Strategies on how to improve Ohio’s overall system of home- and community-based services, including assisted living, and the aging services workforce are highlights of a blueprint released by a coalition of aging services providers.
The Ohio Aging Advocacy Coalition of older adult and caregiver advocacy organizations released a state fiscal year 2024-2025 State Budget Blueprint, which includes principles and potential solutions for consideration by the Ohio General Assembly and the administration of Gov. Mike DeWine (R) as they understand the state budgeting process.
“Aging is a gift, for individuals and for our communities,” said Beth Kowalczyk, chief policy officer at the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging. “Now is the time to recognize that supporting older Ohioans in their homes and communities is good for all of us, and for the state.”
The coalition engaged with key stakeholders to identify key themes, including disparities in life expectancy, persistent housing and transportation challenges, financial unpreparedness for retirement, workforce capacity and shortages, mental health and addiction, chronic conditions, innovation and partnerships.
Among the key principles and solutions identified were providing adequate Medicaid reimbursement and ensuring older adults have choices in their care with support for both home- and community-based options.
With an aging population, LeadingAge Ohio President and CEO Susan Wallace said the state must ensure that cost-effective, community-based care settings are among the choices available.
“Ohio has the opportunity to address the long-standing short funding in the Medicaid program, which has crippled growth in community-based settings like assisted living,” Wallace told McKnight’s Senior Living. “The executive budget included historic investments in home- and community-based services, including Ohio’s assisted living waiver, and the Aging Advocacy Coalition is asking the legislature to build on those investments.”
Ohio Health Care Association Executive Director Peter Van Runkle said that assisted living is just one part of the blueprint.
“Those of us who represent assisted living are pursuing a significant increase in assisted living waiver rates, including add-ons for memory care and high Medicaid census,” Van Runkle told McKnight’s Senior Living.
Direct care workforce key to supporting aging population
The blueprint recommends worker supports, including childcare, healthcare and transportation. The coalition supports the state’s initiative to create an affordable housing tax credit to increase access to affordable housing for workers, as well as childcare scholarships for the direct care workforce.
The blueprint further addresses direct care workforce wages, calling for a “livable, family-sustaining wage.” The solutions include aligning training and participation requirements across systems to allow mobility between aging, developmental disabilities and mental health / addiction services. Also supported are career ladders and lattices in the industry.
The coalition also supports tiered reimbursement or bonuses for advanced training and certification among direct service providers, as well as a single point of entry for caregiving careers, modeled after Wisconsin’s WisCaregiver Careers program. The Wisconsin program includes state tested nurse aide training, retention bonuses and dedicated communications support to increase awareness of the program.
The blueprint also addresses increasing housing security for older adults, investing in innovative care models and care coordination, protecting older adults from abuse and neglect, and supporting better health outcomes through nutrition.
Members of the coalition include the Ohio Assisted Living Association, the Ohio Health Care Association, LeadingAge Ohio and the Alzheimer’s Association.
