Want to see Wisconsin's long term care score card?

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Thought some of us would like to see where Wisconsin currently stands in comparison with other states...  click  www.longtermscorecard.org    

Subject: [Caregiving] First-Ever Long-Term Scorecard Finds Wide State Variation in Services and Supports for Older Adults and People with Disabilities

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.

The report, Raising Expectations: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregiversa href="http://newsletters.commonwealthfund.org/t/8892/274557/4164/0/" target="_blank">http://newsletters.commonwealthfund.org/t/8892/274557/4164/0/>, 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.

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.

The report points out that, generally, leading states have enacted public policies designed to:

 *   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.
 *   Provide a single entry point in the system through which people can more easily access information and services.
 *   Improve support for family caregivers by offering legal protections as well as other services to address caregiver needs.
The full report, along with a podcast and an interactive map displaying state-by-state information, is available atwww.longtermscorecard.orga href="http://www.longtermscorecard.org/" target="_blank">http://www.longtermscorecard.org>. On this site, users can download state fact sheets, as well as compare state performance on individual indicators and create customized PowerPoint slides.


Russell Mark
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National Alliance for Caregiving
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