LTSS Newsletter—December 2024

Stay tuned for the January 2025 LTSS webinar

American Indian/Alaska Native Long-Term Services and Supports

Technical assistance for culturally competent care
December 2024
CMS LTSS banner
LTSS Technical Assistance Center
Visit the online LTSS TA Center for videos, best practices, toolkits, a resource library, and a step-by-step planning roadmap.
Get email updates
Join us on LinkedIn
Follow us on X

Protecting elders from financial abuse

Help protect elders from financial abuse with resources from the Eldercare Locator’s Home for the Holidays campaign, which offers tips to keep elders safe from common types of scams.

Elders are often targets of scammers asking for donations or pretending to sell goods or services online. The risk increases around the holidays when charity scams or people pretending to be relatives take advantage of elders’ generosity.

Elder Justice in Tribal Communities (PDF, 16.8 MB, 2 pp) provides additional information about the types of elder abuse and what communities can do to protect elders’ rights, dignity, and wellbeing.

     
   

Addressing elder abuse in tribal communities

 
       
   

Many Native elders are vulnerable to financial exploitation and other types of abuse. Risk factors for elder abuse include:

 

  • Poor health
  • Cognitive decline
  • Needing assistance with activities of daily living
  • Feeling obligated to share resources with family members

 

Visit the LTSS TA Center’s Elder Abuse Prevention web page, for resources to help tribes make sure elders are honored and protected.

 

 

Promoting COVID and flu vaccination

Front cover of COVID-19 & Flu Native Elder Vaccine Communication Toolkit

Elders are more likely than younger people to require hospitalization for respiratory illnesses. That’s why preventing the spread of COVID-19 and influenza is crucial.

 

The International Association for Indigenous Aging offers culturally appropriate resources encouraging people of all ages to get this season’s COVID and flu vaccines. The resources include:

 

 

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

Stay tuned for the January LTSS webinar

We hope you are enjoying the LTSS webinars, which provide experts from the field opportunities to share information on long-term services and supports for elders and people with disabilities.

 

Please stay tuned for details regarding the next LTSS webinar. In the meantime, check out last January’s LTSS webinar, such as Robotics in Aging.

 

Caregiver's corner

Differences between palliative care and hospice care

Deciding whether a seriously ill person should receive palliative care or hospice care often falls to that person’s primary caregiver. However, many caregivers may not be familiar with either type of care.

 

To help caregivers become better informed, the National Institute on Aging’s (NIA) Myths About Palliative and Hospice Care infographic (PDF, 241 KB, 1 p):

 

  • Explains how palliative care and hospice care differ
  • Addresses myths about each type of care

 

For more information, visit NIA’s web page, What Are Palliative Care and Hospice Care?

 

Infographic titled Myths About Palliative and Hospice Care

 

Funding opportunities

RAISE transportation discretionary grants

Applications due: January 30, 2025
Learn more about the RAISE funding opportunity

 

The U.S. Department of Transportation is offering Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants for freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects. Tribes are encouraged to propose capital or planning projects that prioritize:

 

  • Safety
  • Environmental sustainability
  • Quality of life
  • Mobility and community connectivity
  • Economic competitiveness and opportunity

 

Upcoming events

Webinar on addressing social isolation and loneliness

January 15, 2025, at 1 p.m. Eastern
Register for the webinar on social isolation and loneliness

 

Join the American Society on Aging for a webinar on helping elders overcome loneliness and find joy, especially around holidays, anniversaries, and personal milestones. The webinar will cover strategies to promote:

 

  • Development of social support networks
  • Engagement in meaningful activities

 

Webinar about telehealth for elders

January 29, 2025, at 2 p.m. Eastern
Register for the webinar about telehealth

 

Attend a webinar focused on key developments and best practices for delivering telehealth services that align with the needs and preferences of elders and their caregivers.

 

Hosted by the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders at Harvard University, the webinar will review principles and guidelines for making sure services are equitable, accessible, person-centered, and coordinated.

 

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 ServiceAdministration for Community Living