The White House announced this week it is releasing $1.4 billion in stimulus-related funds to go toward caring for older adults. Some $460 million of it will go to home- and community-based services, including efforts to vaccinate seniors and lessen social isolation. The largest chunk, $750 million, will pay for meal programs for seniors; another $145 million is to support family and informal caregivers, including counseling and respite care. And $44 million will go toward health-related programs including fall prevention and managing depression in older Americans. Read the White House fact sheet here. 

 

Speaking of mental health, there’s new data from the CDC and Census Bureau that says older Americans experienced increases in anxiety and depression when  COVID-19 cases spiked. At the study’s peak in late January of 2021, about a third of seniors said they’d had symptoms of anxiety or depression in the previous week. You can see the data here. 

See you Monday! 

Digital connectivity has offered a link to the outside world for older adults during COVID-19. But digital devices aren’t always easy to manage, especially for seniors with dementia, vision impairments or hearing loss. In this white paper sponsored by Hamilton Captel, you’ll learn why the public health emergency has amplified the health dangers of social isolation and how you can offer simple support senior clients and patients to ensure they’re getting the most of virtual programs. Click here to download now.

It’s time to re-examine your HME workflow. This white paper from TIMS Software lays out how every part of the revenue cycle management process can work more efficiently if done digitally, from managing deliveries to collecting accounts. Read more.