For the third time, AARP with the Commonwealth Fund and the SCAN Foundation published a national scorecard for long-term services and supports. This year’s results place Oregon at #4 out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. We scored at the very top for the indicator measuring support for family caregivers. Oregon dropped down a rank from #3 in the previous scorecard. According to the report, the three scorecards all have somewhat different methodologies and indicator sets, due primarily to changes in data availability. Ranks are not directly comparable between years.
The top five states on the list were Washington (1), Minnesota (2), Vermont (3), Oregon (4) and Alaska (5). The full report can be found at www.longtermscorecard.org.
The report measures every state against five key dimensions:
– Affordability and Access
– Choice of Setting and Provider
– Quality of Life & Quality of Care
– Support for Family Caregivers
– Effective Transitions
In Oregon, the Department of Human Services with its Aging & People with Disabilities program (APD) is responsible for many tasks and oversight related to these five key dimensions. Program Director Ashley Carson Cottingham said, “It is encouraging to see our state rank at the top of the list. The results confirm that we are focusing state resources on the right areas of safety and quality assurance, caregiving, housing and transportation. The report serves as additional motivation to work on service accessibility, delivery and broad availability.”
Oregon’s aging population will increase significantly over the next few decades. That means we will see a large increase in the number of individuals who will access long-term services and supports. It is our declared goal to ensure safety, independence and choice for Oregonians.
APD is preparing itself for the anticipated changes by updating our data systems, our work processes, and our organization as a whole. A particularly meaningful project in that context is the Centralized Abuse Management (CAM) system – a solution that will enhance the documentation, workflow and accessibility of abuse investigation information throughout all organizations involved in that process. We also continue our cooperation with advocacy and community groups, and other agencies, like Oregon Housing and Community Services, to ensure we are collectively able to meet the needs of aging Oregonians. The broader national discussion about possible cuts to Medicaid and other critical programs that older adults and people with disabilities rely upon, will have a direct effect on services available in Oregon.
As an organization, we are committed to innovative solutions for improving Oregon’s system of long-term services and supports to better meet the needs of a rapidly growing aging population.
To see detail about Oregon’s ranking:
http://www.longtermscorecard.org/databystate/state?state=OR
Oregon’s Fact sheet:
http://www.longtermscorecard.org/~/media/Microsite/State%20Fact%20Sheets/Oregon%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
