Today, ACL published a proposed rule for Independent Living (IL) programs in the Federal Register. The Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) is now open for public comment through the Federal Register and Regulations.gov. The rule will not take effect until after all comments are reviewed and a final rule is released.

ACL is mourning the loss of Jamie Kendall, Acting Director of the Independent Living Administration, who died November 12, 2015.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to revise the discharge planning requirements that Hospitals, including Long-Term Care Hospitals and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities, Critical Access Hospitals, and Home Health Agencies must meet in order to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The proposed rule would also implement the discharge planning requirements of the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014.

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a final rule with comment aimed at enhancing the delivery of health care services provided under the Medicaid program.

Please join us in congratulating Kathy Greenlee, the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging and ACL’s administrator, on being named a 2015 Influencer in Aging by Next Avenue. The Influencers in Aging list highlights 50 thought leaders, researchers, experts, executives and everyday people who are redefining what it means to grow older in America.

This week, the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID) published its 2015 Report to President titled Leveling the Playing Field: Improving Technology Access and Design for People with Intellectual Disabilities, the report describes the critical and increasing role of technology in enabling individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) to have greater control over their own lives and to experience the full benefits of citizenship. The primary goals of the report’s recommendations are:

Recently, ACL awarded a two-year cooperative agreement to Memorial Hermann Health System to operate a Statewide Independent Living Council Training and Technical Assistance Center (SILC T&TA Center). The training and technical assistance center is authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 and will strengthen ACL’s ability to provide important training and technical assistance.

For many older adults and people with disabilities, the key to remaining independent can be something as simple as a home-delivered meal, a ramp for their homes, or a few hours of respite for a family caregiver. Unfortunately, an often disjointed maze of eligibility criteria, forms, programs, and agencies can prevent even the most determined individuals from obtaining these critical supports.

In 2011, a beloved actor who spent 80 years telling others' stories shared a heartbreaking tale from his own life. "I felt trapped, scared, used and frustrated," Mickey Rooney told a hearing room full of members of Congress, with cameras rolling. He described abuse and financial exploitation committed by his own family members and had a powerful message for other older adults experiencing abuse: "You're not alone … and you have nothing—nothing, ladies and gentlemen—to be ashamed of."