First-Ever Long-Term Scorecard Finds Wide State Variation in Services and Supports for Older Adults and People with Disabilities
<p>Certain states significantly outperform others in the delivery of long-term services and supports (LTSS) to older adults and people with disabilities, according to a new report released jointly today by AARP's Public Policy Institute, The Commonwealth Fund, and The SCAN Foundation. </p>
<p>The report, <a href="http://www.longtermscorecard.org/">Raising Expectations: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers</a>, examines four key dimensions of state LTSS system performance: affordability and access; choice of setting and provider; quality of life and quality of care; and support for family caregivers. It assesses each state's performance overall as well as on 25 individual indicators, some of which were measured for the first time. </p>
<p>The Scorecard finds that all states need to improve. Even the top three states—Minnesota, Washington, and Oregon—have a long way to go to create a high-performing system of long-term services and supports. Areas for improvement include home care, assisted living, nursing home care, supports for family caregivers, and the efficiency with which states spend LTSS funds. </p>
<p>The report points out that, generally, leading states have enacted public policies designed to: </p>
<ul>
<li>Improve access to services and enhance choice by directing state Medicaid programs to serve more people in need and offer consumers preferred alternatives to nursing homes. <br /></li>
<li>Provide a single entry point in the system through which people can more easily access information and services. <br /></li>
<li>Improve support for family caregivers by offering legal protections as well as other services to address caregiver needs. </li>
</ul>
<p>The full report, along with a podcast and an interactive map displaying state-by-state information, is available at <a href="http://www.longtermscorecard.org/">www.longtermscorecard.org</a>. On this site, users can download state fact sheets, as well as compare state performance on individual indicators and create customized PowerPoint slides. <br /><br /></p>