about our experiences up in Delaware County and the
Counsel for Older Adults; and hopefully those experiences will
be helpful as you go about the important work of reauthorizing
the Older Americans Act.
I'm struck by the fact that as I listen to my colleagues
today that many of the recommendations are the same and many
are in my written testimony, and I guess that's just because
they're so obvious. We haven't compared notes; and yet many of
the recommendations surrounding the nutrition program,
transportation, and family caregiving, and civic engagement are
all very similar.
So I just want to share with you what we're doing in
Delaware County. I don't have to remind Congressman Tiberi that
we are the fastest growing county in the state. I think the
last count was the 12th fastest in the country. Our older
population has mirrored that growth. Our older population grew
by 64 percent in the 90's; and we're projected by the Scripps
Gerontology Foundation to grow from about 12,700 seniors in the
year 2000 to almost 43,000 seniors by 2020. So we're right in
the midst of that growth right now, and that's about a 337
percent increase. And so our community is struggling to keep
pace in every way, and that also affects or older population.
Our nutrition program--through our nutrition program--and
very similar to the situation that Chuck spoke of here, this is
keeping people from being hungry. And it is also affecting
their isolation because every one of our customers in our
nutrition program gets a visit every day by a volunteer. And
sometimes that visit is just as important as the meal. And as
Chuck described, we have also found folks lying on floor and
got them into the hospital because that volunteer knocked on
the door with the meal.
We've gone from serving 61,000 meals in 1999 to serving
149,000 meals last year. We're projected to be close to 160,000
meals this year. The program--all of our programs are growing
to--as our older population grows.
I would ask in terms of nutrition services to provide some
flexibility. Every community is different. We have found that
in Delaware County as we coordinate all of our services into
one care plan and make things simple for clients and for their
families, we use a sliding fee scale; and we would like to have
the opportunity and the flexibility to use that similar scale
with our nutrition program.
Transportation is a--is of vital importance as our older
population grows, as the character of our community changes, as
small rural roads become fast moving thoroughfares, it becomes
dangerous for folks. And we have a lot of folks that don't go
to certain places anymore even when they can drive, and keeping
up with the transportation needs has been a real issue for us.
In Delaware County, we provide--we're one of the few non-
profits in Ohio that does investigations of abuse, neglect, and
exploitation. It is a big issue. Elder abuse is a big issue,
and it's a shame. A lot of that neglect is self-neglect. And we
think it's organizations that are able to provide services and
response to the neglect is a good place to house those
investigations, and we would invite you to take a look at Title
VII of the Older Americans Act which addresses some of that.
There is no national legislation that really is comprehensive
in terms of elder abuse. Ohio, I believe, receives about
$200,000; and that's for 88 counties. And I ask just really
what kind of significance can that play with that amount of
money? And so most communities end up with maybe a part-time
person for the whole county or, at best, a full-time person to
investigate abuse, neglect, and exploitation of our elders.
I want to talk real quickly about the Family Caregivers
Support Act. It's been wonderful. It's just been in place in
the Older Americans Act for the last five or 6 years. That
supports us working with caregivers. And as you know,
caregivers really provide the bulk of the care this country for
our elders. And we've seen some heroic efforts by sons and
daughters and spouses caring for their loved ones. And we've
also seen what it's like when family is not available and the
kind of intensive services that are needed when family is not
available. And this particular provision of the Older Americans
Act/Family Caregivers Support Program, has really helped us
keep people involved. It's helped us from keeping folks from
burning out. It's helped us to do some training and education
around how to care for a loved one, and it's allowed us to
provide support for those folks so that they know that we're
just a phone call away. And I can't tell you how important that
program is for our caregivers, and I think it's time to expand
that. It's been somewhat of an experiment. It's been just
wildly successful throughout the country, and we've heard calls
for large expansions of that program. I really do think it's
time.
One last comment about civic engagement. Forty-three
thousand folks in Delaware County that are going to be 60 years
of age or older in 2020. Twenty-five thousand of those folks
are going to be between the age of 60 and 69. I hope to be one
of them. The fact is that that group of people is going to have
a different set of issues, a different set of needs. Most of
our resources right now are going for the very frail, the very
vulnerable at the other end of the age span; but we need to pay
attention to these younger older folks. There is so much
opportunity. We tend to think of the older population growth
and think of problems and challenges. And there are some, but
there is so much opportunity. If we are smart and if we
position ourselves in ways and develop the kinds of programs
that are going to bring those folks in, whether it be through
life-long learning, whether that be through health and wellness
programs; expanded, really sensitive targeted volunteerism
programs. There's a lot of energy and experience there that we
need to tap into. And it's going to be a big part of the
solution. And I really encourage you to take a look at Part D
of the act in terms of health promotion and disease prevention
and also look in terms of volunteerism and civic engagement and
what we can do to address that part of our population.
We've all talked about funding today. In my testimony
today, I inserted a chart by one of my colleagues that I think
the Department of Aging's testimony refers to the 50 cents on
the dollar. It is true. It's real hard to run a business when
you've got 50 percent of the dollar from what you had 25 years
ago. And that's what we're all trying to do. We're trying to
run businesses that serve people in a caring way. And it's--
funding is really important. We all go out of our way to find
other sources of funding, but the Older Americans Act is really
the foundation and has really been a foundation from which many
great things have grown.
And so I applaud you for your work in strengthening the
Older Americans Act. And we'll be here to help in any way that
we can. Thank you so much.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Horrocks follows:]
Prepared Statement of Robert Horrocks, Executive Director of the
Council for Older Adults of Delaware County
Members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Subcommittee on Select Education, my name is Robert Horrocks and I am
the Executive Director of the Council for Older Adults of Delaware
County. Thank you for this opportunity to testify today about the work
of our organization in Delaware County, Ohio and our thoughts about the
Older American's Act. I want to emphasize that I am not an expert on
the Older Americans Act. The Council for Older Adults does receive
approximately $300,000 a year in OAA funding from the Central Ohio Area
Agency on Aging. I refer you to the written testimony of Cindy Farson,
the director of the COAAA for the more comprehensive views of our Ohio
Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
My purpose here is to simply provide the perspective of an
organization which has focused on planning, program development and
providing services at the local level for the past fourteen years. I
have had the privilege of working and serving in Delaware County since
the creation of the Council for Older Adults. It is my hope that this
experience can help you as you deliberate about this important
legislation.
About Delaware County's Older Population
A quick look at some of the demographic characteristics of Delaware
County will put my remarks in perspective. Delaware County has been the
fastest growing county in Ohio for the past two decades, as well as,
one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. The growth of our
older population has mirrored and in some cases surpassed the increase
of our general population and this is projected to continue into the
future.
While Ohio's population growth was 4.7% in the decade of the 90's,
Delaware County's total population growth was 64% during the same
period of time. Similarly, while the states older population grew by
just 3% during the decade of the 90's, Delaware County's older
population increased by 46%. It is projected that from the year 2000 to
2020 Delaware County's general population will grow by 90% while our
older population will increase from 12,734 to 42,896--a 337% increase.
Another way of thinking about the growth of our older population in
Delaware County is to understand that on average we will be adding
about 1,500 seniors to our population each year for the 20 year period
between 2000 and 2020. While about 9% of our county's older population
was age 60 or above in the year 2000, it is projected that by 2020 this
percentage will grow to nearly 20 percent of the general population.
While the percentage increase of those aged 85 and older will be
significant in the years ahead, much of the growth of the county's
older population can be attributed to the aging of baby boomers during
this time frame. Of the nearly 43,000 older adults projected to reside
in Delaware County by the year 2020, over 25,000 of these individuals
will be between the ages of 60 and 69.
The challenge for our community will be to continue to serve a
growing number of disabled individuals age 85 and over while at the
same time effectively responding to the very rapid growth of those
younger seniors who are likely to have a very different set of needs as
they adjust to a changing lifestyles and plan for their future.
About the Council for Older Adults
While formally incorporated in June of 1992, the organization's
origins can be traced to over a year earlier when a group of concerned
citizens, service providers, older adults and elected officials came
together and began talking about the needs of the growing older
population in Delaware County. From these discussions and subsequent
community forums came the development of a task force which
incorporated community concerns into a blueprint for an organization
designed to meet the current and evolving needs of older adults
throughout all of Delaware County. The Council for Older Adults emerged
in 1992 to fill this void.
The Council is responsible for planning, coordinating, developing
resources and providing services for the older population in Delaware
County. The Council's mission is to improve the quality of life of the
older population of Delaware County by being a catalyst to develop,
sustain and continually improve a comprehensive, coordinated community
based system of effective services and opportunities.
Looking back at the early 1990's, it is now easy to see why the
community came together to create the Council. While a variety of
services were available, the capacity of local service providers was
very limited and large waiting lists were the norm. Services were often
fragmented and not well coordinated causing those in need, if they were
able to find local providers, to deal with a variety of differing
administrative procedures and eligibility requirements. These
roadblocks made it unlikely that the ``system'' could respond quickly
or efficiently to individual needs for service. The result of these
factors was that many local older adults found that nursing home care
was the first and most viable option when they were having difficulties
living at home. Not surprisingly, in the early 90's, local nursing
homes were full to capacity. As the community examined these issues and
began to understand how quickly our local older population was
increasing in size, it became clear that action was needed to both
increase the amount and quality of community-based care. Just as
important, a local coordinated system was needed to improve the
accessibility to services in a timely manner for those who were most in
need.
One indication of the impact of our local system change is that now
despite more than the doubling of our older population, nursing home
bed occupancy is far below capacity in the county.
The Council directly manages the Senior Choices program, providing
a one stop access to information, assistance and in-home services for
older adults and their families. Through this program Care Consultants
are in daily contact with local seniors and their families arranging
for and overseeing the delivery of services designed to assist older
people to remain as independent as possible in their own homes. In
addition, the Council manages the countywide Senior Nutrition Program,
Caregiver Support Programs including the designated Caregiver Resource
Center, Adult Protective Services, Prescription Assistance Program,
Insurance and Medical Bill Counseling, Income Tax Assistance, Durable
Medical Equipment Loan and a number of smaller direct services. The
Council also purchases services from a wide range of for profit and
nonprofit businesses.
Due to the nature of the Council's origins, the manner in which the
Council's Board of Directors is appointed and its mission, partnership
building is and has always been a core and fundamental principle of
this organization. The multi-disciplinary nature of aging services has
required the Council to be actively engaged in multiple local
partnerships. The Council has pursued working relationships with dozens
of local entities and has in place dozens of formal and informal
agreements with these entities. One of the goals of the Council has
been to be ``at the table'' wherever major decisions are being made
which will affect service delivery for older adults and this approach
has led too much of the partnership building activities of the
organization.
As an extension of its leadership role throughout Delaware County,
the Council authors several publications, including: Senior Services
Directory, listing available services for seniors, LinkAge, a monthly
newsletter, and Council Communicator, a bimonthly newspaper. The
Council also sponsors a number of special events, educational seminars,
legal clinics, and community forums.
The Council is uniquely organized to insure that it remains both
responsive and accountable to the citizens of Delaware County. The
Council's eighteen member volunteer Board of Director's is responsible
for policy development and the overall direction of the Council for
Older Adults. Board meetings are open to the public and are held at
noon on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the office of the Council
for Older Adults.
Thoughts About Our Work in relation to the Older Americans Act
I am sure that you have heard from national aging organizations and
that have provided very comprehensive analysis and recommendations
regarding the Older American's Act from a national perspective. I want
to emphasize that my following thoughts about the Older American's Act
are not intended to be comprehensive. These recommendations are
intended to represent the view of someone working at the local level on
those issues that are most important from our perspective. These
include the following:
Nutrition Services
Good nutrition is obviously important. Poor nutrition can aggravate
or lead to many costly healthcare issues. For our customers who receive
in-home services, home delivered meals is our most frequently requested
service. In addition to the hot healthy meals, local older adults also
benefit from the daily contact by our volunteer drivers who delivery
their meals. These relationships are very important and should be
encouraged.
Currently the Older Americans Act prohibits cost sharing for
nutrition services only. States are provided flexibility to allow cost
sharing for other in-home services. In Delaware County we provide our
in-home services on a sliding fee scale based upon our customer's
ability to pay. Because Older Americans Act funds support our nutrition
services we are required to exclude our nutrition service from our
sliding fee scale. The result is that we are required to treat this
service differently than any other service. We must spend time and
effort to inform every nutrition customer of this difference. We
believe that this leads to needless confusion in addition to increased
administrative time and effort with no apparent benefit.
We are sensitive to the concern that cost sharing could lead to
people in need not receiving services due to the inability to pay for
these services. Our sliding fee scale has been carefully devised to
make sure that this does not occur. It is also designed to insure that
those who can afford to pay all or a portion of the cost of services do
pay their fare share. Those who pay for services help enable us to
provide free care for those less fortunate. Currently, about 68 percent
of our customers pay nothing for their in-home services, 12 percent pay
100 percent of the cost of their services and the remaining 20 percent
of our customers pay some portion of the cost of their care.
We recommend that you permit states to allow nutrition service
providers the flexibility to use cost sharing and that where
coordinated systems like ours exist, local communities be permitted to
do so within the scope of the systems existing cost sharing policies .
Transportation
Adequate transportation service is a huge issue for seniors. Some
can not drive, some increasingly can not afford to drive and others
choose not to drive in certain situations. In rapidly growing areas
like Delaware County once quiet roads have suddenly become very busy
thoroughfares which creates the potential for increased confusion and
risk for some older drivers who are not accustomed to these changed
conditions. In our society, the inability to drive equals loss of
independence. Affordable and convenient public transportation will help
prevent isolation of those unable to drive and will help insure that
these individuals remain active and involved in their community. We
encourage increased funding for transportation services in the Older
Americans Act.
Family Caregiver Support Program
As you are aware, family caregivers provide the bulk of the care
provided to older adults in this country. We witness everyday the
impact of this caring and we marvel at the heroic efforts that
routinely occur as sons and daughters and spouses provide enormous
amounts of care for loved ones. We also see what happens when family is
not available to provide care or when informal caregivers become
overwhelmed and burned out and resign this role in frustration.
The Council for Older Adults is the designated resource center in
Delaware County for caregivers. These services are made possible
through the Older Americans Act. These funds make it possible for us to
provide education and support to our caregivers which provides them the
tools and support to be better caregivers, understanding that help, if
they need it, is just a phone call away. We have particularly
appreciated the flexibility that these funds provide allowing us to
provide the kind of assistance needed quickly and easily.
The need for these services continue to grow with the growth of our
older population and we encourage a substantial expansion of this very
successful program through the Older Americans Act. Money spent here
helps insure better quality care by our caregivers. Additionally,
caregivers save us all the cost of formal community based and/or
institutional care. When caregivers remain in the picture, everybody
wins.
Civic Engagement, Health and Wellness, and, Volunteerism
The growth of our older population is often discussed in terms of
being a problem to be resolved. Certainly, rapid growth does create
challenges and we need to be prepared for these challenges. However,
there are also wonderful possibilities and opportunities that would be
a grave mistake to ignore.
If we are smart we will recognize and prepare for the tremendous
potential that exists to engage and tap into the wealth of talent,
experience and energy that exists in this population. The more
individuals who we can actively engage into our mission of service, the
better we will be able to address the needs of those truly frail and
vulnerable in our communities. The better job we do at providing
meaningful opportunities to remain engaged, the more likely, I believe,
it is that these individuals will remain active and well and not in
need of costly services.
We are in the process of building a new senior enrichment center
for Delaware County. This facility will bring together our social
services headquarters, our nutrition program and local active seniors.
We believe that making a commitment to life long learning, health and
wellness, good nutrition, creative programming, meaningful volunteer
opportunities and dynamic outreach will pay huge dividends not only for
our older population, but our entire community.
Stable quality programs that engage people require an on-going
commitment in terms of good management and coordination. These
activities require both leadership and a stable funding source.
Language and funding which recognizes the importance of these services
would strengthen the Older Americans Act. Additional funding in Title
IIID for health promotion and disease prevention would add capacity
throughout the aging network and expand the impact of these services.
Elder Abuse
The Council for Older Adults through agreement with the Delaware
County Department of Job and Family Services is responsible for the
investigation of abuse, neglect and exploitation of older adults. This
problem is far too common and we expect may grow as our older
population increases. There is currently no federal law that
comprehensively addresses this problem. Language in the Older Americans
Act that would strengthen the role of the aging network and provide the
resource to train and coordinate the efforts of those most likely to
encounter abuse, neglect and exploitation of our elders would have a
positive effect on the safety of our older population.
Funding
The attached chart illustrates the fact that despite incremental
increases in funding over the years to implement this important
legislation, we have fallen far behind funding level of 1980. When one
considers the growth of our country's older adult population and Older
Americans Act funding levels adjusted for inflation, per capita
spending for Older Americans Act services has, in fact, been cut in
half since 1980.
The Older Americans Act has been an important legislation of older
Americans since its inception. It has provided a foundation of support
from which many important services have emerged. It has been a catalyst
for the development of much state and local funding and has provided a
mandate and leadership for the development and expansion of community
based services which have had and continue to have a substantial and
meaningful impact on the health and independence of our older
population.
I thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts with you and I
encourage you to continue to improve and strengthen this legislation
and the impact of the aging network throughout our nation.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
______
Chairman Tiberi. Thank you, Mr. Horrocks.
Ms. Ragan.
STATEMENT OF GINNI RAGAN, CHAIR, LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE,
OHIO ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR AGING
Ms. Ragan. Thank you, Representatives Tiberi and Hinojosa,
for the opportunity to present my thoughts on the Older
Americans Act. I am Ginni Ragan from Westerville, and I am a
volunteer aging and Alzheimer's advocate and chair of the
Legislative Affairs Committee of Ohio Advisory Council for
Aging. The Ohio Advisory Council for Aging is appointed by the
Governor to review and advise the Ohio Department of Aging on
plans, budgets, and issues that affect older Ohioans and
advocate specific administrative and legislative actions. I was
also a member of the Ohio delegation to the 2005 White House
Conference on Aging. I have extensive personal history as a
family caregiver providing care for my husband, my father, and
my mother.
In Ohio, a combination of Federal Older Americans Act and
state and local funds are used to provide a wide array of home
and community-based services to older adults at different
points along the aging continuum, including:
Home delivered meals, home accessibility modifications and/
or transportation services to older adults who need minimal
support.
A package of case managed services, e.g., home delivered
meals, adult day services, personal care to frail older adults
at risk of being institutionalized.
Help for older adults to maintain their physical and mental
health and prevent the onset of disabling disease. These funds
support exercise classes, walking programs, and other wellness
activities at local senior centers and recreation centers such
as we are at today.
Supporting the needs of unpaid family caregivers that
assist frail parents or relatives; in many cases allowing
caregivers to continue to work and remain active in their
communities; and giving older workers skills an experience to
help them be part of a labor force that in the future will have
to rely on mature workers.
The No. 1 priority of Ohio White House Conference on Aging
Delegation going into the meeting in December of 2005 was the
reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. Our top
recommendation for reauthorization is to increase the
authorized Federal funding level of Older Americans Act titles
and parts by at least $100 million each above the fiscal year
2005 appropriated level except for the Title III, Part E,
National Family Caregiver support program which should be
authorized at 250 million more.
While we recognize that the reauthorization and
appropriation processes are separate, reauthorization provides
the opportunity to increase the funding authorization for
various titles and parts in the Act to ensure that the future
appropriations can support and proactively prepare for the
growth of the baby boomer generation.
I recognize that budget constraints make it difficult for
Congress to meet this challenge; but with proper funding
authority, a reauthorized Older Americans Act is a dynamic
foundation that will help the aging network set the course for
the future. A reauthorized Older Americans Act without proper
funding authority is just words.
I am proud to say Ohio's Aging Network is well coordinated,
efficient, and a very good steward of Federal, state, and local
funds.
By being creative and innovative, we have saved taxpayers'
dollars and have been able to aid more of our neediest, aged
citizens and their families responsible for their care.
Coordination across organizations and programs is
essential. In addition to managing OAA funded programs, Ohio
Aging Network managers the PASSPORT Program, one of the largest
Medicaid home- and community-based services waivers in the
country as well as other community long-term care programs.
I am pleased to say that developing a coordinated long-term
care strategy has been a priority of Governor Taft for the last
7 years. Since 2001, multiple state departments including the
Ohio Department of Aging and the Ohio Department of the Job and
Family Services, Ohio's equivalent of CMS, have worked together
to implement Ohio Access: Strategic Plan to Improve Long-term
Services and Supports for People with Disabilities.
Coordination of services across funding streams and
populations works. We recommend that Congress follow Ohio's
lead and reauthorize the Older Americans Act to strengthen and
broaden the Federal role of the Assistant Secretary for Aging
to establish new partnerships with CMS and other HHS agencies
for the administration of HCBS Medicaid Waiver and other long-
term care programs.
We also recommend that reauthorization also contains
separate funding to sustain and expand aging and disability
resources in Ohio and 42 other demonstration states and
territories.
A good measure of society is how it cares for those most in
need. In 2004, the Ohio Department of Aging surveyed Older
Americans Act consumers and found that they were doing an
excellent job in delivering our services to those in greatest
need and making a difference in the lives of consumers and
their caregivers. Some of what they learned: Home delivered
meal consumers depend on this service to provide one half or
more of their daily food intake; transportation consumers use
the services to get to a doctor or health care provider or
medical services; homemaker consumers report annual incomes
under $15,000; and caregiver program consumers believe that
services allow them to provide care longer than they could
without those services. The survey also found that consumers
were highly satisfied with their Older Americans Act services.
I am proud of Ohio's Aging Network and the good work they
do to serve older Ohioans and caregivers. I urge Congress to
give the Aging Network through reauthorization of Older
Americans Act the resources they need to serve the future
generations of older Americans.
Thank you, Representatives Tiberi and Hinojosa, for
allowing me to participate in today's field hearing.
I would like to leave you with what I believe is a very
powerful statement authored by one of your former colleagues:
The future of a society may be forecast on how it cares for its
young, the quality of a civilization may be measured on how it
cares for its elderly.
Thank you very much for this opportunity.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Ragan follows:]
Prepared Statement of Ginni Ragan, Chair, Legislative Affairs
Committee, Ohio Advisory Council for Aging
Thank you, Representatives Tiberi and Hinojosa for the opportunity
to present my thoughts on the Older Americans Act. I am Ginni Ragan
from Westerville and I am a volunteer aging and Alzheimer's advocate,
and Chair of the Legislative Affairs Committee of Ohio Advisory Council
for Aging. The Ohio Advisory Council for Aging is appointed by the
Governor to review and advise the Ohio Department of Aging on plans,
budgets and issues that affect older Ohioans and advocate specific
administrative and legislative actions. I was also a member of the Ohio
delegation to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging. I have an
extensive personal history as a family caregiver; providing care to my
husband, father and mother.
In Ohio, a combination of federal Older Americans Act, state and
local funds are used to provide a wide array of home and community
based services to older adults at different points along the aging
continuum, including:
Home-delivered meals, home accessibility modifications and/or
transportation services to older adults who need minimal support.
A package of case managed services (e.g., home-delivered meals,
adult day services, personal care) to frail older adults at risk of
institutionalization.
Help for older adults to maintain their physical and mental health,
and prevent the onset of disabling disease. These funds support
exercise classes, walking programs and other wellness activities at
local senior centers and recreation centers.
Supporting the needs of unpaid family caregivers that assist frail
parents or relatives; in many cases allowing caregivers to continue to
work and remain active in their communities; and
Giving older workers skills and experience to help them be part of
a labor force that in the future will have to rely on mature workers.
The number one priority of Ohio's White House Conference on Aging
delegation going into and coming out of the December 2005 conference
was reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. Our top recommendation
for reauthorization is to increase the authorized federal funding level
of Older Americans Act titles and parts by at least $100 million each
above the FY 2005 appropriated level except Title III Part E National
Family Caregiver Support Program which should be authorized at $250
million more.
While we recognize that the reauthorization and appropriation
processes are separate, reauthorization provides the opportunity to
increase the funding authorization for various titles and parts in the
Act to insure that future appropriations can support and proactively
prepare for the growth of the baby boomer generation.
I recognize that budget constraints make it difficult for Congress
to meet this challenge but with proper funding authority, a
reauthorized Older Americans Act is a dynamic foundation that will help
the aging network set the course for the future. A reauthorized Older
Americans Act without proper funding authority is just words.
By being creative and innovative, we have saved tax-payer dollars
and have been able to aid more of our neediest, aged citizens and their
families responsible for their care. I am proud to say Ohio's aging
network is well coordinated, efficient, and a good steward of federal,
state and local funds.
Coordination across organizations and programs is essential. In
addition to managing OAA funded programs, Ohio's aging network manages
the PASSPORT program, one of the largest Medicaid home and community
based services waivers in the country, as well as other community long-
term care programs.
I am pleased to say that developing a coordinated long term care
strategy has been a priority of Governor Taft for the last seven years.
Since 2001, multiple state departments, including the Ohio Department
of Aging and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (Ohio's
equivalent to CMS) have worked together to implement ``Ohio Access:
Strategic Plan to Improve Long-Term Services and Supports for People
with Disabilities.''
Coordination of services across funding streams and populations
works. We recommend that Congress follow Ohio's lead and reauthorize
the Older Americans Act to strengthen and broaden the federal role of
the Assistant Secretary for Aging to establish new partnerships with
CMS and other HHS agencies for the administration of HCBS Medicaid
Waiver and other long-term care programs.
We also recommend that reauthorization also contain separate
funding to sustain and expand Aging and Disability Resources Centers in
Ohio and 42 other demonstration states and territories.
A good measure of a society is how it cares for those most in need.
In 2004, the Ohio Department of Aging surveyed Older Americans Act
consumers and found that they are doing an excellent job in delivering
our services to those in greatest need and making a difference in the
lives of consumers and their caregivers. Some of what they learned:
Home-delivered meal consumers depend on this service to provide
one-half or more of their daily food intake;
Transportation consumers use the service to get to a doctor or
health care provider;
Homemaker consumers report annual incomes under $15,000; and
Caregiver program consumers believe that services allow them to
provide care longer than they could without services.
The survey also found that consumers were highly satisfied with
their Older Americans Act services.
I am proud of Ohio's aging network and the good work they do to
serve older Ohioans and caregivers. I urge Congress to give the aging
network, through reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, the
resources they need to serve the future generations of older Ohioans.
Thank you Representatives Tiberi and Hinojosa for allowing me to
participate in today's field hearing.
______
Chairman Tiberi. Thank you. Thanks to all of you for very
good written testimony and oral testimony as well. And thank
you for showing our guests from Texas that Ohio and central
Ohio specifically has a lot more going for it than just college
football. You all did a very, very good job.
And we both have heard, quite frankly, loud and clear a
couple issues. First and foremost, the White House Conference
has told us, and you all have confirmed to us, that the No. 1
issue is to reauthorize the Older Americans Act. And as Mr.
Hinojosa, I think, would tell you, as well, is there are a lot
of issues in Congress today. If you read the Washington Post
every day, they will tell you a lot of the important issues
that are going on. And, unfortunately, if you read the
Washington Post or the New York Times or the Wall Street
Journal or any other national newspaper, Older Americans isn't
one of those things that they talk about. But we agree with
what Mr. Gehring said that this is an extremely important
issue; and so my commitment to you, and I know Ruben's
commitment, is to try to move this process along to force
others' hands.
And I think one of the ways that we're going to try to do
that is in the month of May is try to move this piece of
legislation through the process that we can best control--and
the first is the subcommittee--that we will try to move in
process through the subcommittee in May. And then I've got a
commitment--I talked to the Chairman of the full committee, and
he wants to be helpful in moving the process to the floor here
soon, as well, through the committee--excuse me--to the floor.
And then we have a former education and workforce chairman from
Ohio now who is the majority leader who controls the floor
calendar, so I like our odds. If we can get a bill out of
committee, the two of us, at least, I think we can get some
floor time.
But that's only part of the process. We have a Senate that
we unfortunately have to work with; and they haven't started
this process, and they will have a process and then that will
go to conference committee. And hopefully both of us will
participate in that. And so I think it's critically important
for us to begin showing you that we hear you loud and clear,
and that we're going to try to jump start this process in May,
which will begin with a hearing next Tuesday in Washington,
D.C., May 2nd; so we hear that loud and clear.
The funding issue is one that we hear all the time as well
from everybody who testifies before any committee that we're
on; and you all make a very strong argument, obviously, to your
needs and what you do. And we obviously are sensitive to that.
There, you know, obviously are a lot of pieces of the puzzle
when you look at the whole scheme of things; but we want to be
as supportive as possible. And I'll let Ruben speak to that as
well. The process now--And those are the two big issues that I
heard about. And I heard about a whole lot of other issues as
well and read about other issues in your testimony.
What we'll do is we'll begin a series of give and take here
with questions and hopefully answers. And I'll just go down the
line. And I'll turn it over to my colleague from Texas; and
he'll ask you questions as well, and they involve a number of
different issues that I think many of you touched on.
First I'm going to ask Ms. Geig--By the way, thank you for
mentioning the consumer guide. Joan Lawrence and I spent way
too much time trying to get that done, and thank God she helped
save it while I was gone. And I'm glad to hear that you
strengthened it as well. And please thank Director Kearns,
because I think it's a program for seniors to really have an
opportunity to get more information and their families to get
more information and compare.
Could you elaborate on the PASSPORT Program in our state?
I'm obviously very familiar with it; but for the record and Mr.
Hinojosa, how does it operate; and what lessons can the
committee learn from Ohio's success on this program at the
Federal level, in your mind?
Mr. Hinojosa. Can we pass the mike?
Chairman Tiberi. The mike, yes. Thank you. Good point. If
you could speak into the mike for the benefit of everybody in
the room.
Ms. Geig. OK. The PASSPORT program in Ohio is very
successful. It's probably been one of our most popular Medicaid
Waiver programs in Ohio, and most of our consumers have----
Chairman Tiberi. Can you explain the program? Because I'm
familiar with it because I was on the legislature--but for the
committee and Congressman.
Ms. Geig. It is a Medicaid Waiver program that we have here
in Ohio that allows a consumer who is in a nursing home to come
out of a nursing home and have care inside of their home--to
receive services inside their home. Someone could probably
explain it much better than I can from our department. I'm
fairly new to our Department. We can get more information to
you on that. We have several other Medicaid Waiver programs
within our department, but the PASSPORT program is probably our
most popular program--to get them outside of the nursing home
and into the community and receive care inside of their home.
Chairman Tiberi. Can you provide for the Department some
documentation on the PASSPORT Program?
Ms. Geig. Yes. That will be no problem.
Chairman Tiberi. Mr. Bibler, you mentioned in your written
testimony and touched on transportation services for seniors in
your oral testimony. Can you think of or describe maybe some
specific ways in which the Act could help promote more senior
mobility throughout the country?
Mr. Bibler. I think one of the biggest issues we face is
replacing vehicles. As I stated in my written testimony, we
have seven vehicles with over 200,000 miles on them. There used
to be a great program through the Ohio Department of
Transportation called the specialized transportation program
that made funds available to the counties to purchase
handicapped accessible vehicles for this purpose. That money
has since disappeared essentially. This year is the first year
that there has not been any money allocated for that. It has
slowly been drying up, but that is one of our biggest concerns
right now with the number of miles we're putting on our
vehicles is being able to replace those and keep our rolling
stock in good condition, because the safety of our seniors,
obviously, is one of our utmost concerns. So I think that would
help us tremendously.
There's been a great effort within the state of Ohio for
coordinated transportation. We have tried that with limited
success in our communities; and I think that there would be
some way to make funding available as well, too. For example,
we have discussed about having a web-based program that we
could use so that all the providers in our community could
enter data into it so that the routes could be assigned to
specific providers so that we wouldn't be duplicating the
places that we would be going. However, that software runs over
$100,000; and obviously we don't have the resources to purchase
something like that. That would help us tremendously, too, so
that those of us that do have vehicles could work together to
coordinate transportation so that we're not going up the street
and 2 minutes later another service provider is going up the
same street picking up clients for their program and 2 minutes
later another vehicle from another agency is going up the
street.
Chairman Tiberi. OK. I want to switch to Mr. Gehring here.
Can you describe some of the partnerships that you have? I was
over at MidOhio Food Bank within the last few weeks, and they
mentioned some of the work they do with you. Can you talk about
partnerships, both public and private partnerships, that
LifeCare Alliance has to the benefit of the seniors and how
maybe the Act can better encourage some of the things that you
guys have done so well?
Mr. Gehring. We have literally, if you really added it up,
dozens of public and private partnerships. The 28 dining
centers that we have are all in cooperation with some other
organization that allows us to use their facility at no cost to
provide the meals and the socialization for the seniors. But
those locations do not receive any funds from that. We have
partnerships with people that provide specialty meals to us. We
have--such as Kosher or Somali. We have a huge Somali
population, as you know, in central Ohio. I think some of our
better partnerships are with some of the folks that assist with
the assessment of the clients; things like that, such as the
Ohio Area Agency on Aging and Franklin County Agency on Aging
and all these other counties have offices on aging generally.
Those folks, COAAA and Franklin County Office on Aging, work
hand in hand with us to try to divide up the work to ensure
that we are not duplicating services as Dave just referred, to
ensure that we are as efficient and effective as possible.
And I guess in answer to your question, What could the Act
do to, you know, further those partnerships? Many--And I don't
want to get this specific in the Act. I don't think anybody
wants to get this specific in the Act. But I'll tell you, a lot
of the grants we apply for anymore, both public and private,
request collaborations. OK? And I know when we just finished
our United Way reporting for the year, we probably listed 40
different partnerships that we have on a fairly large level in
order to ensure that. Because United Way is a group that really
values, here in central Ohio, collaborations--that you're
working together, that you're truly not duplicating services as
Dave was saying. So I think--I don't know how exactly you put
that in the Act, and I don't know that we need more items in
the Act that would restrict how we work; however, I would tell
you that most of the grants we apply for anymore, if you don't
have collaborative partnerships, you're not working with other
groups; you're not taking care of other groups; it's difficult
to get those grant funds.
