Local Initiatives to Fund Services for Older Americans: Community Recognition of the Importance of Social Care

2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482094432
Author(s):  
Athena Koumoutzis ◽  
Sara E. Stemen ◽  
Renusha Maharjan ◽  
Jennifer Heston-Mullins ◽  
Pamela S. Mayberry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
The United States ◽  
State Funding ◽  
Eligibility Criterion ◽  
Supportive Services ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Alternative Funding ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Aging Services ◽  
Tax Levies

Despite the growing proportion of older adults in the United States, federal and state funding for nonmedical supportive services remains limited. To meet increasing demand, some communities across the nation are exploring alternative funding sources for aging services. Although no systematic database exists to track such local programs, through an array of data sources including a national survey, telephone contacts, and a web review, we identified 15 states that are using local funding to support aging services. Communities are using a variety of local revenue streams, such as property tax levies, payroll, and sales taxes to provide services for older adults and/or their family or friend caregivers. There are considerable differences in community approaches including the following: amount of revenue generated, service eligibility criterion, type of services covered, and management infrastructure. Critical policy questions surrounding equity issues within and across states are raised as communities create these alternative funding mechanisms.

scholarly journals The Older Americans Act, the Aging Network, and the Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 300-301
Author(s):  
Brian Lindberg
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Older Americans Act ◽  
Aging Services ◽  
The Future ◽  
Aging Network

Abstract This session provides insights into how the pandemic challenged the capabilities and ingenuity of the Older Americans Act (OAA) programs and the aging network and what it means for in-home and community aging services now and in the future. Speakers will include key aging network stakeholders, who will discuss the overnight evolution of programs serving often isolated older adults.

Making Care Work

2018 ◽  
pp. 88-125
Author(s):  
Elana D. Buch
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
The United States ◽  
Publicly Funded ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Experience Of Care ◽  
Democratic State ◽  
Management Staff

In making care into work, agencies justify their existence in the market as managing the predictable tensions that regularly arise in home care. Home care agencies build upon women’s familial experience of care while seeking to transform them into workers whose labor conforms to the ethical and temporal norms of American workplaces. Conflicts regularly arise between people’s moral ideologies about care, the economic pressures of capitalist markets, and the laws that govern labor and elder care in the United States. This chapter traces the transformation of moral values into economic value by focusing on the everyday ethics practiced by home care agency training and management staff as they mediate between national moralities, the needs of their agencies, the needs of clients, and their own ethics. Agencies’ different funding sources affect how they imagine and generate their clients’ independence. Publicly funded care policies view older adults as liberal persons in a democratic state in which rights and services are the result of citizenship and need rather than social position. In privately funded care, older adults’ independence was authorized by their privileged position as consumers whose subjective tastes and preferences determined the kinds and quantity of care they received. Their independence was not the result of fair treatment by an equitable state, but rather determined by their ability to wield economic power.

scholarly journals Total Carotenoid Intake Reduces the Odds of Frailty over 9 Years in Older Adults: Results from the Framingham Offspring Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 72-72
Author(s):  
Shivani Sahni ◽  
Paul Jacques ◽  
Alyssa Dufour ◽  
Courtney Millar ◽  
Douglas Kiel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Vitamin C ◽  
Dietary Pattern ◽  
Antioxidant Vitamin ◽  
Total Carotenoid ◽  
Total Carotenoids ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Funding Sources

Abstract Objectives Frailty occurs in 10–15% of community-living older adults. The benefit of a Mediterranean style diet in reducing frailty is not well established in older Americans. The aim was to determine the association of Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern and related antioxidants (vitamin C, E and total carotenoids from diet and supplements) with the odds of frailty over 9y in older adults from the Framingham Offspring study. Methods The Mediterranean-style dietary pattern score (MSDPS) was used to characterize a Mediterranean-style diet in 2541 men and women with completed food frequency questionnaires at baseline (1998–2001). Average intake of each antioxidant (vitamin C, E and total carotenoids, mg/d) at baseline and one prior exam (1995–98) was calculated. Total carotenoids were calculated as the sum of intake of α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Frailty was assessed using Fried's frailty criteria at baseline and follow-up exam (2005–08). Participants categorized as frail at baseline were excluded (n = 27). Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) adjusting for age, sex, follow-up time, BMI, energy intake, current smoking and multivitamin use. Antioxidants were adjusted for each other in the same model. Results Mean age (±SD) was 60 ± 9y (range 33–86), 55% were female and mean follow-up time was 6.6y (range 3.7–9.1). Mean (±SD) was 45 ± 13 (range: 10.8–84.1) for the MSDPS, 36.5 (±32.3) mg/d for vitamin C, 16.4 (±199) mg/d for vitamin E and 1.8 (±0.8) mg/d for carotenoids. Prevalent frailty at follow-up exam was 5%. Although not significant, a 10 unit increase in MSDPS reduced the odds of frailty by 8.7% (95% CI: 0.78–1.08, P = 0.28) in the combined sample of men and women. Each 10 mg increase in total carotenoid intake reduced the odds of frailty by 29% (95% CI: 0.53–1.01, P = 0.02). Neither Vitamin C (P = 0.79) or E (P = 0.25) were individually associated with frailty. Conclusions A Mediterranean style diet was not significantly associated with frailty in this sample of largely older adults. However, total carotenoids intake reduced the odds of frailty. Future work should consider if a Mediterranean style diet and related antioxidants delay the progression of frailty. Funding Sources Boston Claude D. Pepper Center OAIC and Peter and Barbara Sidel Fund.

