HHS Report Examines Innovations by States To Provide Long-Term Care Services
HHS last week released a new report that examines long-term care programs in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report, prepared by the National Conference of State Legislatures, found that many states have adopted "innovative" long-term care programs that provide individuals with "greater choice" through home- and community-based services. The report also highlighted the contributions of the National Family Caregiver Support Program. The program, which HHS launched in 2001, will contribute $141.5 million this year to state and local programs that "provide greater choices" in home- and community-based long-term care. "There are now more choices than ever before for persons who are elderly or have a disability, thanks in large part to the creative approaches that governors and state lawmakers have implemented to help people stay in their homes and communities instead of moving into institutions," HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said. However, budget deficits in many states may "raise new challenges" for programs that provide home- and community-based services, the report found. Many states also face a shortage of direct care workers at a time when a slowing economy and an aging population have increased the number of individuals who require long-term care, according to the report. HHS will release an updated report in the future (HHS
release, 7/26). The report, titled "State Long-Term Care: Recent Developments and Policy Directions," is available
online.
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