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Aging

Two simple facts are shaping America's future: people are living longer and having fewer children. The outcome of these two trends is that the percentage of older people in the United States is growing. Policymakers must prepare for the inevitable aging of America.
As part of the 2006 President's Initiative, CSG's aging research provided best practices and policy options to help state policymakers prepare for America's new "silver society."

 

 

Suggested State Legislation

  1. Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force (2009)
  2. Homecare Option Program for the Elderly (Statement) (2009)
  3. Independence, Dignity and Choice in Long-Term Care (2009)
  4. Senior Alert Program (2009)
  5. Dementia- Specific Service Disclosure (2008)
  6. Dementia Specific Training (2008)
  7. Intergenerational Respite Care Assisted Living Facility Pilot Program (2007)
  8. No Senior Left Behind (Statement) (2007)
  9. Medicaid Enrollees and Kidney Disease (2006)
  10. Medicaid Fairness Act (2006)
  11. Older Adult Services (2006)
  12. Relating to Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs and Pharmaceutical Discount Cards (2006)
  13. Freedom to Work for People With Disabilities (2005)
  14. Volunteer Advocates for Seniors (2005)
  15. Emergency Evacuation Plans for People with Disabilities (2004)
  16. Pooled Trusts for People with Disabilities (2004)

 

 

 

State Programs

Silver Society Award Winner (2006)

Vermont Choices for Care 1115 Medicaid Waiver
This program enables state Medicaid recipients to get services such as respite or companion care in their homes; meal preparation and medication management in assisted living facilities, and 24-hour skilled nursing care in nursing homes.

Innovations Awards

Winner - Connecticut - 2003 - Home Care and Assisted Living Alternatives to Nursing Home Care Initiative
In an effort to provide elderly persons in need of long-term care the ability to remain in the community and avoid, or delay, entrance to a nursing home, the initiative includes an expansion of the income eligibility criteria for Connecticut's Home Care Program for Elders, implementation of assisted living pilots in state-funded congregate housing and federally funded HUD housing, implementation of a private pay assisted living pilot and the subsidized assisted living demonstration project.
Finalist - Minnesota - 2008 - Long-term Care Choices Navigator
The Long-term Care Choices Navigator is an interactive, web-based tool that helps seniors and their families and caregivers determine what they need to live well and age well. It guides them to resources in their local community and creates a custom plan they can save, print, e-mail and refine over time.
Finalist - Colorado - 2007 - Senior Source
Senior Source is a dedicated multimedia initiative utilizing television, the Internet, call-in lines and onsite outreach to educate and encourage Colorado residents about important aging issues and available resources for older adults. It is a public, private non-profit partnership that utilizes the assistance of the state’s largest media sources and community leaders, to address a recognized information deficit in Colorado by bringing data into the homes and community centers of its target audience, older adults (age 60+), their caregivers, and others in need of services.
Finalist - Texas - 2005 - Aging Texas Well
This program is designed to ensure that Texans prepare for aging in all aspects of life and that state and local social infrastructure facilitate lifelong healthy aging.
Finalist - Illinois - 2003 - Partners for Inclusive Employment Job Match and Fair
This program educates employers about the Americans with Disabilities Act and helps match disabled job-seekers with employers.
Finalist - Minnesota - 2003 - Minnesota Disability Health Options MnDHO
This program is a managed health care program for people with disabilities. It integrates Medicaid and Medicare financing and primary, acute and long-term care. All enrollees are assigned an RN health coordinator, who helps them navigate the health care system, live more independently and maintain their health.

 

 

