The Headline
States Address Shift in Long-Term Care
SWLI recently completed an assessment of the political and media climate for aging-related legislation in selected states across the country. We identified three major findings:
1) There is increasing support among state policymakers for home and community-based services for older people.
2) Reform of state long-term care systems within Medicaid are allowing a shift away from the institutional care model.
3) Despite substantial media coverage of the issue of aging in America, there is virtually no awareness of the role that case management, geriatric social work, and care coordination can play in making life easier for older Americans and their families.
Based on our findings, SWLI has decided to focus its outreach efforts in three states: New York, California, and Illinois, where we think the climate is ripe for ambitious reforms and also where we have active Practicum Partnership Programs. Illinois, for example, is looking at legislation that will help streamline and personalize health care systems for older adults, including a proposal toward a coordinated point of entry for long-term care. A bill in California would individualize long-term care services so older adults can live independently in their communities longer. New York is evaluating best practices for care coordination, as described in the next section.
Going forward, we intend to work with allies in these three states to support legislation, provide research, and attract media coverage— all contributing toward SWLI's overarching goal of building the workforce of professionals to care for older Americans and integrating these professionals into a reformed long-term care system.