Chairman Tiberi. Thank you.
Mr. Horrocks, you obviously are aware of the long-term care
consumer guide that Joan Lawrence and I worked on. I'm
interested in learning more about how you all up in Delaware
succeeded setting up a resource to help seniors make informed
choices about long-term care needs and costs as well and--
again, how you think that maybe more local offices can do that.
And is there a place that we can encourage that?
Mr. Horrocks. I have a tendency of telling folks that you
never look for the computer ads in the newspaper unless you're
thinking about buying a computer. And I think that's real
similar to--for caregivers, for older folks, for families. They
don't think about these issues until the issue is there. And so
what we try to do is to pull as much information--as much
relevant information as possible and have it in one place and
then to really go out of our way to be out in the community
letting people know that those resources exist and reminding
them that, you know, it may not be an issue for you today; but
down the road, it might be. Or you might have a neighbor or
somebody at church who it's an issue for now. And they need to
be giving us a call if they think that we can help. So there's
a ton of information available, and it's important to--
sometimes too much information for any of us to sort through;
and so having some people that are kind of experts in that and
are, you know--work with it on a daily basis and then having an
easy way for the community and individuals in the community to
access that information. A lot of it is being out in the
community and talking to groups every week. We have our own
newspapers, as you know; and we do a lot of other things to
communicate with folks of all ages that our office is there,
and this is what it's for.
By the way, I thought of one thing that you could do to
help with transportation.
Chairman Tiberi. OK.
Mr. Horrocks. Just lower the price of gas a little bit.
Chairman Tiberi. I'm going to rely on my Texas friend here.
I'll let you respond here a little bit.
Mr. Hinojosa. I couldn't help but hear the word
``transportation'' and the problems that it is presenting
throughout the presentations that were made by all five of you.
And I think it was Mr. Bibler who said that it would be much
easier if they had the software program. Was it not you?
Mr. Bibler. Yes.
Mr. Hinojosa. If they were able to avoid going to the same
residence twice or more. And I was just thinking of an
individual who came by my office not long ago. His name is Bill
Gates, Sr.; and he runs the Melinda--Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation--and a very philanthropic individual. Have you
thought of possibly communicating with Mr. Gates, Sr., and
asking if they might be able to consider a donation of that--of
a software program comparable to what you need and thus be able
to reduce the costs by not having that, you know--repeating as
you said, going to the same residence two or more times. That
was one thought that came up.
The other one is to join a group of Texans who sent me
several e-mails saying that they had come to the conclusion
that the only way to reduce the cost of fuel prices was to
reduce the demand. And the way they were doing it is they were
sending out e-mails to at least a hundred people, and those
hundred had to send it to another group of hundred to stop
buying Mobile--Exxon Mobile gasoline--just to not buy from any
Exxon gasoline station and thus reduce the demand and thus let
them take note that if it is supply and demand, maybe they will
have to reduce the prices and stop giving $400 million bonuses
to the head of the Exxon corporation as they announced last
week for making such high profits. Those are things that
sometimes we don't think about because dealing with the most
basic problems of how to reach the senior citizens and bring
them to where they can socialize and be able to eat a meal and
all of that seems to be our foremost priority; but the
Congress, as you have learned from your very able Chairman, is
going through some very difficult times because of our very
high deficit as we debate the budget for 2007. And that has
resulted in a lot of domestic cuts including Meals-on-Wheels as
everyone in this audience has learned. So we are going to take
recommendations that you all have given us and try to bring
them to Congress, to other members, so that this next month of
May as Pat was saying--that we can try to bring this to a vote
in our committee and then eventually to the House. So we're
going to certainly use your written statements, which will
become part of the permanent record of this hearing; and we're
going to see that this information gets into the right hands.
At lunch, I was convinced that all of you are very well
informed, knowing so much about Ohio versus University of Texas
Longhorns. And there is no doubt in my mind that you will find
ways in which to begin collaborating with us. There's no sense
in just fighting over football. I think that we have to find
ways of collaborating with you to make each state get their
share of the budget.
But I'm going to ask my first question of David. It's
apparent that in Licking County, your food costs increased
significantly, you said, about 73 percent over the last five or
6 years; and your waiting list grows larger every year. Do you
have some estimate as to how much funding you would need just
to stay even with your current and the projected demand over
the next 2 years?
Mr. Bibler. Well, that's a good question. No, I have not
thought that far ahead to try and project how much additional
funds that we would need. The 73 percent that I have in my
testimony not only includes the costs for the number of
increased meals that we've done but, of course, the cost of
food as well. As we all know, the cost of food is affected by
the cost of transportation. And we've certainly beat that horse
enough today as well. But with the numbers that we're looking
at continuing to increase our meals at a pace that soon is
probably going to exceed our capacity to continue delivering
those meals. We've been very fortunate to this point that we
have never had a waiting list for our meals program. We
continue to find a way to get those meals out and serve it to
the people. But with the continued growth that I have expressed
in my testimony, it would make it very difficult for us to
continue to do that. So to answer your question, I really don't
have, I guess, a projection at this point as to how much
additional funding we would need. I guess if you could look at
the growth and our food costs over the course of the last five
or 6 years and project that over the course of the next couple
years, we could be looking, again, at an additional 10 to 15
percent a year possibly in the growth of our meals program
because it does continue to escalate. And I really don't see
that slowing down, especially when I've heard this is the first
year that the baby boomers will be hitting retirement age. And
as those ranks continue to swell, those numbers are going to
continue to grow.
Mr. Hinojosa. Well, I'm going to yield to the Chairman so
that he can finish his questions. But do know that Texas does
have a lot of oil and a lot of oil magnets, and I think that
you will really get their attention when you stop buying Exxon
oil along with some of my other Texans who have agreed to
collaborate and let the demand come down.
Chairman Tiberi. I'm going ask one more question of our
last witness, and then I'll go back to you for another round--
we can go another round after that.
Ms. Ragan, I obviously know of your particular interest in
helping people with Alzheimer's disease. I know it's something
near and dear to your heart, and we're beginning to learn more
and more about Alzheimer's. And one of the things that I think
we're beginning to see is, obviously, you know, that
Alzheimer's can strike someone prior to the age of 60.
Do you believe that under the Older Americans Act it would
be helpful to allow for nutrition services to be provided to
people under the age of 60?
Ms. Ragan. Absolutely. I wouldn't stop at nutrition
services. I would continue with a lot of services primarily
because up until not long ago--and because of the advances in
diagnosing Alzheimer's, when you had someone who was in their
30's, 40's or 50's who seemed to have had behavior problems, et
cetera, it was diagnosed as mental illness. It was not
conceivable that somebody 40 years old could have Alzheimer's
or anyone of the other 26 definable dementias. Now we know--and
in central Ohio, we have people in their 30's, 40's, 50's who
are early onsets, frontal lobes, Pick's disease, Lewy Body
disease. There are no services and no money for these people
under any program that comes under the Ohio Department of Aging
because of the age constraints. We go through this in the state
budget every year. I believe that nutrition would be one,
assistance--You save the state a lot of money; and we proved
this last year in House Bill 66, which was the state budget.
You proved--you saved the state a lot of money. You give people
dignity. You give them choice by enabling them to remain in the
community in the long-term care continuum that they choose to
be in and with a little bit of help. On the other side with our
Home First Program now, we have people coming out of nursing
homes on the 525 funds. We're saving the state a tremendous
amount of money on that in giving people the dignity that they
deserve. I absolutely believe that if possible to have some of
these services--nutrition would be a good start--but there are
a lot of other services that also I would like to see available
to Alzheimer's and related dementias and their caregivers--
families, friends, et cetera--available under the Older
Americans Act. Thank you very much.
Chairman Tiberi. Thank you. I want to turn it over for a
round of questioning to my colleague.
Mr. Hinojosa. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Elise, I'm going to ask you--because I notice that your
state is doing a tremendous job with the resources available.
I'm interested in your efforts to get 60 out of the 88 counties
to pass levies to raise over the $100 million in additional
funding that you requested. Are there other states that you
know of doing this?
Ms. Geig. Yes. Chairman Tiberi and Congressman Hinojosa,
Michigan; Kansas; Louisiana; and North Dakota have local senior
levies as well.
Mr. Hinojosa. That's good. That's good. Are any Ohio
corporations or other industries helping to provide the
financial resources to help you cover the growing unmet need of
your clients in a collaborative manner with the other members
who testified?
Ms. Geig. I'm sure someone else on the panel would be
better able to answer that.
Mr. Hinojosa. Well, maybe Mr. Gehring can tell me what
corporations are collaborating on it.
Mr. Gehring. Many of them right into--and in a different
ways. One is corporations and their foundations provide grants
to assist us in our efforts, and it defrays our costs. And,
second--I think this is a great way to do it--we have over 50
companies right now in central Ohio that volunteer their
employees to deliver Meals-on-Wheels. And what happens with
that is we even have one company here in central Ohio, the
Huntington Bank, that has currently 355 employees actively
delivering meals to eight routes, 5 days a week from four
locations.
And just so you know, if we don't have a volunteer to
deliver that route, we have to pay a driver. Now, a paid driver
to us is generally a retired person earning to about 8 to $9.00
an hour for 3 hours a day's work; plus mileage on their car,
which they drive. But that still adds up to between 10 and
$12,000 a year. So if you have 50 companies running routes from
1 day a week to 5 days a week or 7 days a week, whatever it
might be--normally they don't do the weekends for us--that
defrays our costs incredibly. Last year alone with just the
companies we added, we took--we saved almost $190,000 in our
budget alone last year by these companies doing it. And I would
tell you that the Huntington Bank will tell you, one of their
executive vice-presidents, that it's the best moral builder
they have. So if we----
Mr. Hinojosa. Not only would it be a big morale builder for
the employees who do this work, I wonder if you're working with
the newspapers and television stations to give credit where
credit is due and help their name visibility as givers as they
are to get their name into the newspapers.
Mr. Gehring. We do that every single chance we have. And,
in fact, last evening we had our volunteer recognition evening
for our agency; and we honored a couple of the companies that
are doing it. And there was a reporter there. Sometimes,
though, those stories do not carry quite as well as we would
like to see them. So any emphasis that someone like you could
place on that and highlight it to the news media would really
be helpful because throughout the country--I can tell you
there's another major city in Ohio who really--until a couple
years ago never used volunteers. They used all paid drivers.
And we had helped them kind of get going with that. And I'll
tell you the savings is just amazing. And it's a great thing
that can really help us be more efficient and effective as the
years go by with the Older Americans Act money.
Mr. Hinojosa. I'm delighted to hear that you are working so
hard to give them credit; and I can tell you that any time your
Congressman comes to an event, it will certainly bring the
media. And when he speaks, people hear; and they listen. So I'm
sure that if you could just work it out so that our Chairman
can be at some of these recognition banquets that you're
talking about that those individuals will get a lot of
recognition.
Chairman Tiberi. There is a reporter present in the room.
Mr. Hinojosa. Good. They're going to listen very well to
you for sure.
I'm going to ask Charles Gehring, you have a tremendous
organization; and you mentioned that the average for the senior
stay in hospitals is something less than 10 days per year;
however, your clients average less than 1 day per year. How
have you been able to do this?
Mr. Gehring. Through the services provided with the funding
from the Older Americans Act such as Meals-on-Wheels. I'm very
serious about that. If--When you do the research, the No. 1
reason when people come out of hospital that they go back into
a hospital is that they do not get proper nutrition.
If you think through this for a minute, as I know you
have--Let's say you're a senior. You have a problem that you
have to go to the hospital for some surgery that perhaps you
were not prepared to do. Maybe you need your gallbladder taken
out or something like that. You have that 8-week recovery
period afterwards. What do you do for yourself? I told you
earlier that 70 percent of our clients say they see no other
adults on a regular weekly basis other than our workers. And
with our mobile society in this country, many times the kids
who are my age, being a kid, live far, far away. So how do
these seniors take care of themselves during that recovery
period? And the answer is they end up eating what's ever on
hand, which might be potato chips and cookies; and that's not
going to keep them safe and healthy. They end up back in the
hospital. So by being able to assist them with things like
that--Like we'll do frozen meals for people coming out of the
hospital, which reduces our costs a little bit. Anymore it
doesn't, because we've become more efficient--and our hot
meals. But just by giving them proper nutrition; sending nurses
to their homes, which is Medicare/Medicaid sponsored often
times--the Older Americans Act sponsors homemakers and home
health aids that go out and clean their homes. You can imagine,
once again, someone in distress who's a senior who's had
surgery or just is elderly and is on a walker.
Perhaps--We have a 90-year-old client that I deliver to all
time who's on a walker. She literally can't cook for herself,
because she can't stand at a stove. She can't chop up a carrot,
because she's on a walker. And what does she do about cleaning
her home? For example, her bathroom? How would she do that? I
can tell you she can't do that because she'd fall over.
So through the service funding of the Older Americans Act,
these folks are allowed to stay safe and healthy in their own
home; and they don't go back into the hospital. Because if they
should go to the hospital, when they come out, there are
services there to protect them and help them through their
recovery period.
Now, let's say you didn't have the blip and you never went
into the hospital in the first place. You just happen to be 85
years old and on a walker. The fact of the matter is, you know,
if you're trying to take care of yourself, problems are going
to occur.
We just started a falls prevention program at our place.
It's a big, big issue for seniors if they fall. And often times
they can't rock themselves back up, et cetera, et cetera. So
there's just a need for these types assistance for them.
The homemakers that are sponsored by the Older Americans
Act--Gosh, what an important program that is. When you're an
elderly person and you're not as mobile as you used to be, do
you really clean your house? And the answer is they can't. So
what happens? You end up in squalid conditions.
And I would tell you just as an aside to that, who does
stay with these seniors every day? And the answer is the 64
percent of our clients have a dog and 62 percent have a cat.
Those are their families.
I have a client that I deliver to, an elderly gentleman, he
has a beagle like Snoopy. When you walk into his house, you
smell beagle. OK? And we have had to go out and assist him many
times in cleaning his house so that he has more hygienic
conditions so that he does not get sick and then stays out of
the hospital.
So it's just all these things; and I think, you know--We
talk about congregate dining and the transportation and the
congregate dining sites for socialization. When you don't have
that, you get depressed because you're lonely. The clients we
all service are lonely. And depression puts you in the hospital
in one way or another, whether it calls you to be sad; not
sleep at night; have a heart problem; fall; whatever it might
be. All these things are issues that are bad for our seniors
but are solved through the funding of the Older Americans Act.
Mr. Hinojosa. Thank you for that input.
Bob, is it pronounced Horrocks?
Mr. Horrocks. Horrocks.
Mr. Hinojosa. I want to ask you a question, but let me
first make a comment that we're moving in the amendments in our
bill to increase the opportunities for organizations such as
yours to help states plan for futures services for the aging.
You are very active. Are other counties in Ohio as
supportive in this regard as is Delaware?
Mr. Horrocks. There are 88 counties in Ohio, and there are
88 different counties; and, unfortunately, resources are not
equal in every place. And so for example, when we were able to
take PASSPORT, our state PASSPORT program statewide, that made
a huge difference because no matter what county you live in,
you will at least have that Medicaid Waiver Program in your
county; and you will be treated equally. But for our Older
Americans Act services, for example, you will find, you know,
very poor counties in Ohio that just don't have available very
many local resources. And they may rely totally on the Older
Americans Act funding. And it's--You've heard about the problem
with 50 cents on a dollar with Older Americans Act funding; and
that has really impacted probably most the poorer counties in
Ohio, because there's not other resources available to them.
And so, yeah, I would think that we're fortunate in many ways
to have a statewide--the waiver program. We're fortunate to
have 12 strong Area Agencies on Aging in Ohio and our State
Department of Aging. But we do have large pockets of poverty,
and those folks are probably hurt the worst when it comes to
not enough funding available for the Older Americans Act.
Mr. Hinojosa. Let me ask you, you make a very compelling
case in the presentation that you made on the financial
resources for the Act due to loss of purchasing power for the
services. We face some of the same issues trying to support
Pell Grants for college students in our education committee.
Mr. Tiberi and I are very sympathetic to your concerns; but we
have to convince House and Senate colleagues as well as the
White House--the administration will have given us the proposed
budget for 2007. I'd urge you to contact every member, as we
talked during lunch, at the right time that Mr. Tiberi sends a
signal, because they're going to pay close attention when they
get inundated with messages that all of you said is very
important to Ohio. And I think that would make our work easier
to bring back some of those cuts that were proposed.
I've learn a great deal from each one of you from your
presentations, and I think I'll wait and ask any other
questions that I have.
With that, I yield back to you, Chairman.
Chairman Tiberi. Thank you Mr. Hinojosa. You know, it's
interesting, one of the things that I have found as a Member of
Congress, probably the most important thing that a President
budget provides--because I don't think it provides a whole lot
other than a lot of controversy usually because it's very
rarely implemented, it's usually dead on arrival--is that it
does get people engaged in the Federal process; and if it
weren't for the budget quite frankly, I think most people
wouldn't be engaged in the Federal funding process. What do I
mean by that? I have people constantly--and I'm sure you do
too--complain to me that they never--you know, they pay a lot
of taxes; but they don't get any Federal services. And people
are shocked to find out that actually Federal services touch
them a lot, and one of them is a the Older Americans Act.
