Here's what's new on our COVID-19 resource page:
Resources for Reopening: State reopening timelines and progress will be different from state to state, and one size won’t fit all. We've created a new section to share guidance and other information to help the aging and disability networks as states establish their “new normal.” To start, we have posted:
- ACL’s Reopening Guidelines for Senior Nutrition Programs: Developed as a collaborative effort between the National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging, the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs, the National Council on Aging and ACL, these offer suggestions to consider as states move through the phases of reopening.
- Guidance from the White House: Guidelines for Opening Up America Again are a three-phased approach to help state and local officials when reopening their economies, getting people back to work, and continuing to protect American lives.
Senior nutrition programs rise to the challenge: A new blog post from Mathematica examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity among older adults, and how Older Americans Act nutrition programs are responding.
Medicare and Medicaid resources: Medicare and Medicaid provide critical coverage for many older adults and people with disabilities. We've added new fraud, coverage, and policy resources from our partners:
- Medicare Scams Q&A: Fraudsters are attempting to bill Medicare for sham tests or treatments related to the coronavirus and are targeting beneficiaries to illegally obtain money or Medicare numbers. ACL's Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center has a new Q&A on avoiding these scams.
- Medicaid services for family caregivers: State Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS) waivers can provide critical education, counseling, and training to family caregivers, the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) has created a new interactive map capturing caregiver services in each state’s Medicaid waivers.
- Tracking Medicaid Appendix K waivers: In response to the COVID-19 crisis, states are using Medicaid Appendix K waivers to incorporate flexibility into their HCBS coverage, NASHP has launched an interactive map that tracks states’ use of these waivers.
For SMP, SHIP and MIPPA grantees: Speaking of Medicare, ACL's SMP, SHIP, and MIPPA resource centers have compiled successful practices from their networks in a document covering counseling, media, training, volunteer management, and more.
Share your experience: Several ACL grantees are asking older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers to share how they've experience COVID-19 pandemic. We've posted two new opportunities:
- NIDILRR's National Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Family Support at the University of Pittsburgh invites the public to complete a survey on the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
- The University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Disability and Human Development invites people with disabilities to share their experience of the coronavirus pandemic by submitting a "map" of their neighborhood or environment.
Weekly Calls - Conversations with leaders from the field: The American Society on Aging is hosting weekly conference calls with leaders in the aging field to share their strategies for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.