OHCA The Oregon Caregiver Fall Winter 2020

The Oregon Caregiver FALL/WINTER 2020 www.ohca.com 18 DATA & RESEARCH E very couple of years, states await the release of the biennial report from AARP and the Commonwealth Fund. The latest edition of the report, Advancing Action: A State Scorecard on Long Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers, was released this fall. This year, the results of this report may have been overlooked in the midst of the fallout and coverage of COVID-19’s impact on long term care residents, workers, and providers. Yet, this report provides tremendous insight into how the nation and individual state’s long term services and support systems (LTSS) are functioning. The report provides clear metrics that can be used to assess what is working as well as what areas of the LTSS delivery system need additional focus to bring about improvements in high quality care. For the second time in a row, Oregon is ranked as the fourth overall state in the country for LTSS. In every edition of the report since it began in 2011, Oregon has been ranked in the top five of all states. The consistency of the Oregon LTSS system’s ranking since the report began is striking and reflects the long history of innovative care and support that Oregon’s direct caregivers, providers, and policy- makers have worked so hard to provide. Of the 26 specific measures included in this report about Oregon, 14 are ranked in the highest quartile (top 25 percent). Only three of these 26 measures fall into the lowest quartile. Where Oregon does particularly well are in the categories of Support for Family Caregivers (ranked number 3); Effective Transitions of Care (ranked number 4); and Choice of Setting and Providers Offered to Consumers (ranked number 5). See Table 1 . Oregon is a leader in supporting family caregivers. This metric includes nurse delegation and scope of practice, which Oregon has been a leader in allowing. Oregon has also done well in ensuring effective transitions of care. The percentage of nursing facility short-stay residents, who were successfully discharged to the commu- nity, is where Oregon excels. In terms of choice of setting and providers offered to consumers, Oregon’s long history of providing robust home and communi- ty-based care options include offering the second highest number of assisted living and residential care units per 1,000 popula- tion ages 75 and older in the United States. According to the 2020 report, the specific areas where Oregon needs targeted improvement are in: Affordability and Access (ranked number 24) and Quality of Life and Care (ranked number 23). See Table 2 . In terms of affordability and access, the cost of private pay as a percent- age of median household income amongst adults 65 and older (ranked number 41) is an area that needs additional focus. This also speaks to wider housing affordability The 2020 State Scorecard on Long Term Services & Supports: Where Does Oregon Rank? By Walt Dawson, D.Phil issues confronting west coast states like Oregon. For quality of life and care, improvement is needed to reduce the percentage of High-Risk Nursing Home Residents with Pressure Sores (ranked number 40). The release of this biennial report pro- vides an important opportunity to take stock of the LTSS system and how services are delivered to residents and clients. This report offers providers, consumers, and policymakers a window into what is working well and where improvements can be made. It is important not to lose sight of these metrics during the COVID- 19 pandemic and what they mean for the Oregonians who are served by the LTSS system. Maintaining a focus on ensuring a high performing system of care that meets the needs of Oregonians living with multiple chronic disabling conditions is essential now more than ever. Walt Dawson is an Assistant Professor at Oregon Health & Science University and a Senior Atlantic Fellow with the Global Brain Health Institute. Table 1: Oregon LTSS System Top Performing Areas Top Performing Areas National Rank Support for Family Caregivers 3 Effective Transitions of Care 4 Choice of Settings and Providers Offered to Consumers 5 Table 2: Oregon LTSS System Lower Performing Areas Lower Performance Areas National Rank Affordability and Access 24 Quality of Life and Care 23