scholarly journals In our hands: responding to the IOM report on workforce needs for older adults with mental health and substance use disorders

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 1039-1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Steffens
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Federal Budget ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The United States ◽  
Institute Of Medicine ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Medicare Costs

In the United States, there are signs that we are coming to terms with the growing healthcare needs of older Americans. Over the past decade, exploding Medicare costs and the federal budget deficit have forced medical professionals, policy-makers, and other stakeholders to consider the consequences of an aging population. The US Congress commissioned a report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the physical healthcare needs of the elderly adults and the geriatric healthcare workforce required to meet them, resulting in the 2008 IOM report Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce (IOM, 2008). Following this report, Congress recognized that the work was not finished and that more information was needed about mental health and substance use (MH/SU) disorders in older Americans. The IOM was commissioned by Congress to convene a committee to study and report on the workforce needed to care for this group. In 2012, the IOM released The Mental Health and Substance Use Workforce for Older Adults: In Whose Hands? (IOM, 2012).

Social Finance Funding Model for Animal Shelter Programs: Public–Private Partnerships Using Social Impact Bonds

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasper Kim
Keyword(s):  
Social Impact ◽  
The United States ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Public Private Partnerships ◽  
Animal Shelter ◽  
Alternative Funding ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Funding Model ◽  
Social Impact Bonds ◽  
Shelter Programs

AbstractFunding for animal shelters is often a scarce resource, representing a major challenge affecting many shelter programs in the United States and beyond today. Funding issues and budgetary constraints are often exacerbated by the high rate of animal intake levels relative to adoption rates, the availability of resources to treat medical conditions, and funding for other related programs that may lower euthanasia rates, such as spay and neuter programs. This article proposes an alternative funding option for animal shelter programs using a unique social finance funding model incorporating public-private partnerships and social impact bonds. This social finance model is directly aimed at providing greater funding for animal shelter programs, while also increasing transparency and social impact outcomes. If utilized, the social impact bond model can complement and build upon (but not completely replace) existing funding sources that are critical to saving nonhuman animal lives while benefiting society at large.

scholarly journals Local Initiatives to Fund Services for Elders: Increased Community Recognition of the Importance of Social Care

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 103-103
Author(s):  
Athena Koumoutzis ◽  
Sara Stemen ◽  
Renusha Maharjan ◽  
Jennifer Heston-Mullins ◽  
Pamela Mayberry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Property Tax ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Personal Care ◽  
Supportive Services ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Tax Levies ◽  
Local Initiatives

Abstract Despite the growing number of older adults in the U.S., federal and state funding for non-medical supportive services remains limited. Recent work reports that states with a more generous supply of supportive services, including home delivered meals and personal care, have fewer low care residents in nursing homes. To boost this supply, some local communities across the nation are exploring alternative funding sources. Our review found 400 local communities across 15 states using voter-approved local revenue streams to fund aging services, such as property tax levies and payroll and sales taxes, and that this strategy has been politically popular. In this paper we provide results from the first national survey of these local communities. Study results found considerable variation by state in number and scope of local initiatives, with Ohio and Michigan each reporting about 70 communities with local property tax levies, while California and Washington had only one community each using this approach. Local programs ranged in size from generating less than $25,000 in annual revenue to more than $35 million. The organizational structure for these programs, and the administrative approaches, such as the use of care managers, varied by state and community. Programs provided an array of services, but typically included traditional social care services such as home delivered meals, homemaker/personal care, transportation, and home emergency response systems. Criteria for program participation also varied, but most were targeted to serve older adults with disability who did not meet Medicaid financial or functional eligibility criteria.

scholarly journals PHASED RETIREMENT IN OLDER AMERICAN WORKERS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S126-S127
Author(s):  
Shinae Choi ◽  
Genevieve Smith
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Phased Retirement

