Bridging the Aging and Developmental Disabilities Service ... - rrtcadd

4. Examine current federal initiatives at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) and the AoA that relate to community-based long-term care and supports of adults
of all ages with disabilities, (e.g., Aging and Disability Resource Centers, Lifespan
Respite Care Act, re-authorization of the Older Americans Act, Money Follows the
Person, National Alzheimer’s Project Act), and the extent to which they address the needs
of people with developmental disabilities and their families. Develop recommendations
incorporating suggestions by the project’s work group representatives from ADD, AoA,
the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services
(NASDDDS), CMS, Health and Human Services Office on Disability, and the
Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) to better address the later life
needs of adults with developmental disabilities and their families.
Project Activities
The methodology for gathering data for this report included the following activities:
• Summarized the research on later life health and support needs of older adults with
developmental disabilities and their families.
• Summarized and synthesized testimonies and day two discussions related to aging and
developmental disabilities from the ADD Envisioning Sessions.
• Reviewed outcomes and results of ADD funded Aging Training Initiative Projects (TIPS)
and AoA grants to address the needs of older adults with developmental disabilities and
their families.
• Identified and interviewed ADRC staff at the state and local levels to identify promising
best practices and challenges to serving adults with developmental disabilities and their
families.
• Held three meetings with key stakeholders and policy makers to review material, discuss
issues, and develop preliminary recommendations.
Our in-depth analysis of the ADRC network’s role in addressing the long-term care needs of
people with developmental disabilities and their families was based on:
• Reviews of ADRC performance reports to determine the number of people with
developmental disabilities served nationally and to identify states serving the largest
numbers of people with developmental disabilities.
• Telephone interviews and email correspondence with key informants in the states with
the greatest outreach to people with developmental disabilities to identify the best
practices and obstacles affecting their success. Participants included the state ADRC
Bridging the Aging and Developmental Disabilities Service Networks Page 10