New report examines Adult Family Care
With nearly a quarter of Florida’s population aged 65 and older, long term care is a recurring topic in health and insurance forums we participate in. Companies offering Long Term Care Insurance are constantly tackling challenges related to the rising cost of nursing homes, especially as we live longer lives. The AARP Public Policy Institute is out with a new report on a viable but sometimes overlooked alternative: Adult Family Care.
The AARP report addresses the growing population who need long-term services and supports and want alternatives to nursing homes as living options. Adult Family Care (AFC), which is not as well known among consumers as home care and assisted living, gives older adults and people with disabilities a viable alternative. In AFC, sometimes called adult foster care or adult family homes, residents live full-time in a house or other small residential setting where they receive assistance with activities of daily living, personal care, and help with medications and other health care tasks, in collaboration with health care professionals.
More than 40 years ago, Oregon and Washington were the first states to establish AFCs as an option for both private pay residents and those receiving public funds. And while most states have subsequently added AFC to their array of long-term residential care options, many have had difficulty recruiting providers and consumers. This report, written for consumers, advocates, and state policy staff, summarizes some of the key features of AFC as well as ideas for expanding its availability.
The report includes case studies from states that have succeeded in making AFC more widely available as a service delivery model, and outlines four detailed recommendations based on those successes: 1) prioritize recruitment, screening, and licensing of providers; 2) develop consumer awareness and resources they can use; 3) develop resources for case managers and providers; 4) consider financial assistance and reimbursement for providers.
LMA Newsletter of 3-22-21
