LTSS Newsletter—December 2025

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent this bulletin at 12/18/2025 09:00 AM EST

LTSS webinar, January 28, 2026 – Oregon’s Aging and People with Disabilities Tribal Navigator Program
American Indian/Alaska Native Long-Term Services and Supports

Technical assistance for tribal health care
December 2025
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Visit the online LTSS TA Center for videos, best practices, toolkits, a resource library, and a step-by-step planning roadmap.
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Music-and-memory programs

Incorporating music into care for people living with dementia can improve their mood and their ability to connect with others.

For that reason, an article in Caring for the Ages highlights the use of music-and-memory programs to enhance quality of life for nursing home residents who are experiencing memory loss.

Additionally, to help care facilities set up such programs, the article offers the following tips:
  • Provide training to ensure staff fully understand the program’s concept and approach
  • Create an interdisciplinary team to implement the program
  • Choose user-friendly equipment that does not require Wi-Fi to work properly
  • Develop personalized playlists with input from people with dementia and their families

 

 
     
   

How music helps people with dementia

  
       
   

In many Native communities, songs carry memories of history, teachings, and culture across generations.

 

Hearing favorite songs and learning new ones can help soothe, motivate, and distract people with dementia.

 

In fact, dementia care specialists have shared that music can aid recall of specific memories and alleviate depression and anxiety.

 

To learn more about how music helps people with dementia, watch the LTSS webinar, Touching the Spirit Through Music: The Wisconsin Music & Memory Program.

 

Know someone with memory loss? Email Banner Health and ask about the compact disc, Walk with Me, a compilation of music from various Native artists. The CD includes:

 

  • Upbeat songs to start each day on a positive note
  • Soothing songs to help people with dementia wind down and fall asleep

 

  

Call for award nominations

Submit nominations by January 14, 2026, for the 2026 American Society on Aging Membership Awards. The awards recognize professionals whose work improves the lives of elders. To be considered, a nomination must include:

 

  • A brief description of why the nominee should receive the award
  • Contact information for the nominee and the person submitting the nomination

 

Videos and fact sheets about HCBS
Still from animated video shows a younger person helping an elder walk.

Home- and community-based services (HCBS) are a category of LTSS that help make aging in place possible for people who might otherwise need to live in a care facility. However, Native elders and their families may not be aware that HCBS are available.

 

That’s why the International Association for Indigenous Aging now offers an LTSS web page with culturally sensitive resources explaining what HCBS are and why people should apply for them.

 

The resources about HCBS include three animated videos and three downloadable fact sheets. Some of the resources are specifically geared toward Colorado or South Dakota residents while others provide a general overview of HCBS.

 
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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

Oregon’s Aging and People with Disabilities Tribal Navigator Program

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Oregon’s Aging and People with Disabilities Tribal Navigator Program is a formal partnership between the local Office of Aging and People with Disabilities/Area Agency on Aging (APD/AAA) points of contact and tribal nations. Hear from two tribal navigators who serve as liaisons between APD/AAA and tribal members who are elders or people with disabilities.

 

Objectives:

 

  • Explain how tribal navigators help increase access to long-term services and supports
  • Highlight the role of tribal navigators in repairing relationships between APD/AAA and the tribal nations of Oregon

Please note your

location's call-in time:

 

9 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 presenters? Let us know before the webinar by emailing LTSSinfo@kauffmaninc.com.

Register now.
Barbara Black.

Barbara Black
Tribal Navigator
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians
Danielle Broncheau.

Danielle Broncheau
Public Services Coordinator
Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center

Laura Hunker
Tribal Affairs Consultant
Office of Aging and People with Disabilities
Oregon Department of Human Services
Debbie McCuin.

Debbie McCuin
Program Analyst
Community Services and Supports Unit
Office of Aging and People with Disabilities
Oregon Department of Human Services

Jane-ellen Weidanz
Deputy Director of Policy
Office of Aging and People with Disabilities
Oregon Department of Human Services
Caregiver's corner

Home modifications
Infographic shows five quick and easy home modifications to help lower the likelihood of falls at home.

A fall can cause serious injuries that significantly impact an elder’s ability to live independently.

 

To help lower the likelihood of falls at home, the National Council of Aging website recommends a few quick and easy modifications, such as:

 

  • Installing a shower seat, grab bar, and adjustable-height handheld shower head to make bathing easier
  • Having a sturdy chair in the bedroom so an elder can sit while getting dressed
  • Keeping stairways and walkways clear of clutter
  • Using rubber-backed rugs that stay in place
  • Storing frequently used items between an elder’s waist and shoulder height

 

For additional suggestions, watch the LTSS webinar, HomeFit and Caregiving.

 
Funding opportunities

Virtual Living Room grants to improve care for veterans

Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
View the Virtual Living Room funding opportunity

 

Virtual Living Room, a Foundation for Rural Service program, offers grants to help veterans in rural areas get online access to health care providers in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical system. Grantees must:

 

  • Be members of the Rural Broadband Association of the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association
  • Be located more than 1 hour from a VA clinic or hospital
  • Have an established relationship with the local VA site
  • Have access to a physical space that offers privacy, broadband, and adequate electrical connections for a computer workstation, lamps, and other equipment

 
Upcoming events

Webinar: Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

January 14, 2026, 1–2 p.m. Eastern
Register for the dementia treatment webinar

 

Join the American Society on Aging for a webinar about:

 

  • Risk factors for cognitive impairment and dementia
  • Actionable steps to prevent dementia or slow its progression
  • Available programs and services to improve quality of life for people living with dementia

 

Kristoffer Rhoads, PhD, who directs the Division of Neuropsychology at Harborview Medical Center, will present.

 

Elder abuse symposium

February 26–27, 2026
Pasadena, California
Register for the elder abuse symposium

 

“The Elder Justice Panorama: Promising Programs, Sustainable Progress, and the Path Forward” is the theme of the University of Southern California Judith D. Tamkin International Symposium on Elder Abuse. Symposium topics include:

 

  • Elder financial exploitation
  • Abuse and neglect in licensed facilities

 

Researchers, practitioners, advocates, thought leaders, and lawmakers are encouraged to attend.

 

IHS Clinical and Community Workforce Summit

March 10–12, 2026
Denver, Colorado
Register for the IHS Clinical and Community Workforce Summit

 

The 2026 IHS Clinical and Community Workforce Summit’s theme is “Alzheimer’s and Elder Care: Knowledge, Compassion, and Community at Work.” The event will foster collaboration to address the unique challenges and opportunities around elder care and memory health in tribal communities.

 

Native American Healthcare Conference

June 16–17, 2026
Temecula, California
Register for the Native American Healthcare Conference by January 9 for the super early bird rate

 

Attend the 16th annual Native American Healthcare Conference to explore treatments, technology, and future trends of tribal health care. This conference is open to health care directors, decision-makers, and tribal leaders.

 

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