ACL is committed to supporting states in developing effective Adult Protective Services (APS) systems to ensure all older Americans and people with disabilities have similar protections and access to services, regardless of where they live. As part of these efforts, last summer we released Draft Voluntary Consensus Guidelines for State APS Systems and asked for your feedback.

Dialysis patients generally receive treatment several times per week, and missing a session can have real health consequences. Unfortunately, getting to treatment can be a challenge, and programs that try to address the problem often do not understand the unique needs of these patients. This can create as many problems as the program seeks to resolve. For many dialysis patients, rides that do not show up and waiting hours to go home are familiar experiences. As Troyce Crucchiola, a dialysis patient in Portland, OR describes it, “our lives are so much about hurrying up to wait.”

To promote the availability and accessibility of transportation options for older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers, and communities throughout the U.S., Easter Seals and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging announce the launch of the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center.

At the time Jamie Kendall passed away unexpectedly, ACL was within weeks of announcing her selection to serve as deputy commissioner for the Administration on Disabilities and director of the Independent Living Administration. Jamie had been serving as the acting director of the ILA since June.

With gratitude and sadness, ACL announces that Principal Deputy Administrator Sharon Lewis will leave ACL at the end of January. James Toews will succeed her in an acting capacity.

Each November, we recognize family caregivers for all they do to ensure the health, safety, and dignity of the people they care for. Family caregivers are the social and economic underpinning of America's long-term care system. Without them, the burden of providing care likely would fall upon the formal, more costly healthcare delivery system, and many people who otherwise could remain in their homes and communities would  have to live in institutional settings. Supporting caregivers is critical—and a key part of ACL's mission.

ACL is mourning the loss of Jamie Kendall, Acting Director of the Independent Living Administration, who died November 12, 2015.

Today the country pauses to honor the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans. ACL believes that one of the best ways of honoring their service is helping veterans remain in their own homes and communities throughout their lives.

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a final rule with comment aimed at enhancing the delivery of health care services provided under the Medicaid program.

Home and community-based services (HCBS) provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities and older adults to receive services in their own home or community.