Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com
Twelve states received millions of dollars in grants this week to help aging adults stay in their homes and out of nursing homes.
The $8.85 million represents a combination of state and federal funds for nursing home diversion programs.
The money helps to conserve Medicaid dollars by providing more choices to people before they enter a nursing home, said Mike Leavitt, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Congress provided for the grants in the Older Americans Act, which was signed into law by President Bush last October.
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The program's primary goal is diverting individuals from nursing home placement, thereby encouraging independence and helping maintain social networks with family or friends.
It's expected that as the baby boomers begin to need long-term care, they will express similar preferences, opting for home- and community-based services.
“By giving people affordable choices and greater control over the services they receive, we know they will select options that will better respond to their particular needs, and they will be able to stay at home longer," said Josefina G. Carbonell, assistant secretary for aging at H&HS.
In general, programs are intended to target and serve individuals who are not eligible for Medicaid, which is intended to provide health care and health-related services to low-income individuals. Each state has different plans to help keep frail elders aging at home for as long as possible.
For example, the Illinois Department on Aging provided services through its Community Care Program to more than 60,500 frail elders, who otherwise might have gone to nursing homes. Programs offered through CCP include homemaker services, adult day services, and emergency home response services.
Future Funding
The 12 states were awarded $5.7 million in federal funding for nursing home
diversion programs that will enable individuals to use Medicaid dollars flexibly
and not just earmark those dollars for nursing home care. In addition, the
states will contribute more than $3 million to support the effort.
A total of 30 states applied for the grants, 20 were approved, and ultimately 12 were selected for a maximum of $500,000 apiece. States indicated how much they would need for their individual programs in their applications.
"We hope to fund the remaining eight with future appropriations if that occurs," said Moya Thompson, spokeswoman for the U.S. Administration on Aging, an H&HS agency. She noted that additional funding is dependent on the 2008 Congressional budget, which has yet to be determined.
