Seven states have received $8.3 million in federal grants to increase awareness of home- and community-based long-term care options for people leaving hospitals who otherwise may enter a traditional nursing home.
According to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Acting Administrator Kerry Weems, the grants are part of the Real Choice Systems Change (RCSC) grant program, which is designed to help states and territories rebalance their long-term support programs to help people with chronic illness or disabilities stay in their homes and participate in community life.
"These awards are a clear sign of the continued commitment of this administration to increase opportunities for home and community-based long-term care services so that individuals who want to stay in their own homes and in their own communities can do so," Weems said.
According to CMS officials, more than $7 million will be used to develop person-centered hospital discharge planning models. These new models for the discharge planning process will place greater emphasis on involving patients and their families in after-care plans, including exploring home-based alternatives to institutional care.
Kansas, Alaska and South Carolina will use the grants to enhance or expand Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs, community-based organizations that assist people who need social services, while Oregon and Missouri will use the money to develop new ADRCs.
Hospital discharge planners will use the ADRCs to tap into community-based resources for the discharged patient.
Idaho, meanwhile, will concentrate solely on developing and implementing a person-centered hospital discharge planning model.
An additional $574,613 will supplement grants that were awarded in fiscal year 2007 to Wisconsin and Alaska to continue their Person-Centered Planning Implementation programs for another two years.
Is your system benefiting from the extra funding and grants? Send your stories to Associate Editor Chelsey Ledue at chelsey.ledue@medtechpublishing.com.