I think--I had an aunt who was a Meals-on-Wheels volunteer;
and she had no clue that Federal Government was involved,
because she told me, ``What a great program. You know,
government always doesn't solve all the problems, and this is a
perfect example. Meals-on-Wheels is a totally volunteer
program.''
And I said, ``Well the Federal Government is a bit involved
in the program.''
Here's my point, though, Chuck, I think what's important
about what we're today, having this hearing today and having
one in Texas and having a debate on budgets--And I think if you
walk through this senior center, it wouldn't surprise me that
most of these seniors probably don't realize that the Federal
Government is providing a service to them that they don't
realize the Federal Government is providing. They might think
the state's providing it, but the state may be only a pass
through. They might be thinking the county provides it. And the
county certainly is a partner as well as the state, but it
really is all about partnerships. And LifeCare certainly as a
nonprofit exemplifies that partnership more than most, both at
the local; state; national; private sector; and nonprofit
level.
To that point, Chuck, let me ask you a question. With
respect to the private sector, do you think the Act currently
makes it difficult for you all at LifeCare to generate income
from private sources outside of what you do? And can we do
something to help you?
Mr. Gehring. I would say it does not make it difficult. The
only way it might make it difficult is that there is a
perception out there that because we or any other program
receives governmental funding for our organization that that
covers everything. OK? And I will tell you, I've had that said
to me a number of times. So one thing that perhaps would help
us is if we could better educate as we attempt to do every day
of the week. And I know these folks around this table do this
every day of the week, too, try to educate our private sector
partners as to how the whole system works. And sometimes it's
very difficult for them to understand. We're not going to kid
you here. But with increased education, they start learning
that they are a key part of it--different things that they can
do, and then we move on from there.
Meals-on-Wheels of America for the Meals-on-Wheels program
is really trying to promote to other areas some of these
private/public partnerships, especially with the companies. You
know, we think that the companies delivering meals for us--It's
just a no-brainer, to use a technical term there. The fact of
the matter is it costs them nothing. You know, companies
nowadays--A few years ago there was a shift, and there was a
lot of literature about this in the magazines and things like
this--is that companies wanted to cut back. They had to cut
back because of tight budgets in their own areas with how much
they could give to charities in this country. You know,
delivering meals doesn't cost them a dime, so it's a way for
them to really get involved; to promote themselves.
We have a number of public companies that talk about this.
They're volunteering constantly, because their shareholders
like to hear about their involvement in the community; and that
it's smart involvement. It's not just writing a check, walking
away, and not knowing what happened to their money. So I think
there's just--so from that standpoint, I think there is a
perception that the governmental funding covers all, which, of
course, it doesn't; and the more we can educate these folks,
the better off we can be.
Chairman Tiberi. I think Ruben's right. If I were an
aspiring reporter or a really important reporter, I think,
writing a column about how LifeCare Alliance couldn't exist
without the private sector support and how it complements the
public sector. It's a great story for any inspiring reporter.
Mr. Horrocks, I read in your testimony--You didn't talk
about it in your oral testimony, but I read about your Senior
Choice Program--your Senior Choices Program managed by the
counsel. It appeared to me that it was very similar to what the
Bush Administration has proposed called the Choices for
Independence Plan in their proposed budget. Can you tell me how
participants have responded to your program in Delaware County?
Am I reading something wrong in the fact that it sounds--Has
the Bush Administration come and copied you?
Mr. Horrocks. I might have a hard time living that down in
some circles. Well, the fact of the matter is that program
started because we just listened to people in our community;
and they were telling us two things. One was we don't know
where to go for help. And usually in a crisis you're desperate,
and it wasn't obvious where to go for help. The other thing we
were told was when we do go--when we do find a place, there's
most more often than not a waiting list; and we wanted to--You
know, if you need three or four different services in order to
stay out of a nursing home and only a couple of them are
available and you've got to wait for the others for a few
weeks, a lot of the times the path of least resistance is to a
much more expensive care environment. And if you only need a
little bit of help--if some in-home services can help you stay
at home, you know, that is absolutely the model of the state
PASSPORT Program and our local Senior Choices Program. It's--
That's where people want to stay; and it's less expensive to do
it, so it's pretty much a no-brainer. So maybe that's where the
Bush Administration's idea came from because it's obvious. It's
less expensive to government, and it's what people want, and
what we need to do is create a friendly system that makes it
easy to access and gives people choices. And so I would hope
that, you know, anyone would come to that same conclusion.
That's why the PASSPORT Program is so popular. That's why our
Senior Choices Program is popular. It provides a broad array of
services that meet people's needs, and it's less expensive than
going into a place where you don't want to be.
Chairman Tiberi. Are other counties doing that, to your
knowledge as well?
Mr. Horrocks. Yes. Again, it's not universal; but there are
many counties in Ohio that are doing that.
Chairman Tiberi. Thank you.
Mr. Bibler, in your written testimony, one of the things
that you stressed that I have not seen both in Washington and
our hearing in Texas or the hearing here is your focus on the
prevention of elderly abuse. Can you talk to us and explain to
us how elderly abuse prevention efforts are fragmented out
there and how maybe we can do better in putting more focus on
the need to prevent elderly abuse?
Mr. Bibler. Well, I don't think there's enough attention
given to it. As I stated in my written testimony and my oral
testimony, too, we only have one adult protective services
worker in our county to cover the entire county. This is one
issue that in the 10 years I've been director of the aging
program, it's probably been the one that has disgusted me the
most in how our elderly people are treated, especially by their
family members. We have many older adults who have children
living within the same county that never come over to see them;
you know, will not bring them a warm meal on the weekend and
will not come over and socialize with them; and if it wasn't
for our employees and volunteers going out and delivering the
meal and providing personal care and homemaking services, they
would not get that contact.
A lot of it is probably more neglect than abuse, although,
there are issues of abuse, as well, too, that we encounter; but
the system is just so inundated that, you know--And the laws in
the state of Ohio make it very difficult for Adult Protective
Services to do their job; to go out and, you know, really help
these folks out and also to bring the people to justice who are
abusing or neglecting the elderly. And I think we just need to
focus a little bit more of our attention to these folks.
I consider the elderly and our youth the two age groups
that really as a community and as a government we need to
protect because they're vulnerable. And I don't think enough
attention has been given to elderly abuse. You hear a lot about
children and child abuse and what Children Services does in
each of our communities, but not enough attention is given to
the abuse and neglect of our elderly. And I think this is
something we need to look at.
Chairman Tiberi. Any thoughts of how we can do that through
the Act, through the reauthorization of the Act?
Mr. Bibler. Well, here again, it comes down, I think, to
funding is a lot of it; also education. I don't think enough
people are aware. When I go out and tell people about how our
elderly are abused and neglected in our community, they are
shocked to hear that. They don't realize there are so many
indigent seniors living in our community. Because when you
think of that, you think of the single parents with one income
that, you know, don't have the money; but they don't realize
their seniors don't either. So I think, you know, if there was
some funding that could be made available to educate people
about it, to make people aware of it, because it may be their
neighbor; and they don't even realize it. Because we have
become a society where we kind of stick to ourselves. Years ago
you had neighborhoods where you would go out and talk with your
neighbors and everybody knew who everybody was on the street.
And I don't think we see that much anymore. And I think people
need to know that it's out there. And if funding was available
that could filter down to the states so that more people could
be hired to go out and investigate incidents of abuse and
negligent, it would certainly help out.
Chairman Tiberi. I don't know if you could answer this or
maybe Chuck. Are volunteers who deliver meals--Are they taught
to look for signs of neglect?
Mr. Bibler. Our employees and volunteers become very close
to their clients. They will actually come in and have arguments
with me about their clients. You know, ``These are my clients,
and they some need help, and we're not doing enough.'' They
become very attached to them. They become very defensive for
them, and they will fight for them. So our employees--We do--As
a matter of fact, just this past Tuesday we had the lady from
Adult Productive Services in to speak at our staff meeting so
that they would know what are things that they can look for,
what are things that they can report, and who it is that they
can report them to.
Chairman Tiberi. Chuck, could you follow up on that?
Mr. Gehring. I agree with Dave. And our folks are trained.
But also I would point out, the Older Americans Act funds for
our counties here come through the Central Ohio Area Agency on
Aging. And that organization, which is lead by Cindy Farson,
who's sitting right over here, their director, has assessors
who go out and assess the clients; and they also have case
workers who go out and case manage clients. So those folks are
out there on a regular basis. There are also requirements with
some of the funding that you visit clients on regular bases.
OK? You have to go out and see them, which is a great thing,
but not just with a volunteer but with somebody who's really
trained to do it. But I can tell you the volunteers--We have
such a quality group of volunteers as Dave does and a quality
group of employees. If they think something is wrong, they
can--Generally what will happen is they contact somebody else.
Chairman Tiberi. Bob, any thoughts on that?
Mr. Horrocks. Similar situation with our volunteers.
They're the best eyes of the community. They get to know folks.
They know when something's different, and they let somebody
know, and we train them to do that. They do it anyway. But the
counsel is involved with doing investigations for neglect,
abuse, and exploitation. We take the complaints. And I will
tell you that those situations are the worst ones we deal with,
the most difficult to deal with. A lot of it is self-neglect;
and unlike our other clients who are coming to us and families
who are coming to us and sons and daughters who are coming to
us asking for us and are very appreciative of what we're able
to do, this group of people generally doesn't want help. And
they don't want to see you coming because you're coming because
a neighbor complained about the smell or because of you know--
If you're the daughter or son in the household and you're being
accused of something, you don't want somebody coming into your
house and investigating that. It takes a lot of time and a lot
of energy. When I see the resources that we have in this state
for this, it's ridiculous because this is the most time-
intensive stuff that we work on. And so I would underscore the
need for funding for that program.
Additionally, training for those folks that are going to
see this out in the community; training for people that work in
banks; training for people, you know, at the post office; fire
fighters; police; sheriff's department. These folks all come in
contact, and they need to be a lot more sensitive to some of
the issues that are around them.
Chairman Tiberi. Did you have a point on this?
Ms. Ragan. A year ago, January, Director Lawrence and
Attorney General Pitro put out the elder abuse task force
study. Subsequent to that, in Ohio, Senate Bill 175 was
introduced by David Goodman. It ran into some problems. What it
would do--And maybe this can come from a Federal level down the
state level. Some of your local officials said it was an
unfunded mandate. What you need to have is uniformity. What
we're looking for now in the reintroduction of the APS Bill is
some uniformity within--in the case of Ohio, all 88 counties so
that when they get a report of abuse, that there are particular
steps that are followed so that if you're in Delaware or
Franklin or Licking, it's addressed. If you're in Adams or
Vinton and Appalachia, they're not addressed; and that it is
not an unfunded mandate. I think that it would help all of the
states--And I can only speak to Ohio. I think it would help a
lot of states if there was some involvement through the Older
Americans Act that would enable or--I hate to use the term
``force''--force the states to have a uniform reporting
condition in each one of them.
Chairman Tiberi. Thank you.
Ms. Ragan. Thank you.
Mr. Hinojosa. Ginni, you were chosen to be part of the Ohio
delegation to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging.
Ms. Ragan. Yes, sir.
Mr. Hinojosa. So you represent--you spoke for all Ohioans
when you went to that conference. We've talked a lot about the
difficulties of the transportation, the costs, the food; but we
haven't talked at all about the rising costs in prescription
medicine. And for these folks, senior citizens, that has become
a very serious problem and our Medicare/Medicaid program that
we worked on a couple years ago has not been able to give
discounted medication to very low income families.
Tell me, please, do you all work with some of the large
companies like Pfizer or Merck in trying to get medication--
free medication or medication for maybe as low as $10.00 for
those individuals who probably are receiving less than a
thousand dollars a month from Social Security and very little
help from Medicaid? What are you all doing with those big
companies?
Ms. Ragan. First of all, several years ago--the director is
sitting here--We started--were able to get through the
legislature the Golden Buckeye prescriptive drug program, which
gave discounts on prescriptive drugs. We also have pharmacies
such as--or pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, et cetera
that you can get discounted drugs from or those at no cost at
all, I know from working with nurses who are out in the field
with the elderly and with Alzheimer's. Our program has saved
millions and millions of dollars for our people. We had another
program put in, which was called Ohio's Best RX, which applied
not only to our elderly. When Medicare, Part D, came in last
year--And we did a tremendous amount of educating on that. We
feel with those citizens that have used it and have used the
forms that were provided by CMS--The tools are in the tool box.
They're there. If you use them--It is not a system that you
can't possibly negotiate. You can very easily. In the beginning
there was snafoos. But when you look at all of the help with
Medicare, Part D--which we thank you gentlemen for--when you
look at the Golden Buckeye prescriptive drug card, when you
look at Ohio's Best RX, yes, I think Ohio has done a tremendous
job in trying to help our citizens, especially our elderly,
with getting reductions on their prescriptive drug medicines.
Mr. Hinojosa. Well, from listening to you, you all have a
much better handle on this problem than we do this Texas. We
had a public hearing, and we talked about this specific
problem, and we need to make big improvements like you just
described. I brought this up because this magazine just came
out a few days ago, the Fortune magazine that lists the top 500
companies in our United States; and in the top 20, Pfizer is
one of the most profitable. And the pharmaceutical industry
reported this last year that out of every dollar that they
brought in, in revenues, 15.7 percent--15.7 cents out of every
dollar was profit. So they need to be in the forefront of some
of the companies.
When I asked the question earlier, ``Are we collaborating
with big companies?'' Well, they, particularly Pfizer and
Merck, should be brought to the table to be one of our partners
in this program because in Texas, in south Texas, we really
count on them to help us with these families, these individuals
who are far below the national poverty level and that
medication. And the cost of prescription medication is a
serious problem. So I'll get off of that, but I did mention it
because I just happened to be reading that magazine on my trip
here to Ohio.
I want to ask you a question, Ginni, on volunteers. Has the
advisory committee tried to increase volunteers for program
resources from other Ohio state programs or other Ohio
services?
Ms. Ragan. Not being able to address all of them. With the
advisory counsel, sir, the 12 of us that are appointed by the
Governor, we send them back to their communities. We
represent--I represent central Ohio. We send them back into
their communities to get people involved with their senior
centers, with their senior programs; and, of course,
legislation and advocacy. I think through your local
organizations such as your senior center that we are at here, I
know mental health in Ohio--I know they look for volunteers all
the time. I think a lot of us also are involved with nonprofits
where we sit on boards where we volunteer a lot of time.
Is it a statewide volunteer effort under any one tent? Not
that I'm aware of. I think--Excuse me. Yes. In the Ohio
Department of Aging, we do have the state ombudsmen, and they
are from all around the state. When there is any complaint
filed by any individual resident in a nursing facility or care
facility, they are empowered to go in, to investigate and to
follow-up with anything that they find in their investigation.
They do a tremendous job, absolutely tremendous job.
We just trained all of the state ombudsmen several weeks
ago in dementia training, which was under our budget last year.
And we have trained them all to look and see when they go in on
a complaint if, in fact, there is cause and how to treat those
complaints. But the ombudsmen do a tremendous amount of
volunteer work. The rest of us--other than a statewide effort--
I'm not aware of one big, huge umbrella in this state.
Mr. Hinojosa. Well, if I may suggest it to you, I have some
young children, ages 10 and 12. And we have been trying to talk
to them about learning how to give back to the community and
learn to volunteer. And just in looking at what is required to
get accepted into some of the high schools there in North
Virginia where we live, they have to not just have good grades,
they have to show that they are volunteers for programs like
yours. And so we're beginning to introduce them to that.
Last week they had Earth Day, and they worked all day
Saturday in the rain and in the cold, and they picked up I
don't know how many tons of trash and stuff. I said that's only
one example.
Your program is a wonderful one for teenagers if they could
just be introduced. And if they don't know about it, it's our
fault. We need to consider how we can work with the schools and
the counselors. So that if somebody needs to put in some hours
in the community as volunteers that they begin to get
acquainted with what your needs are, and then we bring them in.
I going ask another question of David. How can we in the
reauthorization address this transportation problem that came
up with three out of the five of you as a big concern, a big
problem for you to get the job done?
Mr. Bibler. What I think, as I had mentioned earlier, you
know, one of the biggest issues that we face is the condition
of our vehicles; and the fact that there is no longer state
funding available. And that was an 80/20 match. So we could get
a $40,000 wheelchair lift vehicle for $8,000. That has dried
up. And that's a big concern of ours right now is how we're
going to continue to replace those vehicles. And Licking County
is the second largest county geographically in the state of
Ohio. So we put a lot of vehicles--or a lot of miles on our
vehicles as I mentioned earlier trying to get out; transport
people to medical appointments; and also transport people to
the meal sites, which is primarily what we do. So I think
additional funding that could be available in that area would
certainly help us there.
And also as I mentioned, too, that there is some assistance
available; and I had written down your suggestion of contacting
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for a program that would
allow us to coordinate our transportation efforts because that
would allow us to do more with the funds that we all have and
could combine our resources to do that. And so that is
certainly something, as well.
But, you know, again, most of it comes down to funding;
being able to make the resources available to us so that we can
have the vehicles to go out. As I told many people, if you gave
us funding for 20 additional vehicles, we still probably could
not meet all the transportation demands of the seniors in our
community, being mostly a rural county. We are very fortunate
that we have a very good taxing program within our city of
where folks living within the cities of Newark and Heath can
get to most places they want within those boundaries. Whereas,
the people in those outlying areas that have a difficult time
getting to doctors' appointments, whether it's into our--into
Newark or whether it's going to Columbus. We transport a lot of
people to Columbus where many of the specialists in central
Ohio reside and work. And so we transport a lot of people for
them--a lot of people over to the Columbus area as well.
Mr. Hinojosa. I thank you for those suggestions. We'll do
everything we can to include those in the reauthorization.
My last question is to Elise. Elise, do you have any
recommendations for Pat and for me that we need to address in
this report that we're going to be turning in for this public
hearing that you consider to be your most important issue and
concern that you want us to address?
Ms. Geig. Well, definitely our top eight recommendations
that you heard over and over again are our big priorities. I
would have to say that definitely to reauthorize the bill. To
reauthorize the Older Americans Act is a No. 1 priority. As
everyone on the panel has said, increased funding for all of
the titles and services to maintain those and to increase them
is another priority. A lot of the titles and services have been
maintained over the years--or services have been cut.
Definitely we need those to be maintained or increased,
definitely.
Recommendations that we have as a department--We felt very
strongly--We have several programs that we feel very strongly
about. Our EDRCs we feel very strong about, a lot of the
Federal initiatives, the consumer directed care, long-term care
on both of the programs we're very proud of. A lot of the
feelings I've talked about--Mr. Bibler talked about the APS and
how that's been something that needs to be addressed and our
ombudsman program has been very strong in Ohio. As Ginni has
also acknowledged, that's a very strong voluntary program. So
we do want to maintain title funding for that. I think all of
our top eight recommendations are very, very strong
recommendations; and we don't want any of those to be ignored.
Mr. Hinojosa. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, I want to repeat that they have been
excellent, our panelists have been excellent; and we--at least
I feel that I have learned a great deal from you. And we'll
commit to take that first and high priority of getting it
reauthorized, to work closely with Chairman Tiberi and other
members of our committee--subcommittee so we can report back to
you that we got it done. Thank you.
With that, I yield back.
Chairman Tiberi. Thank you, Mr. Hinojosa, for coming out to
Columbus and central Ohio today. And thank you to all the
panelists. You got see a little glimpse of my colleague and my
ranking member, and it's just a joy to work with him. He can
use a soft glove and criticize corporate America at the same
time while talking about how important it is for volunteers to
be part of that solution and--with respect to his kids.
It reminds me a little bit of when I was in college and my
parents encouraged me to volunteer at a nursing home in our
neighborhood where we grew up, and it was called Norfolk
Terrace. I'm sure all of you heard of you have heard of Norfolk
Terrace. And it--you know, it provided me, not having
grandparents in the United States because they were all in
Italy, the opportunity to interact with not only elderly but
folks who obviously had some severe needs, many of whom did not
have families; and it provided me a different perspective,
which I think is very helpful to all of us, providing us
different perspectives.
And a great irony today is a good friend of mine from high
school is now in that nursing home going through rehabilitation
from a severe auto accident that he was in. It's now called
Villa Angela. But, you know, how ironic life can be sometimes.
But it really speaks to what the heart of what some of you see
every day; and that this is complex--very important, but
complex. And it requires so many different people, so many
different organizations to be helpful and ultimately providing
the goal of helping older Americans. I've got to tell you, if
it was just as simple as Ruben and I agreeing, it would be
reauthorized tomorrow. Unfortunately, not everybody has his
disposition or the work--What's it called--the working
environment together that we have to try to get things done.
But we obviously both believe very strongly in trying to get
this done as quickly as possible. So we're going to do
everything within our power to reauthorize this and to make it
as good as we can make it and get the bill reauthorized. I
think that's ultimately our goal is to get it reauthorized.
Mr. Hinojosa. Would the Chairman yield?
Chairman Tiberi. Yes.
Mr. Hinojosa. It reminds me that his Italian heritage and
my Mexican heritage have something in common. My mother was 95,
as I said earlier; and she taught us a lot of things. And her
daughters and her daughters-in-law would often times ask her,
``Well, what's your secret to be able to get to 94 and still
remember so many things so many things and stories?''
And she said that there were lots of things that she could
accredit that to. One was doing the crossword puzzle and the
other one was to work outside on her garden.
And one of the daughters said--well, daughters-in-law said,
``Well, Mama Marina, is there any truth that maybe a little bit
of wine once in awhile.''
And she said, ``Oh, no question about it. I keep my good
red wines in the kitchen, and that's a necessity as is--I'm
sure that has taken me to this age of 94.''
So all I can say is that we'll just have to look at our
Italian and Mexican cultures and find ways in which to get this
top priority passed by reminding the other Members of the
Congress that there is hope if we could just work together.
Chairman Tiberi. I agree.
Thanks for coming in. Thank you to the panelists. Again,
your testimony has been invaluable for us as we move forward.
While we won't get everything we want in this reauthorization,
we will get as good a deal as we can get; and ultimately, the
reauthorization of this act is obviously very, very important.
So we'll do that.
I want to thank the staff: Moira, Ricardo, Kate, and
Angela, who is here from Washington but from Columbus. And
we'll get to visit with her family this evening. And thank you,
Lucy, as well, coming from Washington. Thank you for coming as
well and making this official. And with that, I just want to
thank all the witnesses, again; the audience that is here for
their participation. And if there is no further business before
us, the subcommittee stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 4:38 p.m., the committee was adjourned.]
[Additional statement from the National Council on
Disability follows:]
Prepared Statement of the National Council on Disability
The National Council on Disability (NCD) is an independent federal
agency charged with making recommendations to the President and
Congress to enhance the quality of life for all Americans with
disabilities and their families. The overall purpose of the NCD is to
promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee
equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless of
the nature or severity of the disability; and to empower individuals
with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent
living, and integration into all aspects of society. The NCD is
required by its authorizing statute to advise the Administration and
Congress regarding laws and issues that affect people with
disabilities.
The NCD would like to submit the following executive summaries for
the record of the Subcommittee on Select Education's April 28, 2006
Field Hearing on the Older Americans Act. Attached please find the
executive summary of our 2005 report, The State of Long-Term Services
and Supports: Financing and System Reform for Americans with
Disabilities, followed by the executive summary of our 2004 report,
Livable Communities for Adults with Disabilities. Please note that a
web-link for each complete report precedes its respective summary. A
statement by Martin Gould to the Social Security Advisory Board
describing the Long Term Services report has been included as an
introduction to the subject matter. The Livable Communities report is
accompanied by a brief excerpt from a press release. Information
identical to the body of this email is attached as a Word document.
Thank you.
The State of 21st Century LTSS: Financing and Systems Reform for
Americans with Disabilities, Remarks by Martin Gould to the
Social Security Advisory Board, January 31, 2006
In 2005, the National Council on Disability (NCD) engaged in
research regarding the nation's LTSS ``system'' because it grew
increasingly concerned about the (a) lack of a coherent national long-
term services and supports (LTSS) public policy for all people with
disabilities; (b) fragmented nature of service and support delivery
systems, with uneven access and services provisions; and (c) LTSS costs
of 22 percent or more of state budgets, which are fast becoming
unsustainable. On December 15, 2005, NCD released The State of 21st
Century Long-Term Services and Supports: Financing and Systems Reform
for Americans with Disabilities (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/
publications/2005/longterm--services.doc). The following facts and
conclusions are drawn from that report.
What Do We Know About the Status of LTSS in America?
LTSS is not just for seniors. Most LTSS data and definitions are
based on people 65 and older. It's impossible for policy makers and
researchers to accurately calculate current and future costs without a
clear consensus as to who is to be covered by a LTSS system and how
eligibility will be calculated.
A growing senior population will need access to affordable LTSS.
Today, twenty percent of people 65 and over will require assistance
with at least one ADL and 50% will require assistance by age 85. By
2045, people over age 65 who are in need of assistance with 2 ADLs will
grow from 1.8 million to 3.8 million.
The incidence of disability is rising for the younger population
and the impact on future LTSS costs is unclear. Little data has
forecast what this will mean for future LTSS costs and services. There
is no aggregated data on the overall costs of LTSS using definitions
(e.g., National Council on Disability) that includes transportation,
nutrition, and housing.
It is unclear what LTSS truly looks like for people under age 65
across disabilities that are working and living in the community. There
is little research on the disparities in LTSS needs and costs among
diverse populations. The issues of poverty, lack of insurance and
continued segregation from an affordable and consistent health care
system will increase the future needs and costs for LTSS for diverse
populations in the U.S. who are projected to make up 50 percent of the
American population by 2050.
The growth in Medicaid spending is unsustainable. The ability of
states to respond to current and future LTSS needs is beyond their
capacity and resources if health care costs continue to rise at double-
digit rates. Private long term care insurance is not designed for
people under 65 years of age. Private long term care insurance targets
individuals age 65 and older within specific disease categories. Over
six million Americans own private long term care insurance and 50
percent of the claims paid are for Alzheimer's and other forms of
dementia.
In understanding future LTSS costs, the role of care giving and
workforce issues is unclear.
Nearly 44 million American caregivers age 18 and over provide
unpaid care to an adult age 18 or older. Six out of ten of these
caregivers are employed while providing care, most are women age 50 or
older. Paid direct care workers are in short supply. The turnover rate
in nursing facilities is nearly 100%, while home care agencies have
annual turnover rates between 40% and 60%.
This nation faces major challenges to its LTSS workforce. LTSS
workers who provide paid care are often without health insurance and
other employee benefits and frequent turnover of staff occurs due to
low wages and lack of benefits.
There is no coordinated, comprehensive response to LTSS needs
despite the diversity of challenges associated with varying types of
disabilities. The current system of response to individual LTSS needs
is dependent on state specific differences in coverage, resource
allocation and targeted populations. In addition, Medicaid LTSS
provided to a person in one state does not transfer to another state if
that person moves. Additionally, current costs are not a customized
response to individual needs.
There is little political or public understanding of LTSS needs.
Fifty-nine percent of Americans have given little or no thought at all
to the issue of LTSS. Most Americans think of LTSS as long-term care
for seniors with severe chronic disabilities who reside in nursing
homes. This perception is a holdover from the 1960s when Medicaid and
Medicare were first established and reflects a system of care that is
outdated and no longer cost effective. Few Americans ever think of LTSS
for individuals under the age of 65 with significant disabilities who
are living and working in the community. Many people do not realize
that there is no LTSS public policy for individuals of moderate to
middle income whether over or under the age of 65. Despite the movement
today to provide services and supports in the home and community,
almost 70 percent of Medicaid resources for LTSS still supports
individuals in nursing facilities or state institutions.
There is fragmentation of the Federal system of LTSS. Depending on
where you live, your age, your economic status, and the nature of your
disability, you will face different options and levels of response to
LTSS needs. Furthermore, there is no single federal program, federal
agency, or congressional committee is charged with the responsibility
for the management, funding, and oversight of LTSS; however, 23 federal
agencies are actively involved in LTSS using a broad based definition.
Policy makers are not asking the hard questions. Most exercises in
forecasting future visions for long-term service and support policy do
not address the hard questions: What services should be guaranteed to
individuals who are unable to provide for themselves? What protections
from catastrophic loss should be afforded? And, most importantly, who
will pay?
Consumers are not providing real solutions. Perhaps most alarmingly
of all the findings, Americans with disabilities are not leading the
LTSS policy discussion(s).
Finally, no proposals have provided a total picture of what LTSS
costs for people with lifelong disabilities would look like, and no
studies exist that provide viable funding alternatives for a new
system.
Conclusion
It is imperative that our nation transform its LTSS programs,
financing, and policies to promote and protect individual dignity and
independence within the context of supportive families and communities
and to circumvent the impending storm created by our growing
demographic and economic challenges. If we are to achieve real change
in our current system of LTSS, we will need to base the transformation
on a: (a) broad definition; (b) fundamental set of operating
assumptions that serve as the basis for real change to occur; and (c)
series of action steps.
A broad definition of long-term service and supports will reflect
people's essential needs for maintaining a quality of life with maximum
dignity and independence. Housing, transportation, nutrition,
technology, personal assistance, and other social supports should be
included in a definition of long-term services and supports.
Furthermore, there are five operating assumptions that need to be
addressed by policymakers who undertake any major effort intending to
achieve meaningful change in LTSS. First, people who are elderly and
people with disabilities both desire and deserve choices when seeking
assistance with daily living in order to maintain their self-
determination, dignity and independence. Second, without significant
reform, the current financing mechanisms, both public and private, will
become unsustainable in the near future. LTSS must be affordable to all
Americans regardless of income level and we must consider opportunities
to leverage public and private support in new ways without
impoverishing beneficiaries. Third, there is an opportunity with the
changing demographic picture of the United States to explore the
possibilities of a universal approach to the design and financing of
supports that is responsive to individuals with disabilities both under
and over the age of 65 without sacrificing individual choice and
flexibility. Fourth, formal and informal care giving must be sustained;
and family needs and workforce recruitment and retention challenges
must be addressed. Fifth, the approach to quality must examine consumer
direction and control of resources in addition to traditional external
quality assurance mechanisms.
Finally, we need to engage in a series of action steps and
activities to make the transformation happen. These action steps
include: Increase policymaker knowledge and understanding of public and
private costs and benefits of LTSS for people with disabilities under
age 65 and their families; design and implement an action plan to
monitor and oversee states' activities to meet their ADA obligations as
a result of the Olmstead Supreme Court decision; decouple eligibility
for home and community-based waiver services from determination of
nursing home eligibility; increase support for family members and
others in their role as informal and unpaid caregivers for individuals
with disabilities of all ages; improve the supply, retention, and
performance of direct support workers to meet increasing demand; hold
states accountable for rebalancing their system to increase home and
community-based LTSS; explore possible relationships between private
LTSS insurance products and publicly financed LTSS; and, improve
consumer understanding, knowledge, and skills to develop a person-
centered plan and self-direct an individual LTSS budget.
As the number of Americans requiring LTSS increases, the existing
fragmented ``system'' will become increasingly incapable of being
sustained. Without a dramatic change of direction, disaster is
inevitable.
The State of 21st Century Long-Term Services and Supports--Financing
and Systems Reform for Americans with Disabilities
December 15, 2005.
The complete version of this report can be found at: http://
www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2005/longterm--services.doc
Executive Summary
Introduction
Long-term services and supports (LTSS) is not only an issue for
older Americans but also for younger individuals with disabilities, and
any LTSS financing and system reform efforts must consider both
populations.
The current LTSS system is funded primarily by state and federal
programs. More specifically, Medicaid is the primary payer of LTSS in
this country. Medicaid paid for 45 percent of the $137 billion this
country spent on LTSS in FY 2000. Yet, despite the amount of money that
state and federal programs are allocating to LTSS, individuals and
their families still pay out of pocket for nearly one-third of LTSS
expenses.
Although the population of people who have disabilities and people
who are elderly has indicated a preference for receiving LTSS in home-
and community-based settings, a federal institutional bias exists.
Presently, about 1.6 million people live in nursing homes, group homes,
and other institutional facilities. At the same time, there are about 2
million to 2.4 million people on waiting lists or in need of some type
of LTSS.
Options for LTSS are emerging. Aging and disability advocates are
working with the health care industry to create a continuum of care,
including such services as assisted living, adult day services, and
home care. Governors have creatively used the Medicaid waiver process
to increase home- and community-based services for people who are
elderly and people with disabilities.
Although financing is the cornerstone of the LTSS issue, other
issues are critical in building an adequate, seamless, and effective
LTSS system to meet the increasing needs of aging baby boomers and the
increasing numbers of individuals with disabilities who have LTSS
needs. These issues include supporting family caregivers, addressing
workforce shortages, improving the quality of LTSS services, and
improving access to transportation and housing.
Recognizing, in particular, that the impending age wave of baby
boomers will significantly increase the demand for LTSS in the coming
decades, the National Council on Disability was interested in
researching the issues of LTSS financing and systems reform. This
report addresses those issues.
The development of long-term services and supports (LTSS)
comprehensive policy will define the future economic independence of
Americans with disabilities. Changing demographic and economic trends,
here and abroad, will demand that the United States retool its
programmatic and financial infrastructure to protect and promote
individual dignity and independence of all Americans with disabilities.
The development of sustainable and affordable LTSS public policy for
the 21st century-funded through a unique combination of individual
contributions, innovative private sector assistance, and public
support-will provide a new security for Americans with disabilities to
work and live independently. Although 20th century advances
revolutionized the concept of health care and longevity for many
Americans, increasing life expectancy by 30 years, they fell short in
providing an affordable LTSS public policy for both the medical and
nonmedical services and supports needed by many working Americans with
disabilities. The United States is a world leader in extending life and
eradicating disease, but it has failed to develop an LTSS public policy
that truly integrates disability as a natural part of the human
experience.
