AARP in Your State

Montana Bulletin State News

April 2008

Future care  – AARP Montana is hosting a statewide forum on home- and community-based services May 19 in Helena, just before the Governor’s Conference on Aging. The event will provide an opportunity for AARP and other advocacy groups to urge the state Department of Public Health and Human Services to allocate more funding for services that can help Montanans continue to live independently in their own homes as they age. Programs such as home-delivered meals and adult day care already have waiting lists, and among the 50 states, Montana is projected to have the third-highest percentage of people age 65-plus by 2025.  For details about the forum, go to www.aarp.org/mt.

March 2008

Out of the shadows – A work group convened by the state Department of Public Health and Human Services aims to change Montana’s status as one of only seven states that don’t require background checks for caregivers who work with older and disabled people. As a participant in the group, AARP Montana is helping to develop recommendations that will be used to draft a patient protection bill in 2009. Issues under discussion include who would pay for background checks and what kinds of crimes would disqualify applicants from caregiving jobs. To learn more, visit www.dphhs.mt.gov/qad/directcareworkers.shtml. To express opinions or share personal stories on the subject, write to mtssad@mt.gov or Quality Assurance Division, DPHHS, Box 202953, Helena, MT 59620-2953.