Expanding the Social Care Network: A Review of Ohio’s Healthy Aging Initiative

TL;DR

Ohio's Healthy Aging Initiative provides social care funding to help older adults remain independent in their communities.

Contribution

The study evaluates Ohio’s innovative use of county-level funding to address gaps in social care for older adults.

Findings

The program served over 130,000 individuals across Ohio.

Counties spent funds on health programs, transportation, and social isolation strategies.

Qualitative insights revealed innovative cross-sector collaborations.

Abstract

For older adults with a disability, Medicaid provides the majority of support for long-term services and supports. However, only 10% of individuals age 65 and older are financially eligible for Medicaid. Older Americans Act funding has failed to keep up with the growth in the older population and inflation, creating a service gap for older adults who are not eligible for Medicaid. As a result, states have explored other avenues of funding for social care services. Ohio recently allocated $40 million in county-level funding for older adults in need of social care in their community. Each county was required to spend 20% of authorized funds on housing and food insecurity and 10% towards internet access/digital literacy. The remaining 50% could be spent on services that met the unique needs of each county. Overall, the program served more than 130,000 individuals across Ohio. A review of program reporting showed that counties utilized their discretionary funds in such areas as health and wellness programs (n = 48 counties, mean expenditure=$29,250), transportation services (n = 41 counties, mean expenditure=$45,780) and strategies to address social isolation (n = 36 counties, mean expenditure=$93,690). Qualitative interviews with 27 county officials also provided insights into innovative service strategies and cross-sector collaborative efforts, such as partnerships with law enforcement and local businesses. Findings from this study highlight the importance of offering non-Medicaid funded services to support older adults to remain independent in their local communities.