LeadingAge NY Releases North Country Report

LeadingAge New York received funding from the New York State Health Foundation to convene a group of organizations representing the continuum of long term care providers (i.e. skilled nursing, hospitals, assisted living, senior housing, home health agencies, community service providers and hospice/palliative care) from the six-county rural region of the Eastern Adirondacks to review available data on demographic trends, long-term care utilization patterns and key determinants of future demand for long term care services. 

The coalition met four times throughout 2014 and the final report was submitted at the end of December. Six recommendations were made based on our analysis of the data, the results of our Long-Term Care Services Demand Model, an assessment of governmental policy changes and other environmental factors and extensive discussions with our coalition members. In summary, we recommended to:

1. Increase alternatives to nursing home services.
2. Address health care workforce availability and preparation for realigned service delivery.
3. Address other service infrastructure issues such as improving telemedicine and telehealth capacity, expanding hospice and palliative care awareness and access and pursuing necessary regulatory reforms.
4. More fully develop the concept of Villages for Successful Aging/Medical Villages.
5. Promote adoption of health information technology and exchange among long term care services and supports providers.
6. Increase the Medicaid funding available to rural, essential services.

In January and February, LeadingAge NY met with the Governor’s office, the Department of Health and the New York State Office for the Aging to discuss these recommendations, the methodology used for our Demand Model and possible next steps to further the work we've done to address existing and future challenges of delivering long term care services and supports in the North Country. Specifically, LeadingAge NY has advanced legislation in support of a rural rate add-on for long term and post-acute care services. 

In addition, the Governor’s budget would provide $1.4 billion of additional capital resources to promote health care delivery system restructuring, of which $400 million is allocated to create a Health Care Facility Transformation Program. This funding would be aimed at hospitals or hospital systems providing services within a defined and isolated geographic region. LeadingAge NY is also advocating for a modification to the language to dedicate $100 million of the funding to support essential infrastructure and other capital needs of nursing homes, adult day health care programs, assisted living programs and home care agencies serving Medicaid/safety net recipients. Just this past week, LeadingAge NY joined several other groups in support of Governor Cuomo’s State budget initiative to bring broadband Internet access to all areas of the State, making telehealth services more feasible in the North Country and elsewhere.

We will continue to update the North Country project webpage, and plan to convene the members of the coalition in late spring or early summer to follow up on the recommendations and continue our discussion.

Contact: Linda Spokane, lspokane@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8857