Public Policy Commons^™

An Analysis Of The Universal Home Care Program: Considerations For Implementation With The Context Of Maine's Existing Ltss Programs, Eileen J. Griffin Jd, Elizabeth C. Gattine Jd, Louise Olsen, Stuart Bratesman Mpp

Disability & Aging

A citizen initiative on the November 2018 ballot (Question 1, An Act to Establish Universal Home Care for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities) would establish a "Universal Home Care Program" (UHC Program) to serve older adults and persons with a disability living in Maine. This report does not constitute either support for or opposition to the referendum but is intended as an independent assessment of how the UHC Program could be implemented if it were to be approved by Maine voters. This analysis focuses on the implications of the UHC Program within the context of the Medicaid and …

Adults Using Long Term Services And Supports: Population And Service Use Trends In Maine, Sfy 2016, Kimberly I. Snow Mhsa, Ba, Frances Jimenez Ba, Tina Gressani, Louise Olsen

Disability & Aging

All of us have likely either used, will use, or know someone who uses long term services and support (LTSS). They enable us to live with dignity and as much independence as possible and offer us the opportunity to remain involved and productive in our communities. The need for LTSS can arise suddenly after injury or illness or a life-long condition. But how ever the need arises, the impact is the same—services such as personal care, work support, home health care, and residential care provide not just for individual health and comfort, but also for interaction, inclusion, and engagement with …

The Affordable Care Act’S Medicaid Expansion And Food Insecurity Rates, Mary Moran

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Many Americans face difficult financial decisions, often regarding the allocation of limited resources. Household resources may be split among the costs of food, clothing, housing, transportation, childcare, utilities, and health care. For some households, this allocation may present a challenge to purchasing sufficient food, leading to food insecurity. Defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food” (2017), food insecurity may decrease when other financial-related aspects of life improve. An improvement in access to affordable health care, as seen through the recent Medicaid expansion under …

Community Paramedicine Pilot Programs: Lessons From Maine, Karen B. Pearson Mlis, Ma, George Shaler Mph

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Community paramedicine programs are beginning to flourish across the nation, and the need to provide demonstration or pilot programs is essential to providing a consistent and high-level standard for this model of care. While the overarching goals are to align with the Triple Aim, piloting a community paramedicine program also allows each community to develop and implement a program tailored to the healthcare needs of their specific community. A successful program builds the evidence base that can then be used to create legislative change necessary to financially sustain this model of care across the healthcare delivery system. This article provides …

A Guide For Assessing Older Adults’ Needs On Maine Islands, Beatrice Byrne

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

This template may help Maine island communities identify older adults’ needs and island resources, in order to allow older adults to age in the island communities.

Three interviews with island health leaders, one community conversation with older islanders, and one pilot test provided information about what to include in the template.

The template includes a demographic survey, guides for conducting semi-structured interviews and group conversations with older adults and caregivers, a guide and worksheet for analyzing the data, a guide for assessing community resources, a guide for dissemination, and a list of additional resources.

Measurement, Monitoring, And Evaluation Of State Demonstrations To Integrate Care For Dual Eligible Individuals: Massachusetts Evaluation Design Plan., Julie T. Fralich Mba, Maureen Booth Mrp, Ma, Edith G. Walsh Phd, Angela M. Greene Ms, Mba, Melissa Morley Phd, Wayne Anderson Phd

Disability & Aging

CMS contracted with RTI International to monitor the implementation of all State demonstrations under the Financial Alignment Initiative, and to evaluate their impact on beneficiary experience, quality, utilization, and cost. The evaluation includes an aggregate evaluation and State-specific evaluations. This report describes the State-specific Evaluation Plan for the Massachusetts demonstration as of December 16, 2013. The evaluation activities may be revised if modifications are made to either the Massachusetts demonstration or to the activities described in the Aggregate Evaluation Plan (Walsh et al., 2013). Although this document will not be revised to address all changes that may occur, the annual …

Satisfaction Survey Results And Lessons Learned: Maine's Aging & Disability Resource Center (Adrc) Project, Julie T. Fralich Mba, Louise Olsen, Mark Richards Bs, Jennifer Pratt, Taryn Bowe

Disability & Aging

The primary goal of Maine’s Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Project was to empower consumers to make informed decisions about long-term services and supports and to streamline access to existing services and supports through an integrated system. With funding from the Administration on Aging to strengthen and expand the number of Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) in the state, all five of the Area Agencies on Aging were committed to becoming and/or strengthening their capacity to be fully functioning ADRCs.

