At ACL we believe that every person has the right to make choices and to control their own decisions. This right is independent of age or disability or stage of illness.  To help ensure that people who have serious illnesses are able to control their care and services, ACL, in consultation with its stakeholders, developed Principles for Person-directed Services and Supports during Serious Illness.

People are coming together to help survivors of Hurricane Harvey in many ways. This support shows the positive side of people helping other people. Our networks are working hard to take care of each other. Americans are supporting those who are in need – they are doing so selflessly and with good intentions. First responders, the military, and regular citizens are working tirelessly to help our aging and disability communities with their needs.

Kaiser Health News (August 31) Soul Purpose: Seniors with Strong Reasons to Live Often Live Stronger

Today, at the National Adult Protective Services Association conference, ACL released the first consistently, systematically, and nationally collected data on the abuse of older adults and adults with disabilities.

New York Times (August 23) Age Like a Former Athlete Being a world-class distance runner in your youth does not guarantee that you will be fit and healthy in retirement. But it helps, according to a new study that followed a group of elite American runners for 45 years. The study’s findings raise interesting questions about how we can and should age and the role that youthful activity might play in our health later in life.

The Aging and Disability Business Institute [operated by National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) and a team of partners] has launched a new Readiness Assessment tool, a powerful resource that will help community-based organizations (CBOs) determine their capacity and preparedness for engaging in contractual partnerships with health care payers an

These 2017 CDSME grantees will reach about 38,000 older adults and adults with disabilities with evidence-based self-management programs, empowering them to better manage their chronic conditions.

* Note: The deadline for the RFI survey has been extended to August 16. July 17, 2017

  Five state teams have been selected for participation in the Disability Network Business Acumen Learning Collaborative. This effort is led by the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) in partnership with nine national organizations.

  ACL is releasing new resources from the Business Acumen Initiative to provide background on this work and to feature case studies from community-based organizations (CBOs) that highlight their activities to secure contracts and develop relationships with partner organizations. Launched in 2012, this program aims to strengthen the aging and disability networks from the inside, building their business skills and enhancing their effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. View these new materials: