A Note from the Director:

With just a few months left before the Iowa Governor's Conference on Aging & Disabilities kicks off on May 23, all of us at the Iowa Department on Aging, together with the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council and the National Association of States United on Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD), are excited to share details about this local conference with national flair!

With nationally recognized plenary speakers, a variety of pre-conference intensives, 50 educational workshops and panel discussions, exclusive networking opportunities and much more, attendees are sure to develop a greater appreciation of the remarkable work being done in the fields of aging and disability throughout the country and leave with strategies for injecting their daily work with innovative ideas and best practices.

NASUAD will present the conference at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines from May 23-26, 2016, providing a unique venue for the peer-to-peer, agency-to-agency and state-to-state exchange of information and promising ideas with regard to ensuring older Americans and adults with disabilities are empowered to meet their goals for long-term independence. Together, professionals, policymakers, researchers, students and advocates for aging and disabilities will challenge the definition of what it means to age or live with a disability in America and create momentum for revolutionary thinking and positive change.

By partnering with NASUAD on this event, the Iowa Department on Aging and Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council are able to attract a wider audience to Iowa and shine a regional and national spotlight on the innovative advances individuals and organizations are making to re-imagine America’s aging and disability networks. Our hope is that it will spark a national dialogue about quality of life and care issues and inspire people in every industry to think about how they can better engage with older adults and adults with disabilities.

If you haven't signed up to participate yet, this is your chance! More information about the conference and online registration is available now at www.IowaGCOAD.org.

Donna K. Harvey

Director, Iowa Department on Aging

IDA Bill Tracker

Friday, Feb. 19, marked the first funnel deadline of the 86th Iowa General Assembly 2016 Legislative Session. While several bills the Iowa Department on Aging was monitoring did not survive Funnel Week, others continue to make progress among policymakers:

HF2259: Veterans Vehicle Fees

Allows a veteran with a disability of 50% to qualify for the current exemption for specific disabled veterans from paying vehicle registration fees. Allows such a veteran to apply for a disabled parking permit (successor to HSB544).

HF2310: Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Requires the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in apartments and homes built after July 2017 that have a fuel-fired heater, a fireplace or an attached garage. Requires the alarms to be installed by bedrooms, or as determined by the Fire Marshal by rule. Makes the owner of a single-family home responsible for installing the alarm and certifying that the alarm has been installed when filing for a homestead credit. Requires the use of alarms with a light in rentals used by deaf tenants. Gives the State Fire Marshal enforcement duties and sets penalties (successor to HSB539).

HF2366: Mental Health Advocate Duties

States that a mental health advocate, as appointed under Iowa Code 229, has exclusive control over the performance of their duties(successor to HF2040).

HF2389: Public Health Modernization

Makes changes to make it easier for local boards of health to voluntarily merge. Adds members to the Government Public Health Advisory Council with expertise in specific areas and makes changes to the duties of the council. Strikes outdated language and updates language and references (successor to HSB591; companion to SF2159). 

HF2418: Subsidized Guardianship

Makes eligible for a subsidy an adult guardian who is the grandparent or a relative of a child eligible under the subsidized guardianship program. Requires that the child has lived in continuous placement with a relative who is also a licensed foster family for six months prior (successor to HF2104).

SF2051: Death with Dignity

Allows a competent, adult patient to make a written request for medication to self-administer. Requires attending and consulting physician to concur that patient is terminal and voluntarily expresses wishes. Process is initial oral request, followed by a subsequent oral request at least 15 days after initial oral request, followed by a written request. Patient must be offered opportunity to rescind at the time of second oral request. If patient cannot make oral request, can make written request witnessed by two individuals, one of whom is not a relative or beneficiary. If the patient is in a LTCF, one witness shall be an individual designated by the facility.

SF2144: Mental Health Disclosures
Allows for the disclosure of mental health information for the purposes of care coordination (successor to SF2032).

SF2146: Alzheimer's Awareness

Appropriates $100,000 to the Department of Public Health for a grant to a non-profit for a public awareness campaign about Alzheimer’s disease (successor to SSB3066).

SF2159: Public Health Modernization

Makes changes to make it easier for local boards of health to voluntarily merge. Adds members to the Government Public Health Advisory Council with expertise in specific areas and makes changes to the duties of the council. Strikes outdated language and updates language and references (successor to SSB3072; companion to HF2389).

SF2178: Final Disposition of Remains

Removes requirement for a written declaration designating an adult to make decisions on the final disposition of a person’s remains to be contained in or attached to a durable power of attorney for health care. Allows the declaration to prohibit cremation and does not allow the designee to override that choice.

SF2184: Probate Changes

Makes changes to numerous areas of Iowa’s Probate Code (633), allowing for: the notice provision for sale of property to be ignored if all interested persons have signed the petition requesting the sale; notice to be served in trust matters by electronic mail; damages sustained as a result of the refusal and reasonable attorney fees when an acknowledged Power of Attorney’s acceptance is refused; an agent under a general authority POA to sell/transfer/release/mortgage rights of the principal’s homestead without any specific grant within the POA; the removal of authority of an agent under a general authority POA to reject/release a share in any payment from a beneficiary interest; an agent under a general authority POA to place government benefits into a created medical assistance income trust (successor to SSB3077).

SF2197: Medicaid Advisory Council

Adds the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to the Medicaid Advisory Council and the Medicaid Advisory Council executive committee (successor to SSB3113).

SF2213: Medicaid Improvement

Establishes a Medicaid workgroup to make recommendations by November 2016. Establishes a Medicaid Reinvestment Fund for the savings from Medicaid to be appropriated by the Legislature for the Medicaid program. Gives the Office of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman additional duties for advocacy for Medicaid recipients. Makes changes for various advisory councils and gives them additional reporting requirements. Gives DHS tasks on improving Medicaid in specific ways with various effective dates. Effective upon enactment (successor to SF2107).

SF2219: Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Requires the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in apartments and homes built after July 2017 that have a fuel-fired heater, a fireplace or an attached garage. Requires the alarms to be installed by bedrooms, or as determined by the Fire Marshal by rule. Makes the owner of a single-family home responsible for installing the alarm and certifying that the alarm has been installed when filing for a homestead credit. Requires the use of alarms with a light in rentals used by deaf tenants. Gives the State Fire Marshal enforcement duties and sets penalties (successor to SSB3017).

SF2244: Disability Plates
Allows for an authorized representative to register for person with disability plates for a vehicle/trailer if the owner is an irrevocable trust (successor to SF2015).

SF2292: Inheritance Tax Phase-Out
Phases out the state inheritance tax over 10 years, ending in 2026.

SF2293: Retirement Tax Phase-Out

Phases out the taxation of retirement income over 10 years, ending in 2026.

Learn to "Savor the Flavor of Eating Right"

March is National Nutrition Month and this year's theme - Savor the Flavor of Eating Right - encourages Americans to take time to enjoy the great tastes and traditions associated with mealtime while making more thoughtful choices about which foods to eat.

To meet this goal, Iowa Department on Aging Nutrition Director Carlene Russell offers the following tips:

Highlight your food traditions while connecting with family and friends.

Eating and socializing go together, with food often playing an important role in family and social gatherings. Among other benefits, dining with other people can promote healthier eating habits and strengthen relationships - so make having meals with family or friends a priority.

Take time to enjoy your food.

A hectic lifestyle can often lead to multitasking while eating, so eating at your desk or while watching television becomes the norm. Unfortunately, distracted eating can cause you to eat more quickly or consume more calories. Try eating slowly - one bite at a time - and focus on the flavors and textures of the food you're enjoying. It will allow you to truly enjoy your food and may help you eat less because it will give your stomach time to tell your brain that it's full.

Develop a mindful eating pattern.

How, when, why and where you eat are just as important as what you eat. Being a mindful eater can help you reset both your body and your mind and lead to an overall healthier lifestyle.

Follow healthy eating guidelines.

The USDA's 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasizes the importance of healthy eating when it comes to maintaining health and reducing the risk of disease. To eat better, try making half of each meal consist of fruits and vegetables; make half the grains you eat whole grains; switch to low-fat or fat-free dairy; vary the types of protein you eat; and work on consuming less sodium, sugar and saturated fat.

Visit a congregate meal site.

Iowa's congregate meal sites follow the 2015 MyPlate guidelines and are served in a group setting at locations throughout the state, making them an ideal place to eat better and socialize with others. To find a congregate meal site near you and start savoring the flavor of eating right, contact your local Area Agency on Aging or contact LifeLong Links at (866) 468-7887 or www.lifelonglinks.org.