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Longevity News and Trends in the United States and Abroad

^a International Longevity Center—USA, New York

Correspondence: James Nyberg, MPA, Government Relations Director, International Longevity Center—USA, 60 East 86th Street, New York, NY 10028. E-mail: jimn{at}ilcusa.org.

Assisted Living Report.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has released a report on assisted living facilities as a part of its long-term project, the National Study of Assisted Living Facilities. This report examined assisted living facilities that provide either a high level of service or a high level of resident privacy, which represent about 40% of assisted living facilities nationwide. Among other results, the study found that most residents feel they were treated with respect and dignity by staff, but were concerned about staff turnover and availability. The report is available at http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/hshp.htm.

Census Bureau/Grandparent Caregivers.

The Census Bureau has released the results of its American Community Survey, which is a new annual sampling of the U.S. population intended to provide accurate, up-to-date profiles of America's communities. One interesting finding is that 42% of grandparents who live in the same house as their grandchildren were responsible for the grandchildren. Moreover, about a third of these grandparents had been responsible for the grandchildren for at least 5 years. The findings contribute to a growing awareness of the caregiving role that grandparents are increasingly playing. More information is available at www.census.gov/acs/www/.

Medicaid/Caregiver Project.

DHHS has approved a Medicaid demonstration project in Colorado that will allow older and disabled people to manage their own care needs. The pilot program will provide funds that would have otherwise been paid to home health agencies directly to older people or the disabled who will then be able to direct their own care. These individuals will be able to recruit and hire caregivers to provide personal and skilled care services, and at times that are most convenient to them, such as evenings or weekends. More information is available at www.hhs.gov/news/press/2001pres/20010808b.html.

Medicare/Oversight.

The DHHS Office of Inspector General has issued a report finding that the peer-review system used to investigate quality of care complaints by Medicare beneficiaries is ineffective and rarely punishes physicians and hospitals when poor care is provided. It recommends that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services provide beneficiaries with an effective complaint process by either fixing the current peer-review system or creating an entirely new system. The report, entitled "The Medicare Beneficiary Complaint Process: A Rusty Safety Valve," is available at www.oig.hhs. gov/oei/whatsnew.html.

Practice Concepts

The Forum

Brief Reports

Acknowledgments

This article was adapted from the August 2001 issue of the ILC Policy Report. Reprinted with permission from the International Longevity Center—USA, New York.

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