Performing the duties of ACL Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on a proposed rule that would establish minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes. Research consistently shows a link between resident safety, care quality, and stable staffing in nursing homes; understaffing contributes to inadequate and unsafe care. 

September 26, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the  Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the first civil rights legislation protecting disabled people from discrimination. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs receiving federal financial assistance or conducted by federal agencies, in federal employment, and in the employment practices of federal contractors.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (The Rehab Act), as revised multiple times in various years, prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, in programs receiving federal financial assistance, in federal employment, and in the employment practices of federal contractors.

The National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment is soliciting applications for grants from organizations who wish to become Benefits Enrollment Centers (BECs). The grants are for the 19-month period from January 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025. BECs use person-centered strategies in a coordinated, community-wide approach to find and enroll low-income Medicare beneficiaries — both older adults age 65+ and adults with disabilities — into a range of public benefits.

To continue to help people access supportive services and advance our nation’s understanding of Long COVID and its associated conditions, HHS has established the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice. This office will continue current efforts to lead the whole-of-government response and work across the government to implement the National Research Action Plan.

During the webinar, aging and disability network organizations will discuss the issues that they’ve seen as Medicaid renewals restart following the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency with representatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The discussion will center around topics including eligibility, enrollment, and the continuation of critical services — including home and community-based services — for people with disabilities and older adults.

ACL has recently awarded the University of Florida and the University of Wisconsin each a three-year Traumatic Brain Injury State Partnership Program (TBI SPP) grant from September 1, 2023, to July 31, 2026, totaling $599,000.

The webinar will discuss continuity of operations, preparedness planning for older adults, disaster mental health issues, and case studies.

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is hosting the next virtual joint meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Seniors and Disasters (NACSD) and the National Advisory Committee on Individuals with Disabilities and Disasters (NACIDD).