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Older Americans and People with Disabilities - Bridging the Disconnect. Information Bulletin # 320 (8/2010)

by Steve Gold

This Information Bulletin is an attempt to bridge and solidify advocates from two communities - older Americans and people with disabilities.  For many reasons, there has been a disconnect between them.

More than two years ago, we wrote "The Older Americans Act: Consumer Choice and Control over Long Term Care," (see February 9, 2007 Information Bulletin).  We reviewed how Congress' amendments to the Older Americans Act and its "Choices for Independence" began to provide services for people to remain in their homes, instead of going into nursing homes.  The Older Americans Act was for the first time really focused on community!

The OAA provided grants for States to develop a "single point of entry" for long-term care, so people would know what community-based services were available in order to avoid institutionalization.  This single point was through the "Aging and Disability Resource Centers" (ADRC).  It also adopted the "consumer model" so people could self-direct care and services.

The Older Americans Act is up for reauthorization in 2011. Yes folks, Congress will have to face whether or not the "Aging and Disability" centers will be refunded. This reauthorization will provide a forum and opportunity for these two communities to discuss how well they have worked together, how well the ADRCs are functioning, if they are serving both older Americans with disabilities and younger Americans with disabilities and what changes should occur.

There are a number of issues which we hope both communities understand and address:

1. Medicaid is the same funding stream for long-term community care and nursing homes for all people with disabilities, regardless of age.Cut-backs and reductions of Medicaid services impact every disabled person, and State legislatures' common attacks on services will hurt; people regardless of age.

2.Yes, these two communities do not agree on everything (e.g., assisted living, identifying oneself as having a disability), but there are unequivocally common interests. In an era of reductions and attacks by States on community-based services, it is critical to put aside differences and join to fight what the two communities have in common.

3. There really is power in numbers!  Can you imagine a State legislative hearing with twenty-five year old wheelchair uses holding hands with seventy-five year old wheelchair uses demanding their right to live in the community and not being dumped into nursing homes.

4.  How about next year, during the Congressional reauthorization hearings, joining forces? Tell Congress that all people with disabilities, regardless of age, want the right to receive services in their own homes.

5.  The increased Medicaid funds for Money Follows the Person grants must focus on getting anyone out of nursing homes who wants to live in the community - not just people with disabilities under 60 years old. Older Americans do not enter nursing homes because they want to; they do not have community-based services offered to them. If both communities combined their efforts, they could have a significant impact of enhancing waivers - especially in those 20 States that have not yet received MFP grants but probably will be applying for them very soon.

6. The Independent Living Centers serve many older Americans with disabilities. Yet, the AAAs and ILCs in most states keep each other at some distance. As the under 60s younger Americans with disabilities become the over 60s older Americans with disabilities, yes it really happens, the disability issues and culture will cross the age barrier. Let's hope that the people take the lead and make these organization really work together.
To not take the 2011 reauthorization as an opportunity to address these issues and to jointly work out strategies is perilous.

POWER concedes nothing without a struggle.

    Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at http://www.stevegoldada.com with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects.

To contact Steve Gold directly, write to stevegoldada@cs.com or call 215-627-7100.

DoL, AoA Listening Session on Reauthorization of the Senior Community Service Employment Program

SAVE THE DATE! – Monday, April 26th

Assistant Secretary of Labor (DOL - Employment and Training Administration), Jane Oates, and Assistant Secretary for Aging (HHS – Administration on Aging) Kathy Greenlee, will be conducting a joint listening forum via webinar format on Monday, April 26th from 1:00 to 3:00 EDT.  The purpose of the webinar will be to solicit input on reauthorization of Title V of the Older Americans Act, Senior Community Services Employment Program (SCSEP), and other senior workforce issues.  Additional details including how to access the webinar will follow early next week.   

