WHEN DOES AGING POLICY IMPACT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND WHEN DOES THE DISABILITY RESEARCH COMMUNITY IMPACT POLICY AND PRACTICES FOR OLDER ADULTS?

摘要

This presentation will discuss how aging policies influence people with disability, and how the disability research community can influence aging policy. The Program for All-Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE) Innovation Act of 2015 has expanded the program’s reach to people with disabilities under age 55 who are nursing home eligible. We will discuss the current empirical support for PACE and people with disabilities in the context of an ongoing trial funded by NIDILRR. Specifically, we will discuss dignity of risk and the challenges of adapting PACE for people with disabilities. Second, we will examine how innovative behavioral health programs design for people with disabilities can benefit older adults. Since 2012, community wellness programs receiving Administration on Aging funding must meet criteria to be evidence-based. We will examine the potential for Wellness Recovery Action Program (WRAP) to serve older adults in community settings with dual diagnosis of behavioral health challenges.