This report provides a summary of the results of consumer satisfaction surveys that were conducted for three years …

Maine Direct Service Workforce Survey Results 2012 [Chartbook], Julie T. Fralich Mba, Eileen Griffin Jd, Danielle Wescott

Disability & Aging

Direct service workers play a central role in the quality of the long-term services and supports provided to older people and people with disabilities in home and community settings. Nationally, and at the state level, there is a critical need for more information about this workforce in order to inform workforce policy and measure improvements in workforce quality and stability over time. Maine was one of seven states to administer baseline surveys under a grant funded by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service. Survey questions focused on workforce volume, stability, and compensation, as well as, cultural competence, workforce …

Members Dually Eligible For Mainecare And Medicare Benefits: Mainecare And Medicare Expenditures And Utilization, State Fiscal Year 2010., Catherine Mcguire Bs, Tina Gressani, Stuart Bratesman Mpp, Julie T. Fralich Mba, Eileen Griffin Jd

Disability & Aging

This report is one of a series of reports prepared by the USM Muskie School on MaineCare members who are dually eligible for MaineCare and Medicare Services. This first report provides a high level overview of the MaineCare and Medicare use and expenditure patterns for all members who were dually eligible in state fiscal years (SFY) 2008-2010. This report provides baseline data on the characteristics of Medicare-MaineCare members who are dually eligible, the distribution of expenditures across categories of service for MaineCare and Medicare, and the cost of care for people with select chronic conditions. The report includes information on …

Personal Experiences With Mainecare Services From People Who Use Elder And Adults With Disabilities Waiver And Private Duty Nursing/Personal Care Services., Julie T. Fralich Mba, Katherine Rosingana, Mark Richards Bs, Louise Olsen, Vanessa Bell, Jennifer Pratt

Disability & Aging

This report provides the results from a survey and personal interviews that were conducted with MaineCare members who use long term services and supports -- specifically those who are on the Elder and Adults with Disabilities Waiver and those using Private Duty Nursing (PDN) Services. People who are eligible for these services generally need nursing care and assistance with a combination of activities of daily living (e.g. eating, toileting, mobility, transfer) and instrumental activities of daily living (e.g. meal preparation, grocery shopping, housework). People on the Waiver are medically eligible to be in a nursing home. The purpose of the …

Profiling Maine’S Long Term Support System [Project Brief], Eileen Griffin Jd

Disability & Aging

A recent report by the Muskie School and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services provides a new way of looking at the state’s long term support system. With an emphasis on developing a common approach for description and analysis across programs, the profile reveals that users of long term services and supports in Maine span all age groups and types of service users. In fact, 28% are ages 17 or younger and 29% are between the age of 35 and 64. Long term service users include people with physical impairments, cognitive and intellectual disabilities, and people who need …

Barriers To Medicare Hospice Utilization: A Qualitative Study Of Maine's Medicare Hospice Providers, Judith B. Tupper Dhed, Ches, Cpps

Disability & Aging

This report, prepared for the Maine Hospice Council and funded by the Carpenter Foundation, presents findings of a qualitative study of barriers to hospice utilization. This study includes the perspectives of all 26 Medicare certified hospice providers in Maine. Significant findings of the qualitative study include: A continuing need to educate the general public about hospice and the Medicare benefit. Maine health care providers have low referral rates to the hospice programs and often misunderstand the regulations and guidelines of the hospice benefit. The referral process to hospice programs is based on fragile systems of communication, fraught with potential miscues, …