CSG Publications

2009
  1. Facts and Figures: Long-Term Care
  2. Long-Term Care
  3. Cognitive Impairment & Alzheimer's Disease
2007
  1. "Aid for the Silver Wave: States Find Ways to Help Alzheimer's Patients, Caregivers," State News, June/July 2007.”
2006
  1. “State of Decay: More Teeth Means Increased Need for Dental Care,” State News, October 2006.
  2. “The Age of Fitness: Staying Active is Important in Every Generation,” State News, October 2006.
  3. “Reality Check in Rural America,” State News, August 2006.
  4. “Controlling Diabetes to Save Sight: Vision Problems Increase When Disease is Left Untreated,” State News, August 2006.
  5. "Planning Pensions: Big Changes Ahead in State and Local Retirement Funding," State News, June/July 2006.
  6. "Health, growth of senior population focus of study," Stateline Midwest, April 2006
  7. “Part D-lemma: Implementing Medicare Prescription Drug Plan a Costly Proposition for States,” State News, March 2006.
  8. “Minnesota Responds to Startup Problems with Federal Drug Plan,” Stateline Midwest, Feb. 2006.
2005
  1. "The Population 65 Years and Older: Aging in America," The Book of the States, 2005.
  2. "Demographic, Social, Health and Economic Characteristics of the Population 65 Years and Over" (Table), The Book of the States, 2005.
  3. "Trends in Public Retirement Systems: Stresses in the System," The Book of the States, 2005.
  4. Retirement Information Tables, The Book of the States, 2005.
  5. "Trends in State Retirement Systems," The Book of the States, 2005.
  6. Medicare Modernization Act Toolkit, Dec. 2005.
  7. Trends in America: Navigating Turbulence to Success, Dec. 2005.
  8. TrendsAlert: Aging of America—State Approaches to Controlling Health Care Costs, Nov. 2005.
  9. “Iowa Leads Medicaid Reform,” State News, Sept. 2005.
  10. “As America Ages, States Respond,” State News, Aug. 2005.
  11. “As Costs Continue to Rise, States Seek New Ways of Saving on Health Care,” Firstline Midwest, Aug. 2005.
  12. “Rising Medicaid Costs Test State-Federal Partnership,” Stateline Midwest, Aug. 2005.
  13. “Stolen ‘Golden Years’: States Address the Silent Epidemic of Elderly Financial Victimization,” State News, Aug. 2005.
  14. “Trends in America: Charting the Course Ahead,” State News, Aug. 2005.
  15. “States Pursue New Medicaid Cost-Containment Strategies,” Stateline Midwest, July 2005.
  16. Trends in America: Charting the Course Ahead, June 2005.
  17. “Special Care: Iowa Emerges as National Leader with Medicaid Reform Plan,” Stateline Midwest, June 2005.
  18. “Forecast for the South: Partly Sunny Skies with a Chance of Rain,” Spectrum, Spring 2005.
  19. “New Medication Strategies for Public Employees,” Spectrum, Spring 2005.
  20. “10 Change Drivers for Health Care Policy,” Leaders Lens, Spring 2005.
  21. “A Silent Crisis: Growing Number of Seniors Face Risk of Abuse,” State News, May 2005.
  22. “Getting Ready for D-Day: States Brace for Medicare Changes,” State News, May 2005.
  23. TrendsAlert: Containing Health Spending—Focus on Hospital Costs, May 2005.
  24. “Strength In Numbers: States Combine Purchasing Power to Reduce the Cost of Medication,” Issue Brief, Eastern Regional Conference, May 2005.
  25. “Systems in Stress: Public Retirement Systems Are Challenged by Shrinking Assets and Growing Liabilities,” State News, April 2005.
  26. “Attacking Cancer on All Fronts,” State News, April 2005.
  27. “Alabama’s Ace Investments: Out-of-the-Ordinary Investments Pay Off for Alabama’s Retirement System,” State News, April 2005.
  28. “Fixing the Problem: Illinois is Among the States Considering New Pension-Reform Plans,” State News, April 2005.
  29. “States Play Part in Improving Breast Cancer Detection, Research,” Stateline Midwest, March 2005.
  30. “On the Horizon: Interstate Compacts,” State News, Feb. 2005.
  31. “State Worker Shortage Looms,” State News, Feb. 2005.
  32. An Ounce of Prevention: Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Programs Get Valentines from State Officials,” State News, Feb. 2005.
  33. States Seek Remedies to Workforce Shortages in Health Care,” Stateline Midwest, Feb. 2005.
  34. “10 Change Drivers for the Future,” State News, Jan. 2005.
2004
  1. America’s Public Retirement Systems: Stresses in the System, Southern Legislative Conference, Oct. 2004.
  2. “Major State Worker Shortage Coming,” Leaders Lens, Nov. 2004.
