Guests will hear from people with disabilities, federal leaders, and national experts about the impact of Olmstead, barriers to community living and true inclusion that people with disabilities still face 25 years later, and what is needed to fully realize the promise of this landmark decision.

The National Plan on Aging Community Engagement Collaborative, which is comprised of three ICC partners — West Health, The SCAN Foundation, and The John A. Hartford Foundation — is seeking input from both individuals and organizations on the Strategic Framework and key aging issues. By completing a short online survey, you can help shape the national plan on aging.

This national webinar — the first hosted by the Grassroots Project — provides an opportunity to hear from advocates about the steps they took to find their disability advocacy community, the challenges they faced, tips for success, and strategies for maintaining a sense of connection in their advocacy work.

This webinar is being held to support aging network entities in their implementation of the OAA final rule, relating to expectations for state plans on aging, area plans on aging, and intrastate funding formulas. Additionally, an overview of the interstate funding formulas in the OAA will be provided.

During the webinar, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies will explain how art, culture, and creative expression can play an important role in strengthening social connection for older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers. Attendees will also hear from the Central Vermont Council on Aging and Dances For A Variable Population on how their programs use the arts to promote social connections for older adults.

At a meeting of the Elder Justice Coordinating Council on Wednesday, June 12, 17 federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Justice Department will look back on a decade in which the federal government has significantly expanded efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation — including in the areas of enforcement, public education, training, interagency collaboration, research, and support for older adults who experience or are at risk of experiencing abuse.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expects to award a total of $500 million over the five-year period of performance, provided in five budget periods of 12 months each. For the first 12-month budget period, to be awarded this fall, $100 million is available, the largest investment in the navigator program to date.

The initiative is in keeping with President Biden’s Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers, signed April 18, 2023. This executive order directs federal agencies to take more than 50 actions including those that could expand access to home and community-based services; grow and strengthen the direct care workforce; support family caregivers; and more — giving us a unique opportunity to transform our long-term care systems and mitigate the challenges faced by family, kin, and tribal caregivers.

Watch online as we celebrate the last 10 years of federal elder justice accomplishments and look to the future at Wednesday's EJCC meeting.

ACL is pleased to announce the 2024 awardees of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME) grants. Empowering older adults to engage in evidence-based CDSME programs greatly impacts overall health and well-being, including improved physical activity and nutrition, better health-related quality of life, and improved health literacy, as well as reduced loneliness and social isolation.