LTSS Newsletter—October 2024

LTSS webinar, October 23 – Promoting Access to Voting Among Elders and People with Disabilities
American Indian/Alaska Native Long-Term Services and Supports

Technical assistance for culturally competent care
October 2024
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Health and voting access

With the November general election fast approaching, Native people have the potential to rock the vote in six battleground states—Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.

Launched by the National Congress of American Indians, the non-partisan Get Out the Native Vote campaign encourages American Indians and Alaska Natives across the country to vote and explains why every election matters.

The importance of the Native vote is underscored further in Empowering Urban Indian Organizations at the Intersection of Health and Voting Access, a podcast episode that explores how increased voter engagement may impact social determinants of health.

Absentee ballots, which can be submitted by mail or online, are a great option for American Indian and Alaska Native people who might have difficulty voting in person due to limited mobility or inadequate access to transportation.

Vote.org lists absentee ballot deadlines by state. Note that ballots must be received by the deadline specified for one’s state of residence.
     
   

Transportation services for limited mobility

 
   

Transportation can be a major stressor in Indian Country, especially for tribal elders and people with disabilities. How can tribes get involved?

Medicaid transportation reimbursements are available in every state for home- and community-based services (HCBS).

With this option, tribes may be reimbursed for providing participating tribal members with rides for non-medical errands, depending on what their state allows.

To learn more about HCBS for elders and people with disabilities:

  • Watch a 35-second video about the topic
  • Visit the LTSS TA Center for information about how tribes can get involved in planning and developing HCBS programs

A doodle of a bus from the 35-second video titled Home-Based Care for Elders and Tribal Members with Disabilities

 

Title VI Spending Quick Guide

Older Americans Act Title VI logo with a scenic backdrop of a mountain-ringed lake

Title VI programs provide nutrition, supportive services, and caregiver support services for American Indian and Alaska Native elders. To help tribes support such programs, the Administration for Community Living offers a Title VI Spending Quick Guide (PDF, 571 KB, 17 pp) for 2024. The guide identifies potential funding options to cover supplies and equipment costs for the following Title VI services:

  • Congregate meals
  • Home-delivered and grab-and-go meals
  • Gardening
  • Caregiver support
  • Elder health and wellness
  • Transportation
  • Offices and facilities
  • Employees and training

 

Employment challenges among people with disabilities

National Disability Employment Awareness Month is observed each October. This year, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy is sharing information on how employers can promote access to good jobs for all within their workforce.

Workforce challenges for Native people with disabilities

The National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation highlights disability, employment, and income information in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities in the infographic, “Supporting the Health Care Needs of People with Disabilities.” According to the infographic, 38.7% of AI/AN people live with a disability, which doubles their risk of also experiencing poverty and unemployment.

See the full infographic for at-a-glance strategies to support the health and wellbeing of people with disabilities.

Sections from the infographic, 'Supporting the Health Care Needs of People with Disabilities': Overview of Disability: A disability refers to any physical or mental impairment that results in substantial activity limitations. Disability Prevalence: 29% of US adults experience disability, 38.7% of American Indians and Alaska Natives experience a disability 'Income and Employment by Disability Status:' Grouped bar graph People with Disabilities by Income Group <$15,000 - 16.5% $15,000 to <$25,000 - 19.7% $25,000 to <$35,000 - 19.5% $35,000 to <$50,000 - 16.2% $50,000+ - 28.2% People Without an Identified Disability by Income Group <$15,000 - 6.0% $15,000 to <$25,000 - 11.1% $25,000 to <$35,000 - 16.3% $35,000 to <$50,000 - 18.7% $50,000+ - 47.8% People with disabilities are 2x as likely to live in poverty. Disability is both a cause and a consequence of poverty. Employment and Underemployment Challenges for People with Disabilities Unemployment The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is about 2x that of those without an identified disability 7.2% - People with disabilities 3.5% - People without an identified disability Part-Time Employment People with disabilities are nearly 2x as likely to be employed part-time. Workers with disabilities are also more likely to be employed in service jobs such as food services and health care support, which more commonly offer part-time positions. Underemployment, which includes working part-time involuntarily, can impact various aspects of health and well-being.

Part of the NIHCM Foundation’s infographic, “Supporting the Health Care Needs of People with Disabilities,” which features income and employment information

Disabilities toolkit for Native communities

For AI/AN-specific information about vocational rehabilitation and employment, check out Chapter 6 of the National Indian Council on Aging’s toolkit, Understanding Disabilities in American Indian & Alaska Native Communities (PDF, 4.23 MB, 241 pp).

The chapter highlights important legal protections, resources with contact information, and a case study showcasing the success of Rolling Rez Arts, an initiative to advance the economic and social interests of artists on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Cover from the NICOA toolkit, “Understanding Disabilities in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities,” shows graphic icons for a blind person walking with a cane, a person in a wheelchair, hands doing sign language, and a person with developmental disabilities
LinkedIn Tribal Affairs Group
 
Join the conversation on LinkedIn

Want to learn more about or discuss LTSS in Indian Country? Looking to connect with others working in the same field?

Join the Tribal Affairs Group on LinkedIn.
Upcoming webinar

Promoting Access to Voting Among Elders and People with Disabilities

Wednesday, October 23

This webinar will highlight efforts to develop and implement a voter registration pilot program at different Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities in fulfillment of commitments related to Executive Order 14019, on promoting access to voting.

Objectives:

  • Explain how the program started
  • Describe what was involved in selecting IHS facilities to participate
  • Discuss how the program helps make voting more accessible to elders and people with disabilities
  • Provide an overview of plans to ensure program growth and sustainability

Please note your
location's call-in time:

8 a.m. Hawaii
10 a.m. Alaska
11 a.m. Pacific
12 p.m. Mountain
1 p.m. Central
2 p.m. Eastern

 

Have questions for our presenter? Let us know before the webinar by emailing ltssinfo@kauffmaninc.com.

Register now.

Presenter
Joshuah Marshall

Joshuah Marshall
Senior Advisor to the Director
Indian Health Service
Caregiver's corner

Native Elder Caregiver Curriculum modules

Developed through a collaboration between the National Resource Center on Native American Aging and Cankdeska Cikana Community College, and informed by elders and community members of the Spirit Lake Nation, the Native Elder Caregiver Curriculum includes a:
Native Elder Caregiver Curriculum (NECC) banner
Funding opportunities

Grants for home modification programs

Applications due: November 19
Learn more about the home modification funding opportunity

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is offering grants to support home modification repair and renovation programs that enable low-income elders to age in place. The goal of such programs is to improve safety, increase accessibility, and improve elders’ functional abilities.

HUD expects to award 15 organizations up to $2 million each. Indian housing authorities are eligible to apply.
Upcoming events

Dementia Friends information session

October 22 at 2 p.m. Eastern
Register for the Dementia Friends information session

 

A Dementia Friends information session for American Indians and Alaska Natives will be held as part of an ongoing effort to create more inclusive environments for people with dementia.

 

The session will explain what living with dementia is like. Attendees will be asked to take practical steps to help someone with dementia in their community.

Send us your news

Do you have news to share about LTSS in Indian Country? Send it to ltssinfo@kauffmaninc.com for possible inclusion in an upcoming newsletter. Contact us with other comments or feedback, too.

About the newsletter

American Indian/Alaska Native Long-Term Services and Supports Solutions is published monthly by the CMS Division of Tribal Affairs to share information, funding opportunities, and resources with LTSS planners, tribal leaders, and supporters.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Indian Health Service Administration for Community Living
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