  3. TrendsAlert: Public Health Worker Shortages, Nov. 2004.
  4. “Aging’s ‘Golden Opportunities’: Gov. Mark Warner Calls for Policymakers to Rethink Policies on Aging,” State News, Sept. 2004.
  5. “State, Federal Bills Target Rise in Elder Abuse Incidents,” Stateline Midwest, Sept. 2004.
  6. “Prescription Drug Importation Gains Momentum,” State News, Aug. 2004.
  7. TrendsAlert: Prescription Drug Importation, June 2004.
  8. “Diabetes: A Case for Quality Health Care,” State News, May 2004.
  9. “Multistate Drug Purchasing Pool Set to Expand after Federal OK,” Stateline Midwest, May 2004.
  10. “Public Health Agencies Face Workforce Shortages,” State News, April 2004.
  11. “Key Issues: CSG Task Forces Consider Emerging Trends,” State News, April 2004.
  12. “Have You Spotted This Trend? Health Care Quality: The New Cost-Control Frontier,” State Government News, March 2004.
  13. “Poor Performance: Losses in Pension Funds, Long-Term Trends Have States Looking at System,” State Government News, Feb. 2004.
2003
  1. State Official’s Guide to Chronic Illness, 2003.
  2. “Preventing, Managing Chronic Illnesses Can Save States Money and Improve Care,” Firstline Midwest, Dec. 2003.
  3. “The ABC’s of PBMs: New Models for Managing Drug Costs,” State Government News, Nov./Dec. 2003.
  4. Special Report: Legislative Staff Managers Look at Workplace Issues, CSG-WEST, Spring 2003.
  5. “Medicaid Relief: New Federal Assistance a Help, But Rising Costs Still Devouring Budgets,” Stateline Midwest, June 2003.
  6. “The Costs of Chronic Illness,” State Government News, May 2003.
  7. “Health Care’s Dual Crises,” State Government News, May 2003.
  8. “Joining Forces: States Work on Forming Prescription Drug Purchasing Pools to Cut Costs,” Stateline Midwest, March 2003.
  9. “Health Care’s Perfect Storm: Several Factors Converge to Create Double-Digit Health Care Costs,” State Government News, Feb. 2003.
  10. “Employee Health Coverage Crisis,” State Government News, Feb. 2003.
  11. Special Report: Family Caregivers and the Elderly—What Can States Do to Help?Council of State Governments–WEST, Winter 2003.
2002
  1. Signs of the Times: Midwestern Demographic Trends and Their Implications for Public Policy, The Council of State Governments Midwest, 2002.
  2. “Pressure on Lawmakers Increases with Rise in the Need for, Costs of Prescription Drugs,” Firstline Midwest, Dec. 2002.
  3. “No Place Like Home: Governments Take Action to Develop Affordable Housing,” State Government News, Oct. 2002.
  4. TrendsAlert: State Employee Worker Shortage—The Impending Crisis, Oct. 2002.
  5. “States Face Worker Shortage Crisis,” State Government News, Oct. 2002.
  6. “Health Care Workforce Shortages Already Threaten Patient Care, Expected to Increase,” Firstline Midwest, July 2002.
  7. “Have You Spotted This Trend?” State Government News, June/July 2002.
  8. “Medicaid Budget Woes: Recession Means States Must Insure More People with Fewer Resources,” Stateline Midwest, March 2002.
  9. “North Dakota Undertakes Comprehensive Long-Term Care Study,” Stateline Midwest, Feb. 2002.
2001
  1. “Prescription Drug Coverage for Seniors,” Health Policy Forum, Nov./Dec. 2001.
  2. “Medical Innovation and the Aging of America,” Health Policy Forum, Oct. 2001.
  3. “Challenges Ahead: Expert Warns Midwestern Legislative Conference about Rising Health Care Costs, More Uninsured,” Stateline Midwest, Sept. 2001.
  4. “Have You Spotted These Trends?” State Government News, Sept. 2001.
  5. “The ‘States’ of Representative Democracy,” State Government News, Jan. 2001.
  6. “Seniors Feel Pinch from Rising Drug Costs,” Firstline Midwest, January 2001.
  7. “Higher Medicaid Expenditures Cause Budget Crunch,” Stateline Midwest, Jan. 2001.
  8. “Mixing Politics and Prescriptions,” State Government News, Jan. 2001.
  9. 8 for the States: Top Issues for the 2001 Legislative Sessions, The Council of State Governments Midwest, 2001.
2000
  1. “Long-Term Solutions: States Study Ways to Diversify Care Options for Senior Citizens,” Stateline Midwest, Nov. 2000.
  2. “States Plan for Work-Force Success,” State Government News, April 2000.
  3. “High Price to Pay: Bills Address Seniors’ Concerns over Prescription Drug Costs,” Stateline Midwest, April 2000.
  4. “Kansas Struggles to Provide Assistance to State’s Poor Elderly,” Stateline Midwest, March 2000.