Older Americans Act Reauthorization Input Opportunitites

Dear Colleagues and Consumers,

Since 1965, the Older Americans Act (OAA) has gained recognition as a unique and highly regarded statute that has stimulated the development of a comprehensive and coordinated service system. This system has contributed greatly to enhancing the lives of older individuals, family caregivers, and persons with disabilities. In 2011 Congress will consider reauthorization and amendments to the Act effective in FY 2012. In anticipation of this process, the Administration on Aging (AoA) is soliciting input concerning the reauthorization through three mechanisms:

(1) AoA-Convened Listening Forums;

(2) OAA Reauthorization Input Events; and

(3) Direct Input via the AoA Website.

AoA-Convened Listening Forums will be held in three cities. The input provided will be recorded, compiled and summarized by Scripps Gerontology Center. The dates and locations of the national listening forums are:


Thursday, February 18, 2010 Dallas, TX
Embassy Suites Hotel Dallas Near the Galleria
14021 Noel Road
Dallas, Texas 75240
(972) 354-3659


Thursday, February 25, 2010 Washington, DC
The Westin Alexandria-DC, Alexandria, VA
400 Courthouse Square
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 253-8628


Wednesday, March 3, 2010 San Francisco, CA
Hyatt Regency San Francisco
5 Embarcadero Center
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 981-3638

The forums in Dallas and San Francisco will convene at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m. They will begin with morning panel sessions organized to focus on a limited number of national topic areas in the following broad categories:

(1) Elder Rights and Elder Justice;

(2) Prevention & Wellness – Healthy Aging; and

(3) Aging Network Infrastructure for Serving Diverse Needs.

The Washington DC forum will also convene at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m. It will include the 3 categories of topics above, as well as a fourth category, Capacity of the Aging Network.

Following the panel sessions, each forum will host a general session to allow participants to present their views on the reauthorization of the OAA. In order to provide as many people as possible the opportunity to offer input, each participant will be limited to three minutes. Persons planning to make presentations during the general session should pre-register with Abbe Lackmeyer, 866-598-0102, linscoae@muohio.edu to reserve a time slot. If all slots are not filled through pre-registration, a limited number of on-site time slots may be available.

OAA Reauthorization Input Events may be held by any national, state, tribal, regional or local organization. These can range from workshops, board meetings, public forums, or conferences designed to solicit public input regarding issues to be considered during the next reauthorization of the OAA. Following the events, summary reports developed by the sponsoring organization(s) may be submitted to AoA at http://survey.muohio.edu/snaponline/siam/surveylanding/interviewer.asp?sid=513ECB3B71D90C84B48CA139C1E34C1D555C4E8E56. So that we may more easily track this important input, please pre-register your events.

Direct Input via the AoA Website will provide an opportunity for any individual or entity to provide input related to reauthorization of the OAA separate from an organized event or listening forum. Submit input via the AoA website at this link.

Please note I will be discussing some of the key program/policy issues likely to be a part of the OAA reauthorization during a Critical Issues session at the NCOA/ASA conference on March 16, 2010. I will be joined by leaders within NCOA, ASA and the National Aging Network. The Critical Issues session will be followed on Wednesday and Thursday by NCOA/ASA convened workshops designed to permit attendees to address and brainstorm additional issues to be considered during reauthorization.

However you choose to present your views on the reauthorization of the OAA, I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Kathy Greenlee
Assistant Secretary for Aging

Older Americans Act Reauthorization Forums - Save the Date(s)

In advance of the 2011 reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, the Administration on Aging (AoA) plans to convene a series of Reauthorization Listening Forums early in 2010 to get input from the aging network, stakeholders, policymakers and the public (in particular older Americans) on key issues that will impact our growing aging population and their families. The dates and locations have just been decided, and we wanted to share this information with you.

Dallas (Regions IV, VI, VII and Title VI representatives) on February 18th;

Washington, DC Metro Area (Regions I, II, and V) on February 25th; and

San Francisco (Regions VIII, IX, X and Title VI representatives) on March 3rd

In addition, a separate listening forum will be held at the NCOA/ASA Annual Conference in Chicago on March 16th.