Few Americans think of LTSS for individuals under the age of 65 who
are living and working in the community with significant disabilities.
Many people do not realize that there is no LTSS public policy for
individuals of moderate to middle income, whether over or under the age
of 65. Private insurance is available for long-term care that, on
average, is capped at a specific dollar amount, provides coverage for
about three years, and is geared toward services and supports that
cater to diseases of aging and not the needs of everyday working
Americans with disabilities.
Ninety percent of Americans do not have long-term care insurance,
and many do not have the financial savings to cover the costs of aging.
Few insurance products are available that cover the costs of providing
services and supports targeted for individuals and families challenged
with lifelong disabilities under age 65. A recent actuarial study found
that Americans at age 45 are more likely to become disabled than to
die, and yet we continue to insure against loss of life rather than
against the risk of disability. There are no risk pools or insurance
products designed to supplement the additional costs associated with
living and working with a lifelong disability. There is little research
or data that accurately captures what this means for planning the
financial future of an individual born today with a lifelong
disability.
Disability prevalence is rising in the under-age-65 population and,
although it has decreased slightly for seniors, it will begin to rise
sharply as the current senior population of 34 million doubles over the
next 20 years. Inherently, most Americans think of LTSS as long-term
care for seniors in nursing homes with severe chronic disabilities.
This bias is a holdover from the 1960s, when Medicaid and Medicare were
first established, and reflects a system of care that is outdated and
no longer cost-effective. Although the movement today is to provide
services and supports in the home and community through an array of
waivers, more than 50 percent of Medicaid resources for LTSS continue
to support individuals in nursing facilities or intermediate care
facilities for the mentally retarded (ICF/MRs).
In 2001,\i\ the United States spent $1.24 trillion (or about $5,500
per person) on personal health care services, with 12 percent (or
$151.2 billion) spent on LTSS. Although 70 percent of the 53 million
Medicaid beneficiaries are children and mothers, more than half of the
$276.1 billion spent in 2003 was for populations who are aging (15
percent) and with disabilities (15 percent). The predominant disability
populations receiving Medicaid LTSS are those with mental retardation
and developmental disabilities (MR/DD) and low-income seniors who rely
on both Medicaid and Medicare. Between 9 million and 12 million
Americans need help with activities of daily living (ADLs) and
instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and 3.5 million are
under 65 years of age. The literature also reports that 25 million
individuals with chronic severe disabilities under age 65 are probably
in need of some LTSS, but these individuals are often not counted or
found eligible because of income or family assets, or they fall outside
the realm of traditional functional assessments that use ADLs and IADLs
as measurements. There is also confusion about what definition of
disability should be used to assist policymakers in studying LTSS
needs. Finally, LTSS are not portable and are highly dependent on the
fiscal and budgetary priorities and obligations of each state.
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\i\ O'Shaughnessy, C. (2003). Long-Term Care Chart Book: Persons
Served, Payers and Spending. Congressional Research Service: The
Library of Congress (RS21518). P. 3
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In addition, about one-fifth of the U.S. population is uninsured or
underinsured, with more than 18,000 American lives lost each year
because of gaps in insurance coverage, at an economic cost between $65
billion and $139 billion annually from premature death, preventable
disability, early retirement, and reduced economic output. Rising
double-digit inflation costs for health care continue to confound state
and federal efforts to reign in overall health and LTSS spending. The
probability of sustaining future promises to current social policy and
its beneficiaries is low if the demographics are correct: Fewer workers
will mean lower payroll contributions and less money available to fund
past and future commitments. The research suggests that the problem is
beyond incremental reform and requires immediate attention.
A ``rich picture'' methodology was used to introduce the problem
this report addresses. The picture captures the current health care and
LTSS system. The field of management often uses a rich picture systems
methodology, that is, ``an innovative tool that encapsulates knowledge
relevant to strategic reform.'' For the disability field, the use of
the rich picture allows people with intellectual impairments and other
cognitive challenges to grasp the essence of the research through a
visual representation and dialogue. The picture and narrative relied on
the review of primary and secondary research documents; one-on-one
open-ended interviews with key stakeholders in the disability, long-
term care, and health care fields; review of congressional records and
attendance at a number of hearings; and the convening of a national
expert advisory panel on LTSS.
The setting for the rich picture is the ocean, with the current
LTSS and health care ship heading toward an iceberg that represents the
barriers and challenges to systems reform. The cast for this rich
picture provided the substantive descriptions and main body of research
and analysis about the barriers and challenges of navigating through
the current system of LTSS. The presentation of the research in this
format was purposeful so that the reader and the researcher could begin
the voyage together with a snapshot of the problem. It was intended
that a new picture would emerge as the researchers integrated the
findings from the other chapters of the research. The final picture is
a new ship, ``AmeriWell,'' that is designed to provide LTSS for all
Americans regardless of income or category of disability through
innovative funding from individuals and families, the private sector;
and the Federal Government. AmeriWell will delink aging and disability
populations from both Medicaid and Medicare that require LTSS to form a
new LTSS program that provides services and supports to middle-and low-
income Americans with disabilities.
The purpose of this research is to produce new knowledge and an
understanding of current experience with and the future need for
affordable LTSS for people with disabilities. The following findings
provide a broad overview of the four areas researched for this report.
Chapter recommendations are provided here in brief, but a detailed
summary is available in chapter 6. All footnotes and references can be
found in the original text, except where otherwise noted.
Findings
1. Little Political or Public Understanding of Current and
Future LTSS Needs (Chapter 1)
A. There is little public or political interest in putting LTSS
onto the national agenda, although state Medicaid spending represents
22 percent of overall state budgets and is fast becoming unsustainable.
B. Fifty-nine percent of Americans have given little or no thought
to the issue of LTSS and the costs associated with aging or disability.
C. Most Americans do not understand the current system of LTSS, how
it is funded, or who is eligible for services. Many people do not
understand that Medicaid is the primary provider of LTSS for all
populations-both young and old-and that eligibility is income
sensitive.
D. The development of affordable LTSS is the missing link in making
work a reality for many Americans with disabilities.
2. Fragmentation of Federal System of LTSS (Chapter 1)
A. There is no single federal program or federal agency charged
with the responsibility for management, funding, and oversight of LTSS
at home and in the community. More than 20 federal agencies and almost
200 programs provide a wide range of assistance and services to people
with disabilities.\ii\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\ii\ Finding added and not part of main body of research.
Government Accountability Office. (June 2005). Federal Disability
Assistance: Wide Array of Programs Needs To Be Examined in Light of
21st Century Challenges. Washington, DC: GAO (GAO-05-626). P. 5.
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B. There is no single entry point at a community level for
individuals with disabilities and seniors to learn about and access
service and support options.
C. There are multiple federal programs with varying policy
objectives that embrace the values of consumer choice and independence
in daily living, but there is no comprehensive, integrated delivery
system that provides portability across states.
3. Policymakers Continue to Avoid the Hard Questions
(Chapter 1)
A. Twenty years of research and exercises in forecasting future
visions for LTSS have failed to answer the following questions: What
services should be guaranteed to individuals unable to provide for
themselves? What protections from catastrophic loss, financial or
otherwise, should be afforded, and, most important, who will pay? How
is the current LTSS policy working, and does it meet the needs of
today's population with disabilities?
4. Favorable Court Decisions Post-ADA for Future LTSS
(Chapter 1)
A. Positive forces for change began with the passage of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990; they were followed by
the Supreme Court decision in Olmstead in 1999 and the subsequent
Administration actions in 2000, and continued to the present. They
provide a platform to support policy and program changes for a long-
term support system that embraces consumer choice to live in the least-
restrictive environment at home and benefit from community
participation.
5. Future of LTSS Formal and Informal Workforce Unclear
(Chapter 1)
A. Population demographic changes because of aging, reduced
fertility rates, increased women in the workforce, and changing family
makeup predict there will be fewer unpaid family workers and an
increased demand for paid workers.
B. The role of government in addressing the challenges of the
current formal and informal workforce is unclear.
C. The majority of LTSS workers providing paid care are often
without health insurance and other employee benefits and experience
frequent job turnover.
6. LTSS Policy Not Just for Seniors (Chapter 2)
A. Most data for LTSS favors individuals age 65 and older with
diseases of aging. Policymakers and researchers need accurate data to
calculate current and future LTSS utilization and costs to develop a
clear consensus as to who is to be covered by an LTSS system and how
eligibility will be calculated.
7. Disability Definitions Need Clarification (Chapter 2)
A. Disability definitions range from a medical diagnostic approach
to a functional assessment approach that uses ADLs and IADLs. There is
no aggregated data on the overall costs and utilization rates using the
NCD/AARP definition for LTSS that includes transportation, nutrition,
and housing.
B. There are 38 million people under age 65 reporting some level of
disability and, of this Group, 25 million have a specific chronic
disability; however, many of these individuals are not eligible for
LTSS.
C. Using the functional definition of disability based on ADLs and
IADLs, the estimated population in need of LTSS under age 65 ranges
from a conservative figure of 3.5 million to more than 10 million.
8. Future Demographic Trends Predict That Many Americans of
All Income Levels Will Need Access to Affordable
LTSS (Chapter 2)
A. Regardless of the definition of the target population, there is
clear and undisputable data that the number of people over age 65 with
ADL and IADL limitations is growing and will double by 2030.
B. Twenty percent of people age 65 and over will require assistance
with at least one ADL and 50 percent will require assistance by age 85.
The number of people in need of assistance with two ADLs will grow from
1.8 million to 3.8 million by 2045.
9. Disability Rates Declining for Seniors and Impact on
Future LTSS Utilization and Costs Is Unclear
(Chapter 2)
A. The rate of disability has declined in the 65-and-older
population, mostly for IADLs. It is less clear whether this decline is
due to health improvements or environmental changes because of
increased technology for durable medical equipment, including assistive
technology. However, the rate of disability for individuals 85 years
and older is expected to rise as this population triples over the next
30 years.
10. Disability Rates Rising for Individuals Under Age 65
and Impact on Future LTSS Utilization and Costs Is
Unclear (Chapter 2)
A. The rate of disability for individuals under age 65 is rising in
diabetes, obesity, and mental illness. Little data is available that
accurately predicts how this will impact future LTSS utilization,
costs, and service delivery.
B. It is unclear what LTSS truly looks like for individuals under
age 65 across disabilities and specific age groups for those working
and living independently. The research shows that individuals under age
65 are heterogeneous and have specific needs according to gender, age,
and type of disability that are quite different from individuals over
the age of 65.
11. Individuals Under Age 65 Receive Less Personal
Assistance and Are More Likely To Be Nonwhite
(Chapter 2)
A. Individuals with two or more ADL limitations and personal
assistance needs under the age of 65 estimated a shortfall of 16.6
hours of help per week and were more likely to be nonwhite, female, and
living alone.
B. Paid personal assistance services go primarily to people 65 and
older, and working-age people 65 and under rely more on unpaid personal
assistance services.
12. Increased Life Expectancy for People with Lifelong
Disabilities and Its Impact on LTSS Utilization and
Costs Unstudied (Chapter 2)
A. Individuals with lifelong disabilities, such as Down syndrome,
cerebral palsy, and mental retardation, are living longer and the
impact on utilization of LTSS services and future costs is unclear from
the current literature.
B. It is unclear what future services and supports, including
access to housing, transportation, and nutrition, will be in most
demand for people under age 65 with lifelong disabilities living and
working in the community.
13. LTSS Needs Among Minority Populations and Impact on
Future Utilization and Costs Needs Study (Chapter
2)
A. Black children are 13 percent more likely than white children to
have a reported ADL limitation. A recent Government Accountability
Office study confirmed that the black population has higher disability
rates and lower lifetime earnings and shorter life expectancies than
whites.
B. The issues of poverty, lack of insurance, and continued
segregation from affordable and consistent health care will increase
the future needs and costs for LTSS for minority nonwhite populations
in the U.S., which are projected to make up 50 percent of the American
population by 2050.
14. Growing Prevalence of Mental Illness and Its Impact on
Future LTSS Utilization and Costs Unknown (Chapter
2)
A. The prevalence of chronic disease and deaths caused by
noncommunicable disease in the United States between 1990 and 2020 will
increase from 28.1 million to 49.7 million, an increase of 77 percent.
B. Mental illness will rank number two after heart disease and
replace cancer by 2010 as having a greater impact on death and
disability. Medicaid is the principal public payer for mental health
services and represents 36 percent of the $48 billion in spending. It
is unclear what the future LTSS needs and costs will be for people with
mental illness.
15. Medicaid LTSS Not Designed to Support Growing Need of
Middle-Income Population (Chapter 2)
A. The current system of LTSS is designed for low-income
individuals and is unsustainable under the current system of health
care that has expanded Medicaid options to provide services and
supports to an array of middle-income and uninsured individuals.
B. There are 57 million working-age Americans between 18 and 64
with chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, or depression, and
more than one in five (12.3 million) live in families that have
problems paying medical bills. Many are not eligible for LTSS services
because they have assets above prescribed limits.
C. The number of chronically ill people with private insurance who
spend more than 5 percent of their income on out-of-pocket health care
costs increased by 50 percent, to 2.2 million people, in 2003.
D. The impact on LTSS costs are unclear for 6.6 million individuals
with chronic care needs who are uninsured and go without needed care
(42%), delay care (65%), or fail to get needed prescriptions (71%), but
they will impact future need and costs without timely intervention.
16. Growth in Medicaid Spending Is Unsustainable (Chapter
2)
A. Eligibility and service pathways to state Medicaid programs have
expanded to meet the growing needs of 53 million low-income, middle-
income, and uninsured acute care and LTSS beneficiaries, and reflect
the growing challenges of economic downturns, increased health
premiums, increased longevity, a low savings rate, and slower wage
growth.
B. Twelve percent of $329 billion combined state and federal funds
in 2005 was spent on LTSS.\iii\
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\iii\ Medicaid Reform A Preliminary Report from the National
Governors Association. June 15, 2005.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
C. Seven million individuals are dually eligible for full Medicare
and Medicaid benefits and another 1 million receive assistance with
copays and deductibles; combined, this represents 42 percent of all
Medicaid expenditures.
D. The ability of states to respond to current and future LTSS
needs is beyond their capacity and resources as long as health care
costs continue to rise at double-digit rates.
17. Two-Thirds of Medicaid Spending for Optional and Not
Mandatory Service (Chapter 2)
A. Two-thirds of Medicaid spending is for population groups and
services technically defined as optional, and 90 percent of all long-
term care Medicaid services are optional. It is unclear how vulnerable
people with disabilities are, with the majority of their services and
funding falling under optional categories.
B. Seventy-five percent of home- and community-based services
(HCBS) waivers are for people with MR/DD and are used to purchase LTSS.
The other 25 percent are used for people with physical disabilities and
older people. There are three small waiver programs that serve
individuals with a primary diagnosis of mental illness, accounting for
0.2 percent of HCBS waiver expenditures. Further research is needed to
explore the LTSS needs of the 25 percent population using HCBS.
18. Medicaid Administrative Costs Need Further Research
(Chapter 2)
A. Research is needed to further determine whether Medicaid
administrative costs meet the federal basic guidelines that ``costs be
allowable, reasonable, and allocable for reimbursement under Federal
awards.''\iv\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\iv\ Finding added and not part of main body of research. Refers to
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-87 that establishes cost
principles for federal grants to state governments. April 2005.
Department of Health and Human Services: Office of the Inspector
General. Review of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services' Medicaid
Administrative Costs. A-06-03-00046.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
19. Many Uninsured Americans Are Working (Chapter 2)
A. Forty-nine percent of the 45 million uninsured Americans are
either self-employed or work for companies with fewer than 25
employees.
B. More than 50 percent of low-income employees of small firms with
incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level are uninsured.
C. More than 2 million health care paraprofessionals report wages
below the poverty line, do not work full time, and do not receive
benefits.
20. Long-Term Care Insurance Designed Mostly for Seniors
and Not Individuals Under 65 with Disabilities
(Chapter 2)
A. Private LTSS insurance is targeted to individuals age 65 and
older and often to specific disease categories. One insurance company
reported that more than 50 percent of its LTSS insurance claims paid
are for Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.
21. Risk of Disability Is Higher Than Premature Death at
Age 45 (Chapter 2)
A. The risk of disability is higher than premature death and is
higher for older people than younger, and females are more likely to
become disabled than males. A 45-year-old individual earning $50,000
per year and suffering a permanent disability could lose $1,000,000 in
future earnings.
B. The public overestimates the help that is available from public
disability insurance programs-Social Security Disability Insurance
(SSDI) and other state-mandated, short-term programs. Workers
compensation benefits cover only disabilities caused by injury or
illness arising on the job-only an estimated 4 percent of disabilities.
