Broadening choices for long-term care in the Mid-Atlantic
Women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s earnings in 2009 A Woman’s Pay Ala. 74.2 Alaska 76.5 Ariz. 82.7 Ark. 78.5 Calif. 82.7 Colo. 79.3 Conn. 73.9 D.C. 88.2 Del. 78.4 Fla. 82.1 Ga. 78.9 Hawaii 78.4 Idaho 72.0 Ill. 76.7 Ind. 72.8 Iowa 73.7 Kan. 76.1 Ky. 74.8 La. 66.4 Maine 76.7 Md. 81.5 Mass. 79.2 Mich. 71.9 Minn. 78.4 Miss. 76.0 Mo. 76.8 Mont. 71.5 Neb. 77.3 Nev. 82.2 N.H. 73.8 N.J. 76.5 N.M. 77.3 N. Y. 82.5 N.C. 80.7 N.D. 73.1 Ohio 75.4 Okla. 75.1 Ore. 76.6 Pa. 75.5 R.I. 79.4 S.C. 78.2 S.D. 77.1 Tenn. 79.0 Texas 80.2 Utah 68.1 Vt. 78.0 Va. 78.3 Wash. 75.1
W.Va. 69.2 Wis. 75.0 Wyo. 65.5
SOURCE:
U.S. CENSUS
BUREAU,
AMERICAN
COMMUNI T Y
SURVEY, 2009
; New Jersey
Opening doors A new Aging
and Disability Resources Connec-
tion opened in Hackensack this
fall, providing local residents with
a “one-stop shop” for services
that can help them continue to
live independently as they age.
; One of several such centers in
the state, the Hackensack ADRC
marks another step in the rollout
of the Independence, Dignity and
Choice in Long-Term Care Act,
which passed in 2006. The law
aims to bring more balance be-
tween funding for nursing home
care and home- and community-
based services. ; State Sen. Lo-
retta Weinberg, D, who sponsored
the legislation, says AARP was the
“chief nudge” in getting it passed.
Learn more at aarp.org/nj.
; Maryland
Know your options The state
Department of Aging has received
more than $1.3 million in federal
funds to help older Maryland-
ers, people with disabilities and
family caregivers better under-
stand their choices for long-term
care. The grants—provided by the
new federal health care reform
law—will be used to strengthen
outreach and counseling. ; The
project aims to help individuals
and their families understand
Medicare and Medicaid benefits;
evaluate and choose from the full
range of long-term care services
available in their communities;
and transition from nursing or
rehabilitative facilities back into
their own homes, with support
services that can help them stay
there. ; AARP has a seat on
several Department of Aging
advisory groups to help with the
e;ort. For more information, visit
www.mdoa.state.md.us.
; Pennsylvania
More oversight Beginning next month, assisted living facilities
in Pennsylvania will be subject to state licensing, a move expected to
improve quality of care and allow more low-income people to choose
assisted living over nursing home care. AARP supported the new
licensing law, which for the first time allows Pennsylvanians eligible
for Medicaid to apply such funding to assisted living care. ; In order
to be licensed in the state, assisted living facilities will be required to
o;er services such as skilled nursing, physical therapy and hospice
care. In addition, the facilities must have a dietitian on sta; or under
contract. The regulations also say each residential unit must include
a lockable door, full bathroom, kitchen and at least 160 square feet of
living space. ; To learn more, visit aarp.org/pa.
; District of Columbia
Don’t cross that line AARP’s Legal Counsel for the Elderly has
filed a class action lawsuit against one of the nation’s largest debt collec-
tors. ; The lawsuit, filed against Midland Credit Management on behalf
of an 86-year-old District woman with an unpaid furniture debt in-
curred long ago, alleges the company is regularly suing people for debts
that fall outside the statute of limitations, which in the District is three
years. ; “We’re hoping that we can compel this company to stop illegal
business practices in D.C.,” says LCE attorney Dan Koslofsky, who says
older consumers are particularly vulnerable to unethical debt collection
tactics. ; District residents in need of legal assistance may be eligible
for help from LCE and can call the o;ce at 202-434-2120.
; Virginia
Feed the hungry A statewide
food drive that collected more
than 50,000 pounds of food for
needy Virginians in just one day
this fall showed how volunteers
can make a di;erence in their
communities. ; The 2010 drive—
a joint e;ort between AARP and
Ruritan clubs—encouraged people
to donate food in a variety of
ways, from handing out fliers at a
grocery store to distributing food
collection bags at a trash dump.
; “Nothing is one size fits all,” says
Pam Caldwell, who led AARP’s
part of the e;ort. She suggests
working with a local food pantry
to decide where and when dona-
tions would be most helpful. ; For
a tool kit you can use to organize a
food drive, go to createthegood
.org/how-to-guides.
—Reports by Donya Currie
aarp.org/states
For other state news, go to