Abstract Older workers are engaging in “phased retirement” in which they transition from full-time working status to part-time working and eventually retire at a later age. This study investigated whether phased retirement was financially and psychologically beneficial for middle-aged and older adults in the United States. The current study examined data on financial and psychological well-being and retirement transitions (i.e., immediate retirement and phased retirement) from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) at two time points, four years apart. We analyzed 5,106 middle-aged and older adults from the 2010 and 2014 waves of the HRS data set using chi-square and one-way analysis of variance tests. Our results showed that 66.8% of respondents remained full-time working, while 12.7% of respondents chose phased retirement and 15.2% of respondents jumped straight into retirement. Our findings suggest that phased retirement is beneficial for older Americans financially and psychologically. Specifically, the level of total household financial wealth was significantly higher for those who chose phased retirement than immediate retirees from workforce. In terms of psychological perspectives, immediate retirees experienced more depressive symptoms than those who chose phased retirement. Our findings could help individuals and households to be better equipped when preparing for retirement. Our findings could also provide a basis for further research into phased retirement and its impact on well-being in middle-aged and older Americans. Furthermore, policymakers could be better informed about retirement trends and create policies based on our findings to better help older individuals and households be financially and psychologically prepared for retirement.

scholarly journals THE MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS OF THE RACE EXPERIENCE AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH HEALTH IN OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S806-S806
Author(s):  
Jerry Kaufman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Family Background ◽  
The United States ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Data Driven Approach ◽  
State Region ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Race is experienced along a number of dimensions. In the United States, education, family background (e.g., parents’ education), skin shade, experiences of racial discrimination, neighborhood racial composition, state/region of birth, and interracial marriage help to define the “race experience.” Many of these factors have been individually associated with adverse outcomes for African Americans relative to Whites, but little research has examined how these factors cohere within individuals. Using a national survey of African American and White older adults, we employed latent class analysis and, in preliminary analyses, identified three clusters of individuals who were characterized by unique race experiences. We then assessed and determined that these clusters were also unique in their differential associations with health outcomes. This data-driven approach will provide insight into the profiles of individuals whose race experience contributes to health inequities among older Americans.

scholarly journals The Political Economy of Aging Services in the United States Since the Aging Enterprise

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 719-719
Author(s):  
Larry Polivka
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Political ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Older Americans Act ◽  
Aging Services ◽  
Policies And Programs ◽  
Length Analysis

Abstract The Aging Enterprise was the first book length analysis of the origins and operations of the aging services system that grew out of the 1963 Older Americans Act and provided the first state system of community-based services. The book also featured an original critique of the aging services system based on an application of the theoretical perspectives that were new to social gerontology. This presentation will use one of these perspectives, the political economy of aging in the U.S., to chart changes in aging services systems since the publication of The Aging Enterprise. The presentation will show that Estes’ pioneering work on the application of the political economy perspective on aging policies and programs in the US, is more relevant to our understanding of these programs than it was 40 years ago, by describing and analyzing the increasing control of for profit corporations over the aging services systems. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Women's Issues Interest Group.

scholarly journals Policy Series: Building Momentum for a New Future in Politics and Aging: Examining Economics, Values, Language, and Care

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 680-680
Author(s):  
Michael Lepore ◽  
Jean Accius
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
The United States ◽  
Federal Spending ◽  
National Unity ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Political Values ◽  
Living Well ◽  
Federal Initiatives

Abstract Coinciding with the 2020 presidential election, the 75th anniversary of the Gerontological Society of America arrives amid the contentious creation of a new future for politics and aging. Increasing inequality, spreading disinformation, and mounting despotism are escalating threats to constitutional democracy, but at the same time other social changes are promoting the development of a more thoroughly caring, intergenerationally just, and robustly democratic society. At the crux of this societal transformation, relentless political inertia on core aging issues, like the role of government in the care and support of older adults, continues to inhibit meaningful change in federal policy, dampening the potential for older Americans to achieve desired future states, like living well despite advanced age or disability. This session examines major contemporary trends at the intersection of politics and aging in the United States. Papers address the economics and demographics of aging, drawing attention to increasing federal spending on older adults, decreasing availability of caregivers, and geographic clustering of older people; changes in the age of the electorate, intergenerational political values, and the growing politically polarization of American society; the tendency for federal initiatives to fail to support caregivers, for reasons of policy history, policy traits, and mass public features, like the political isolation of informal caregivers; and the role of linguistic and metaphorical practices in shaping our experiences and views of aging. Discussion addresses opportunities for the country to become more age-friendly while also sustaining democratic institutions and national unity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document