22. Congress Needs Research on the Current and Future
Utilization and Costs of LTSS for Individuals Under
Age 65 and Their Informal Workforce (Chapter 2)
A. Congress needs sufficient data on LTSS costs and utilization for
individuals across the spectrum of disabilities under age 65 to develop
a sustainable and affordable LTSS policy.
B. Congress needs sufficient data that responds to the demographics
that predict a decrease in the current population of informal
caregivers (valued at $200 billion a year) and the impact of this trend
on the development of a future LTSS workforce.
C. Research is needed on the different public and private cost-
sharing scenarios that focus on the under-age-65 population with
disabilities and the relationship between public financing and private
insurance to develop affordable products that insure against future
risk of developing or being born with a disability.
23. Changing Global Demographics and Economic Impact on
Future LTSS Policy Unclear (Chapter 2)
A. The global economic picture and changing demographics, in
addition to the current U.S. federal budget deficit, raise new
questions about the sustainability of current entitlement and social
programs and their impact on beneficiaries with disabilities.
B. Current state and federal budget deficits and funding priorities
jeopardize a patchwork system of services and supports that do not meet
the current needs of the target population, let alone those projected
into the future.
24. Role of Caregiving and Workforce Issues in
Understanding Future LTSS Costs Unclear (Chapter 2)
A. 44.4 million American caregivers age 18 and over provide unpaid
care to an adult age 18 or older. Six out of 10 of these caregivers
work while providing care; most are women age 50 years or older.
B. Jobs for nurses' aids are expected to grow by 23.8 percent,
while the employment of personal care and home health aides may grow as
much as 58.1 percent between 1998 and 2008.
C. It is unclear how many workers (the ``gray market'') are hired
and supervised by consumers who pay for their own care, although the
numbers are thought to be substantial.
D. Direct care workers (3.1 million) are in short supply and have
nearly a 100 percent turnover rate in nursing facilities; home care
agencies have annual turnover rates between 40 and 60 percent.
E. Direct care workers have low median hourly wages of $9.20 an
hour and one-fifth (far more than the national average of 12 to 13
percent) earn incomes below the poverty level; 30 to 35 percent of all
nursing home and home health aides who are single parents receive food
stamps.
25. LTSS Not Portable Across States (Chapter 2)
A. LTSS are not portable and cannot be moved with an individual
from state to state, and current LTSS costs are not a customized
response to individual needs.
B. Current costs reflect matching an individual's circumstances to
available services and supports, based on federal eligibility criteria,
with degrees of consumer choice and direction that vary based on the
state in which the individual lives.
C. The fiscal health of each state (and its ability to provide the
necessary match to draw upon federal Medicaid resources) determines the
scope and array of the current LTSS system for low-income Americans
with disabilities and seniors.
D. The personal assistance service needs of an individual in
California could be similar to someone living in Mississippi, and yet
the availability of services and funding may vary dramatically.
26. LTSS Public Policy Is Necessary to Increase Positive
Employment Outcomes for People with Disabilities
(Chapter 2)
A. It is unclear how Americans with lifelong disabilities under age
65 can become self-sufficient and economically independent through work
and build careers without substantial LTSS reform that allows asset
growth and more innovative public-private support for LTSS.
B. It is unclear how Americans with or without disabilities will
provide for their own health care and LTSS in the future without
changes in savings behavior and the development of insurance products
that protect against the risk of disability.
27. External Advisor and External Policymaker Findings for
LTSS Action Similar to State Findings (Chapter 3)
A. Similar to the state findings, the advisory group encouraged
moving any LTSS policy discussion away from the current medical status
and disability type to a standardized assessment process to evaluate
functional needs related to ADLs and IADLs.
B. There is a need to reevaluate financial eligibility criteria and
develop an expanded benefits menu that organizes service options from a
presumption of individual preference for remaining at home and in
community settings. The panel, without describing benefits coverage in
detail, recognized that different people have different needs. As a
result, the benefits coverage based on functional assessment must be
flexible, individualized, and comprehensive. Nursing home level of care
should be shifted from an entitlement status to an option of last
resort.
C. The system should offer more consumer choice and direction in
determining needs, creating a service plan, and directing and managing
provider selection and service delivery.
D. The system should provide incentives to support and encourage
family caregiving, and consider tax incentives to help defray expenses
of dependent care for LTSS.
E. Federal authorities should agree on key outcomes and a
measurement system. Shared information and data collection and analysis
across agencies in multiple settings should help improve understanding
of cost-effectiveness based on different service delivery models.
Performance outcomes should focus on wellness, productivity, inclusion,
and independence.
F. The cost should be spread across all wage earners over a
lifetime as part of a social insurance financing framework. Similar to
the approach of social security and Medicare, individual needs will
vary over a life span.
G. The system should decouple eligibility for benefits from current
requirements of impoverishment for individuals and families.
H. The system should provide support and incentives to encourage
family support and informal caregiving to be balanced with public
funding and responsibility. Key outcomes should be defined on an
individual and systems level that focuses on wellness, productivity,
inclusion, and independence.
28. Selected State Strategies for LTSS Are Promising
(Washington, Vermont, Minnesota, Texas, and
Indiana) (Chapter 4)
A. States have ongoing, intensive, comprehensive planning processes
that involve a full range of stakeholders-from state officials to
providers to advocates and people with disabilities themselves-and the
commitment and support of the governor and legislature.
B. Planning includes realistic accounting of the state's fiscal
situation, availability of federal money, community partnership
building, implementation of cost-limited regulatory changes, and
benchmark settings to measure results.
C. States are experimenting with merging, consolidating, and
combining nursing home and HCBS dollars to better allocate funds
according to the needs of people with disabilities and developing
single-point-of-entry systems at the local level to encourage easier
access to LTSS.
D. States are experimenting with global budgeting that allows
budgeting practices to blend (to some degree) institutional care and
HCBS dollars and allows states the flexibility to respond to the
preferences of people with disabilities to remain at home or in the
community.
E. States are broadening HCBS to allow greater numbers of people
with disabilities the opportunity to direct their own care (for
example, hiring, training, and supervising their workers).
29. States Are Living Laboratories for Future LTSS Policy
Development (Chapter 4)
A. The Olmstead decision stimulated executive and legislative
review of the current system of service delivery, unmet needs of target
populations, and where the dollars are being expended.
B. Cross-agency planning is most effective when the consumer
stakeholder voice is included as part of the process to develop
recommendations for systems reform.
C. Structural changes have involved substantial reorganization to
an umbrella department for multiple target populations with long-term
support and service needs.
D. Expanded use of Medicaid waivers is common to broaden benefits
and LTSS to subpopulations.
E. The most restrictive policy most frequently identified was the
Medicaid institutional bias.
F. There remains confusion in the use of language regarding long-
term care and LTSS.
G. All selected states have waiting lists for specific target
subpopulations, although states may limit services and operate the
waiver on less than a statewide basis.
H. Current budget challenges at a state level have compelled states
to reexamine the balance between public and private responsibility for
LTSS, evaluate approaches to target individuals based on an assessment
of level of need, and seek to identify strategies that encourage
coverage of supports through some type of insurance coverage and other
private sector resource sharing.
30. Local and Individual Strategies for LTSS Require Fresh,
Creative Thinking That Reanalyzes the Use of Public
and Private Resources (Chapter 5)
A. There is growing recognition that a fundamental shift in values
is occurring as states move LTSS to the community and home and out of
the institutions. Individuals with disabilities are being provided with
more choices to live independently.
B. New housing models with cooperative organizational structures
are providing a realignment of service and financial relationships at
an individual and community level and recognize the importance of
consumer choice and direction.
C. New economic models for managing assets include pooled trusts,
supportive corporations, time banks, and child trust funds, and raise
important questions about public versus private responsibility to
create and manage a social safety net for individuals deemed in
greatest need of long-term support.
Recommendations for Incremental and Clean Slate Reform (See Chapter 6
for full text and implementation lead for each recommendation)
1. Increase Policymaker Knowledge and Understanding of
Public and Private Costs and Benefits of LTSS for
People with Disabilities Under Age 65 and Their
Families (Chapter 5)
A. The lack of data that presents a complete and accurate picture
of the costs for LTSS for families with children or adults with
disabilities was a key finding by NCD researchers. Despite multiple
studies by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and other federally
sponsored research centers on the costs of long-term care for seniors,
the population under age 65 with disabilities has not been a priority.
The traditional definition of long-term care identified acute care
needs as well as nonmedical services and supports for seniors. Today's
definition of long-term care has changed to reflect the ongoing growth
and integration of disability into mainstream culture. LTSS for people
65 years and younger is about many nonmedical services and supports,
such as personal assistance, assistive technology, financial
management, housing, transportation, and nutrition. How people are
assisted in compensating for loss of ADLs will define their future
earnings potential and economic independence.
2. Design and Implement a Multifaceted Action Plan of
Monitoring and Oversight of State Activities to
Meet Their ADA Obligations as a Result of the
Olmstead Court Decision (Chapter 5)
A. The Olmstead Supreme Court decision in 1999 provides important
legal support for states' current efforts to rebalance their LTSS
systems toward home- and community-based settings. The Administration,
through an Executive Order and grant activities, has taken seriously
the Court's decision and mandated a state planning process to improve
and expand community-based choices for people with disabilities. More
than $200 million has been awarded by the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) to states on a competitive basis to promote
system changes. Despite these efforts, litigation continues to expand
in class action suits. In more than 25 states, individuals with
disabilities have been frustrated with the pace of change and the slow
movement of funding away from nursing homes and institutional settings
to communities.
B. The Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) and the Justice Department have the responsibility
to monitor and oversee Olmstead state plan implementation. As both
agencies have done on numerous occasions in the past related to ADA,
there is an opportunity to be proactive and design and implement an
action plan that evaluates individual state efforts to meet the
Olmstead community imperative mandate. Each state should be rebalancing
its financing, reducing the number of individuals with disabilities
residing in nursing homes, diverting others from entering nursing
homes, and putting in place the infrastructure for expanded HCBS for
individuals with disabilities.
3. Decouple Eligibility for Home- and Community-Based
Services Under an HCBS Waiver from a Determination
of Nursing Home Eligibility (Chapter 5)
A. It is necessary to remove the institutional bias in the Medicaid
program to give Medicaid beneficiaries greater choice in how financial
assistance is provided to cover a range of LTSS. The clear majority of
stakeholders recognized the overwhelming consumer preference for HCBS.
Two complementary options deserve immediate attention from Congress and
bipartisan support.
B. The first option is to shift the HCBS program from its current
waiver status to a state plan requirement. Eligibility would be
delinked from nursing home eligibility and states would receive an
increased federal match under their state cost-sharing agreement for
services provided in this category as part of their Medicaid
reimbursement for authorized expenditures. CMS would set guidelines for
a functional assessment process and minimum threshold of services to be
covered, including personal assistance services.
C. The second complementary option would be that federal funding
follows the person from a nursing home to a community setting as part
of a person-centered plan and self-directed budget. The Money Follows
the Person (MFP) option would continue for a three-year period to help
support successful community transition. Both options are currently
part of legislative proposals before Congress. MFP and the Medicaid
Community Attendant Services and Supports Act (MiCASSA) deserve to be
the focus of hearings before the end of the year.
4. Increase Support for Families and Significant Others in
Their Role as Informal and Unpaid Caregivers for
Individuals with Disabilities Over and Under the
Age of 65 (Chapter 5)
A. Eligibility for LTSS and the scope and intensity of covered
services varies significantly from state to state. States have
considerable discretion in determining who their Medicaid programs
cover. Despite state variability in criteria for Medicaid eligibility
and scope of benefits, in all states, individuals with disabilities are
dependent on informal caregivers, including parents, family members,
and significant others. The estimated benefit of informal caregiving
exceeds $200 billion annually. Services should be designed to support,
not supplant, the role of the family and actions of informal
caregivers. Increased support for informal caregiving could be achieved
through implementation of a complementary set of recommendations. There
is a need to address the lack of portability from state to state for
Medicaid LTSS.
5. Improve the Supply, Retention, and Performance of Direct
Support Workers to Meet Increasing Demand (Chapter
5)
A. As part of the Olmstead guidance, CMS should issue an advisory
letter to state Medicaid directors directing corrective action to
achieve parity of compensation across the environments where direct
support workers are located.
B. CMS should continue to fund demonstration projects to allow
states to test innovative strategies to improve the recruitment,
supply, retention, and performance of direct support workers.
C. Funding should be authorized for collaborative demonstration
projects between the U.S. Departments of Labor and HHS that promote
collaboration between community colleges and disability-related
organizations to develop a high-quality set of competencies to be
taught in a new support worker certificate program that expands
supplies of quality workers to meet market demand in home- and
community-based settings.
D. Worker cooperatives should be piloted and tested with the
assistance of the Departments of Agriculture, Labor, and HHS to explore
improved consumer-caretaker relationships.
6. Mandate Coordination and Collaboration Among Federal
Agencies to Align Public Policy and Transform
Infrastructure to Be Responsive to Consumer Needs
and Preferences for a Comprehensive System of LTSS
(Chapter 5)
A. Although Medicaid and Medicare dominate the landscape of funding
authorities for LTSS, NCD researchers documented the complexity and
fragmentation of multiple systems with different rules of eligibility
and lack of information on access to and availability of resources. The
fragmentation and coordination challenges carry over from the executive
to the legislative branches of government, in which different
committees in the Senate have different controlling authority than
committees in the House of Representatives. Although Program Assessment
Rating Tool (PART) reviews by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
are incorporating common performance measures across agencies and
programs, there is no focus on cross-department and agency
collaboration. The nature of LTSS requires more than 200 programs and
20 agencies to improve their coordination of resources at the community
level, where they will benefit the end-user. No single recommendation
can respond to this significant challenge. NCD recommends that the
appropriate agencies and congressional committees implement the
following set of recommendations:
<bullet> Hold congressional hearings to evaluate possible options
for improvement of multiple department collaboration to provide access
to information and supports and services to meet the long-term needs of
people with disabilities under and over age 65.
<bullet> Require the Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) and HHS to document current efforts and future plans to improve
and expand the availability of affordable, accessible housing that is
coordinated with services/supports, when needed. Establish an
Interagency Council on Meeting the Housing and Service Needs of Seniors
and Persons with Disabilities.\v\ (See chapter 6 for a description of
the full role of the council.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\v\ Language added to U.S. Senate Bill, 109th Congress-S.B. 705 to
include people with disabilities: Establish an Interagency Council on
Meeting the Housing and Service Needs of Seniors, April 5, 2005, to
include people with disabilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
<bullet> Add to the PART performance criteria indicators that will
evaluate documented outcomes from intra-agency and cross-agency
collaboration to meet LTSS needs of people with disabilities. Consider
possible financial incentives for agencies that document valued
outcomes from LTSS system collaboration. Report annually to Congress on
individual agency performance in this area.
<bullet> Issue a new Executive Order charging CMS to chair a time-
limited workgroup (six months) on LTSS that includes representation by
HUD, HHS, the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Departments
of Education, Labor, Justice, Transportation, Treasury, and Agriculture
to identify policy barriers and facilitators to an improved
comprehensive, coordinated system of LTSS for people with disabilities
under and over age 65 that maximizes interagency collaboration,
promotes consumer direction, and increases consumer choice and access
to affordable supports and services in home- and community-based
settings.
7. Improve and Hold States Accountable for Rebalancing
Their Systems to Support LTSS (Chapter 5)
A. Study states that are having success with a global budgeting
approach to move their LTSS system from an institutional bias to be
anchored by HCBS and home- and community-based supports.
B. Develop a template in consultation with states to be used to
evaluate and measure current expenditures for LTSS in institutional
versus home- and community-based settings. Such a template would be
developed jointly by CMS and CBO to allow for consistent, comparative
benchmarking from year to year within and among states.
8. Increase Understanding of the Possible Relationship
Between an LTSS Insurance Product and Publicly
Financed LTSS (Chapter 5)
A. Congressional interest remains high to understand and explore
further the possible relationship between the current market for long-
term care insurance products and a reduced dependence on Medicaid and
Medicare for long-term support needs. With the growing cost of Medicaid
and Medicare documented by NCD researchers, there is growing interest
in forging a new level of partnership with the insurance industry that
explores both the expansion of product options and the possible cost
savings to the public system. For people with disabilities under age
65, no such insurance product yet exists, and little is known about the
risk factors in terms of potential utilization by the target population
and how to achieve affordable pricing. Even with the adoption of
several of the other major recommendations proposed in this report, it
is unlikely that a revised Medicaid program will ever meet the needs of
all people who are seeking LTSS.
B. Conduct a feasibility study of possible new insurance products
and options regarding relationship to the Medicaid program to evaluate
possible strategies to partner an LTSS insurance product with
supplementary Medicaid coverage for people with disabilities under age
65. Consider price, benefit coverage, caps in coverage, and eligibility
for Medicaid LTSS, and project market demand and needed incentives to
share risk among stakeholders: the government, the consumer, and the
insurance industry. The possible collaboration would include the
assistant secretary for planning and evaluation (APSE) at HHS, CMS, and
a private insurer.
