The recently released report, Raising Expectations: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers, compiled by AARP, the Commonwealth Fund and the SCAN Foundation, offers a window into our nation’s readiness to deal with the long term needs of our aging boomer population. The hope is that this scorecard will help states objectively assess their ranking in key areas of long term services and supports, and open the door for them to learn from each other about how to improve their systems and move forward.
The scorecard focuses on four key dimensions of long term services and supports, and examines each of these areas in detail. The four dimensions addressed in the report are: affordability and access, choice of setting and provider, quality of life and quality of care, and support for family caregivers.
North Carolina, our home state, ranked as 24th in the nation overall for long term services and supports, and is one of only two southern states to score in the upper percentile. However, in spite of our state’s modest achievements, our work remains cut out for us.
Where is our Achilles heel? Quality of life and quality of care was the lowest scoring dimension for our state.
We can certainly do better.
To review the scorecard in its entirety, visit longtermscorecard.org
