Coming June 14: All-New State Scorecard on Long-Term Services & Supports

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This is an exciting month for AARP’s Public Policy Institute. We’re set to release our third Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) State Scorecard Report on June 14, and this powerful tool is far more interactive and comprehensive than the 2011 and 2014 installments.

A lot has changed since 2011 when we first partnered with The Commonwealth Fund and The SCAN Foundation to conceive of the idea for a scorecard that would measure long-term services and supports for older adults as well as people with physical disabilities and family caregivers on a state-by-state basis.

At the time, I concluded in an article that, based on the report’s findings, even the best performing states had a long way to go to create a high-performing system of long-term services and supports. Certainly many states have made progress since then, and no doubt the 2017 Scorecard will continue to highlight that progress. But there’s also little doubt that the Scorecard will uncover a list of shortcomings and areas for improvement. That’s what the Scorecard was all about in its 2011 and 2014 iterations, and that’s what the 2017 Scorecard promises to illuminate.

Of course, the actual Scorecard release is not the most exciting part. What’s truly exciting is the impact it can have after its release. We’re encouraged by how policymakers and advocates viewed the 2014 Scorecard for what it was: a call to action. Many used the information in the report as a tool to make positive change in their states. With Americans living longer and LTSS demand continually growing, our call to action must be louder and more pronounced than ever.

Thanks to the efforts of all involved in compiling and organizing data for the 2017 Scorecard, I’m proud to say that—no question—it tops the 2014 installment in value as a key tool in the field. So, what’s the same and what’s different this time around? Like the first two installments, the 2017 Scorecard examines state performance across five key categories, or dimensions:

• Affordability and access
• Choice of setting and provider
• Quality of life and quality of care
• Support for family caregivers
• Effective transitions

But this year, we’ve placed an emphasis more than ever on how the results are presented. The information on our website will be truly interactive and engaging than in years past. (The new version of the site, http://www.longtermscorecard.org/, will appear June 14.)   Users can easily customize data to suit their needs, no matter what role they play in LTSS and where they’re located. While our accompanying report remains an invaluable source of information, the interactive website has become the true centerpiece of the offering.

Other new additions of which we’re extremely proud: Visitors to the site will have access to videos, called Impact Stories, that show how improving on the Scorecard can impact the lives of real people. Users can also download Promising Practices such as this one as well as Emerging Innovations that states can use as they work to improve the lives of older adults, those with physical disabilities, and family caregivers. Better still, new and groundbreaking content will not stop with the June 14 Scorecard release. We’ll continue to bring you more Promising Practices and Emerging Innovations, as well as releases in our Impact Story video series, throughout the year.

My colleague Jean Accius, vice president for Independent Living/Long-term Services and Supports, who was instrumental in spearheading these changes, summed up their value succinctly when he said, “These concrete tools and innovative practices will help states improve their performance and, ultimately, the lives and well-being of others.” As for the addition of the Impact Story videos this year, he added that they “literally complete the picture—putting a face to the diversity of individuals whom the Scorecard examines.”

Will this year’s Scorecard illuminate shortcomings and challenges in LTSS as it has in the past? Absolutely. (Here’s a teaser: we’ve got a long way to go.) But I’m extremely excited that we’ll also shine a light on a path forward for all caregiving stakeholders.