C. Pilot test such a product or products to evaluate cost benefits
to all critical stakeholders. Such a pilot must recognize that LTSS
must be individualized to accommodate the needs and desires of the
individuals receiving assistance and that the services and supports
must reflect consumer preference for noninstitutional settings. Such an
insurance product must achieve several objectives: It must be
affordable, flexible, responsive to consumer needs and preferences, and
sustainable over time with federal oversight.
9. Improve Consumer Understanding, Knowledge, and Skills to
Develop a Person-Centered Plan and Self-Direct an
Individual Budget (Chapter 5)
A. The Cash and Counseling Demonstrations and the Independence Plus
Waivers have produced early positive findings of increased consumer
satisfaction with the self-direction of individual budgets, the
selection of support providers, and increased choice in development of
person-centered plans. Individuals with disabilities and their families
should be given the opportunity to plan, obtain control, and sustain
the services that are best for them in preferred home- and community-
based settings. For people with disabilities who have been given few
choices in the past regarding services and supports and service
delivery options, consumer self-direction requires information,
education, and training to build the critical skills needed to make
informed decisions.
B. Access to information about service options, streamlined
procedures for determining eligibility for various public benefits, and
new infrastructure will need to be developed to assist with
programmatic and financial management.
C. Recommendations that recognize the principles of individual
self-direction and responsibility for prudent and effective management
of public resources are critical to the development of the LTSS system
of the future.
D. The system should continue to provide competitive grants that
establish Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) in all 50
states that provide one-stop access to information and individualized
advice on long-term support options, as well as streamlined eligibility
determinations for all publicly funded programs.
E. The system should establish, with funding from CMS, a National
Resource Center on Consumer Self-Direction that identifies and
disseminates best practice information on person-centered plan
development, self-directed management of individual budgets, and
examples of multiple funders combining funds within an individual
budget to achieve common negotiated performance objectives.
F. The system should require states, as part of their HCBS waiver
implementation, to provide education and training to eligible Medicaid
beneficiaries on effective and meaningful participation in person-
centered planning, management of individual budgets, and negotiation
with service and support providers.
G. The system should establish a cross-agency workgroup that
involves CMS, the Administration on Aging (AOA), SSA, the
Administration on Developmental Disabilities, HUD, the Office of
Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the Department of
Education, and the Department of Labor to accelerate options for states
to bundle and/or braid public funds within a self-directed individual
budget with streamlined and accelerated eligibility procedures.
10. Continue to Educate People with Disabilities, Their
Families, and Other Critical Stakeholders About
LTSS Challenges in Public Policy and Practice and
Document Further Consumer Needs, Costs, and
Preferences for a Comprehensive, Accessible, and
Affordable System (Chapter 5)
A. This report documents the current crisis and the impending
``perfect storm.'' It is a complex and confusing picture, not easy to
grasp and even more difficult to change as we move forward. NCD must
continue to put the spotlight on the critical set of challenges that in
the next 20 years may touch more than half the population of our
country. For people with unmet LTSS needs today, NCD must continue the
public education process through outreach activities and direct
discussion with the disability community and policymakers.
B. A series of audio conferences and a national summit of key
leaders and stakeholders should be held to continue to document the
findings and build consensus on possible policy and practical
solutions.
Recommendations for Clean Slate Reform: Year 2049 (See Chapter 6 for
full text and implementation leads and future model)
1. AmeriWell is a Prefunded, Mandatory, Long-Term Services
and Support Model That Provides All Americans of
Any Age with Coverage from Birth Based on Criteria
of Risk and Functioning, and Not Category of
Disability (Chapter 6)
A. AmeriWell delinks LTSS from Medicaid and Medicare, creating its
own governing agency, regulations, oversight, and congressional
committee.
B. The contributions of individuals and families, the private
sector, and the Federal Government fund AmeriWell. A ``penny pool'' is
established through private stock transactions to supplement LTSS costs
for impoverished and vulnerable Americans previously served under
Medicaid and Medicare.
C. Medicaid remains a primary safety net for mothers and children.
Medicare continues to provide its health and acute care and limited
home services to individuals 65 and older who are not Medicaid eligible
or on SSDI.
Livable Communities Report
From NCD's November 2005 News Release:
In 2004, NCD published its Livable Communities report. This report
vividly showed how a variety of programs must work together efficiently
in order to achieve a high quality of life for those they intended to
benefit. As NCD's work and common experience make clear, it is no
longer possible to look at housing in isolation from transportation, at
employment separately from health care, or at income supports in old
age apart from long-term services and non-cash supports. The challenge
is to shape this growing awareness into processes that will fulfill the
promise of coordinated planning and programming.
Livable Communities for Adults with Disabilities
Publication Date: December 2, 2004.
The complete version of this report is available at: http://
www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2004/LivableCommunities.htm
Executive Summary
For the promise of full integration into the community to become a
reality, people with disabilities need safe and affordable housing,
access to transportation, access to the political process, and the
right to enjoy whatever services, programs, and activities are offered
to all members of the community at both public and private facilities.
Introduction
Communities in the United States are faced with increasingly
difficult decisions about how to plan for change, and increase and
improve the quality of life for adults with disabilities as well as
elders who may develop disabilities as they grow older. People are
living longer lives today than ever before and the population of people
aged 65 and older is growing rapidly. By 2030, one in five people in
the United States will be over the age of 65. Currently, more than 4.7
million Americans aged 65 years or older have a sensory disability
involving sight or hearing, and more than 6.7 million have difficulty
going outside the home. As the population of elders grows, it is likely
that the number of people aged 65 and older with disabilities also will
grow, particularly among those 75 years of age and older.
Adults with disabilities and elders want to live in their own homes
as independently as possible for as long as possible. People want to
live in supportive communities that encourage independence and a high
quality of life. To facilitate independence, people often need the same
kinds of services. In addition, people want to remain contributing
members of the community. It makes sense, therefore, for the disability
community and aging network--groups that traditionally work
separately--to collaborate, align goals, and share resources to address
the challenges and opportunities ahead.
As the demographic profile of the United States changes, there will
be an increased need for livable communities that support the needs and
aspirations of people with disabilities and older adults. To meet this
demand, three factors must be considered: (1) the elements of a livable
community; (2) existing examples of livable communities in the United
States today that can serve as models for others; and (3) how these
communities develop and sustain livability features.
Framework of a Livable Community for Adults with Disabilities
``Livable community'' is a fluid term whose definition may change
depending on the context and such considerations as community capacity,
organizational goals, and the needs and desires of particular groups of
citizens. For the purposes of this report, a Framework of a Livable
Community for Adults with Disabilities was constructed to define the
elements that need to be in place for a community to be considered
livable for people with disabilities. It is clear, however, that the
elements that make a community livable for people with disabilities
make it a livable place for all members of the community. Thus, in
improving its livability for one particular group of constituents, the
community actually accomplishes considerably more.
The Framework of a Livable Community for Adults with Disabilities
is inspired, in part, by a similar framework developed for the
AdvantAge Initiative, a project that helps communities measure and
improve their ``elder-friendliness.''2 It was informed further by
research on the concept of livability, results of recent surveys of
people with disabilities, countless interviews with key informants and
people with disabilities, and a focus group session involving people
with disabilities aged 30 and older in Washington, D.C. Similar themes
emerged from each of these activities and were synthesized into the
framework. Thus, a Livable Community for Adults with Disabilities is
defined as one that achieves the following:
<bullet> Provides affordable, appropriate, accessible housing
<bullet> Ensures accessible, affordable, reliable, safe
transportation
<bullet> Adjusts the physical environment for inclusiveness and
accessibility
<bullet> Provides work, volunteer, and education opportunities
<bullet> Ensures access to key health and support services
<bullet> Encourages participation in civic, cultural, social, and
recreational activities
Within each of these six areas, a livable community strives to
maximize people's independence, assure safety and security, promote
inclusiveness, and provide choice.
While no one community in the United States has addressed all six
of these livability goals to equal degrees, many states, counties, and
local communities have made extraordinary improvements in their
livability for people with disabilities in one or even several of these
areas. Their experiences and achievements can serve as inspiration and
provide replicable ``best practices,'' which other communities can
emulate as they strive to become more livable.
Strategies and Policy Levers
Community efforts profiled in this report have employed a variety
of strategies and policy levers to (1) expand access to affordable
housing, transportation, and employment opportunities; (2) make the
built environment more accessible; (3) reconfigure health and support
service delivery systems to be more in line with the needs of people
with disabilities; and (4) promote the social and civic engagement of
these communities.
Nearly every initiative included in the report has depended, to one
degree or another, on strategic partnerships that have worked together
to achieve the following goals: (1) leverage resources, (2) reduce
fragmentation in the service delivery system, (3) address consumers'
needs in a coordinated and comprehensive manner, (4) provide choice,
and (5) implement policies and programs that help people remain
independent and involved in community life. To maximize the potential
for success, communities should use one or more of the following
strategies and policy levers as well as develop all-important
partnerships. These strategies and policy levers can and should be used
at every level of government--including federal, state, county, and
local--to affect change in any of the areas included in the Framework
of a Livable Community for Adults with Disabilities:
<bullet> Consolidate administration and pool funds of multiple
programs to improve ease of access to, and information about, benefits
and programs for consumers. This strategy is used to streamline
operations, eliminate redundancies, and leverage resources.
<bullet> Use tax credits and other incentives to stimulate change
in individual and corporate behavior and encourage investment in
livable community objectives. This strategy is often used to stimulate
affordable housing development, reduce tax burden on individuals, urge
employers to hire people with disabilities, and encourage the private
sector to make their businesses more accessible to elders and people
with disabilities.
<bullet> Provide a waiver or other authority to help communities
blend resources from multiple public funding streams to provide and
coordinate different services. This is a common policy lever in the
provision of coordinated health care and support services, allowing
agencies to blend funding streams, increase the availability of home-
and community-based services as an alternative to institutional care,
and support comprehensive and consumer-directed care.
<bullet> Require or encourage a private sector match to leverage
public funding and stimulate public-private sector partnerships.
Several of the community initiatives profiled in the report depend on
monetary or in-kind contributions from the private and nonprofit
sectors for their continued existence.
In addition to these strategies and policy levers, successful
community initiatives often depend on the ingenuity and persistence of
community members who are able to mobilize resources, generate
excitement, and stimulate action in their communities on behalf of
people with disabilities and the elderly.
Lessons Learned and Recommendations
A number of lessons can be gleaned from the community initiatives
described in this report, many of which can serve as recommendations to
other communities that are planning to make greater livability a
priority issue in their locales.
Provide Affordable, Appropriate, Accessible Housing
People with disabilities, including the focus group participants,
say that satisfaction with housing arrangements is the determining
factor for remaining in or moving from their communities, and this
satisfaction depends on two key factors: housing affordability and
accessibility. ``With stable housing, people with disabilities are able
to achieve other important life goals, including education, job
training, and employment.'' 3 According to the Public Policy
Collaboration, however, people with disabilities ``face a crisis in the
availability of decent, safe, affordable, and accessible housing,'' 4
and those with low incomes are the most likely to be affected by this
shortage. One estimate says that as many as 1.8 million people with
disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits
have severe housing problems.5
Model community efforts profiled in this report, which have
expanded homeownership and rental housing options for people with
disabilities, have developed strong partnerships and collaborations
between the affordable housing system and the disability community.
These relationships ensure that the housing created will meet the needs
and preferences of people with disabilities and/or elders. Additional
priority action steps in the area of housing include the following: (1)
providing incentives for developers to maintain existing affordable
housing units and/or increase such stock; (2) providing tax credits to
help individuals with disabilities and seniors remain in the homes
where they currently live; and (3) expanding awareness and encouraging
incorporation of universal design and accessibility features into
existing or new housing stock.
Ensure Accessible, Affordable, Reliable, Safe Transportation
According to the 2003 National Transportation Availability and Use
Survey, about one in four individuals with disabilities needs help from
another person and/or assistive equipment, such as a cane, walker, or
wheelchair, to travel outside the home. Nearly 6 million people with
disabilities have difficulty getting the transportation they need,
because public transportation in the area is limited or nonexistent,
they don't have a car, their disability makes transportation difficult
to use, or no one is available to assist them. The survey also found
that more than 3.5 million people in the United States never leave
their homes, and more than half of the homebound are people with
disabilities. Of these, more than half a million indicate that, because
of transportation difficulties, they never leave home.6
Providing accessible, affordable, reliable, and safe transportation
is an enormous challenge to communities. To address this challenge,
some states and counties have been thinking systemically. Priority
action steps in the area of transportation include the following: (1)
creating ``coordinated transportation systems'' that combine all the
disparate transportation services and funding streams into one system
that is more efficient, cost-effective, and universally accessible; (2)
computerizing and centralizing dispatch systems to make on-demand
transportation more efficient and less frustrating for consumers; and
(3) exploring the use of new technology to help people with
disabilities and the elderly navigate their community's thoroughfares
and transportation options.
Adjust the Physical Environment for Inclusiveness and Accessibility
Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
noticeable accommodations have been made in communities large and small
to improve access for people with disabilities. In most communities,
however, expanding access to the physical environment is still a work
in progress. One of the greatest obstacles to improving access for
people with disabilities is the expense associated with altering the
built environment and making other needed accommodations. In addition
to cost, in larger cities or towns, the sheer volume of work to be done
causes delays in making necessary changes. In older communities where
there are many historic structures that need to be retrofitted for
accessibility, conflict sometimes arises between preservationists and
disability advocates. An equally significant obstacle is lack of
awareness among the public about the difficulties people with
disabilities face as they try to negotiate the physical environment.
Fortunately, there are many resources available at all levels of
government to help communities address these and other obstacles to
accessibility. Priority action steps in this area include the
following: (1) increasing awareness among community members by
providing them with sensitivity training so that they can experience
first-hand the access problems people with disabilities face; (2)
educating city planners and public officials about how lack of access
affects elders and people with disabilities and what they can do as
professionals to improve the situation; (3) advocating for variances to
zoning ordinances to accelerate improved access to the built
environment.
Provide Work, Volunteer, and Education Opportunities
A fundamental principle of Title I of ADA is that people with
disabilities who want to work and are qualified to work must have an
equal opportunity to work. However, unemployment among people with
disabilities remains unacceptably high. The 2004 National Organization
on Disability (N.O.D.)/Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities7
shows that working-age adults with disabilities are half as likely as
working-age adults without disabilities to be employed (35% versus
78%), and people with severe disabilities are less likely to be
employed than those with slight disabilities (21% versus 54%).
Priority action steps to increase employment opportunities for and
encourage the hiring of people with disabilities include the following:
(1) using technology to facilitate education and training programs, to
provide telework opportunities, and to match qualified job candidates
with employers; (2) increasing awareness among community members about
the value of employing people with disabilities; (3) setting an example
by hiring people with disabilities for positions within government
agencies; (4) helping businesses make reasonable accommodations for
employees with disabilities by providing them with needed funding and/
or technical assistance; and (5) removing any remaining disincentives
to work, such as the potential loss of health care, SSI, or other
entitlements.
Ensure Access to Key Health and Support Services
Results of a survey by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation reveal
that, despite their well above average use of health care services,
individuals with disabilities face greater barriers to health care
access than does the rest of the population.8 People with disabilities
have trouble finding doctors who understand their disabilities and are
less likely than the general population to receive the range of
recommended preventive health care services. In sum, people with
disabilities face a fragmented health care delivery system that does
not respond to their wishes or needs.
Priority action steps in the area of health care include the
following: (1) designing health care systems that are consumer directed
and provide care coordination to ensure that the right kind of care is
provided to beneficiaries; (2) allowing ``money to follow the person''
to the most appropriate and preferred care setting to create a more
equitable balance between institutional and community-based services,
eliminate barriers to care, and provide consumers with choice over the
location and type of services provided; (3) integrating the delivery of
acute and long-term care services to provide ``seamless'' high-quality,
consumer-centered, and continuous care across settings and providers,
and (4) providing support services that are linked to housing to
increase the availability and efficiency of service provision.
Encourage Participation in Civic, Cultural, Social, and Recreational
Activities
According to the 2000 N.O.D./Harris Survey of Community
Participation, overall, ``people with disabilities feel more isolated
from their communities, participate in somewhat fewer community
activities, and are less satisfied with their community participation
than their counterparts without disabilities.'' 9 The survey attributes
the lower rates of participation among people with disabilities, in
part, to lack of encouragement from community organizations. A
community can hardly be called livable for people with disabilities if
the people are not involved in the community's civic, cultural, or
social activities.
The survey results suggest that it is not enough for community
organizations to simply offer activities and provide information about
them to people with disabilities. Thus the priority steps in this area
include the following: (1) encouraging community organizations to
actively reach out to people with disabilities to include them in
activities, and (2) ensuring that people with disabilities have access
to all of the opportunities that are offered to other members of the
community.
It is reasonable to assume that communities will always face
financial and structural obstacles to becoming more livable for people
with disabilities. Intangible obstacles, like the public's lack of
awareness and understanding of the difficulties people with
disabilities face in their communities on a daily basis, are perhaps
even more pervasive and difficult to overcome. But, as the community
examples in this report illustrate, where there is political will,
there are many possible, creative ways to surmount obstacles that
prevent communities from being more livable for us all.
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