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Discusses whether any states have caps on damages against nonprofit institutions.

Discusses new laws affecting seniors (people age 60 or older) enacted during the 2007 regular and special sessions.

Outlines summaries of Select Committee on Aging bills favorably reported to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee.

Discusses whether Connecticut needs to change its statutes in order to enable nonprofit organizations to access federal Older Americans Act "naturally occurring retirement community" (NORC) grants. Follows up OLR research report 2007-R-0148, which describes these entities and summarizes the 2006 federal authorization for such grants to nonprofits serving NORCs

Discusses how many private assisted living facilities and private non-government-subsidized assisted living apartment units are available and how many people had to leave these facilities in the past five years due to insufficient funds. Also discusses how many of these people went to nursing homes.

Discusses naturally occurring retirement communities, i.e. geographic areas where a large concentration of people have "aged in place". Discusses if the federal government has grants for a pilot program, but Connecticut needs a change in statute to access the funds.

Provides information on "lifespan respite."

Discusses the Connecticut Board of Education and Services for the Blind's new proposal regarding vending machines. Outlines the understanding that BESB personnel have informed state colleges and other state facilities that their vending machines will be replaced shortly by state-approved vendors. Discusses who these state-approved vendors are, how they qualify to become vendors, and whether the colleges and other state facilities were consulted before this change was made.

Discusses whether there are any facilities in Connecticut designated exclusively for the care of Alzheimer's patients and whether they are funded by private or public funds or some combination and (2) if neighboring states have such facilities.

Discusses the Vermont Choices for Care program, a Medicaid waiver demonstration program, established Oct. 2005.

Discusses how many people are enrolled in the private assisted living pilot program and how many are on the waiting list for it.

Provides examples of elderly services specifically for Latino seniors in Connecticut.

Discusses whether neighboring states freeze property taxes for seniors over a certain age, particularly whether the municipality is solely responsible for lost revenue or whether the state reimburses it for the lost revenue.

Explains a Massachusetts law allowing towns to offer a property tax reduction exemption for seniors who contribute a certain number of hours at volunteer work for the town.

Discusses states that limit increases in seniors' property taxes, particularly states that cap increases, require the state to reimburse localities up front for the lost tax revenue, and put a state lien on the property to recoup the money the state provided when the property is sold or the owner dies.

Describes state programs for the elderly and the state's costs for each program.

Discusses whether funds are available for rental or other assistance to a caregiver who is assisting elderly family members and, if so, how to access this assistance.

Discusses growth in Connecticut's elderly (65+) population since 1980 and the projections for its future growth.

Discusses how many programs for seniors the state has implemented since 1985 and describes these programs.

Discusses home care cost in Connecticut and other states.

Discusses whether Connecticut requires nursing homes to have air conditioning and if it does not, why not. Outlines what other states require air conditioning.

Discusses Medicaid payment for people in assisted living in New Hampshire and if private assisted living facilities there participate in Medicaid.

Describes what property tax relief is available to Connecticut's senior homeowners.

Discusses whether diabetic supplies must be covered under the private group and individual medical insurance policies issued in this state, by Medicare and whether this type of coverage is involved in the new Medicare Part D program, by ConnPACE, and by Medicaid.

Provides a brief description of state programs for the elderly.

Discusses the income and asset eligibility requirements and rent and rent subsidy calculations for seniors at the three affordable assisted living demonstration sites in the state and he state-funded elderly congregate housing facilities that offer assisted living services.

Provides a side-by-side comparison of the features of the tax freeze for elderly homeowners proposed under sHB 5093 and the existing "circuit breaker" elderly and disabled tax relief program. Discusses benefits and disadvantages for people who apply for one or both and describes what the effect would be on current participants in the elderly tax freeze program that is being phased out

Provides the latest available enrollments statewide and by town for the Connecticut Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract to the Elderly and Disabled (ConnPACE) program.

Discusses nursing home residents' rights.

Discusses long-term care (LTC) insurance, including the different types, how many such policies are outstanding in Connecticut, who offers them and to whom, and why more have not been sold. Describes what percentage of elderly people go to nursing homes, the current federal tax deduction status and other states' income tax deduction or credit for LTC insurance premiums paid. Discusses what it would cost Connecticut to offer such a tax deduction, what effect increasing LTC insurance in Connecticut would have on the Medicaid program and the potential effect of recent federal legislation on LTC insurance sales.

Summarizes Select Committee on Aging bills favorably reported to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee.

Discusses National Family Caregiver Support Program and how much federal funding Connecticut receives for it. Discusses how much each area agency on aging in the state receives and what they spend it on.

Outlines whether other states make loans through reverse mortgages to senior citizens with limited incomes as a means of local property tax relief and what the options are for doing this in Connecticut.

Discusses federal elderly nutrition and Nutrition Services Incentive (NSIP) programs, an explanation of the change in calculating the funding formula that resulted in reduced NSIP funding for this fiscal year. Also, outlines information on potential additional federal cuts for elderly nutrition programs.

Discusses functions the area agencies on aging (AAAs) perform in regard to home care for seniors.

Discusses Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE), how people apply for it, and what the procedure is in the Dept. of Social Services' Alternate Care Unit, and the access agencies involved in the program when people apply. Also, outlines what other activities the Alternate Care Unit performs.

Describes the ConnPACE program, including income guidelines and when they were last changed. Outlines the enrollment data, and how many states have similar programs.

Outlines what functions the former Dept. on Aging performed, who is performing those functions now, and how many state employees are currently devoted to each function. Describes what existing elderly-related functions were never in the Dept. on Aging and how many state employees currently exercise those functions.

Provides information on nursing home "Green Houses."

Explains what type of assistance is available to someone who owns a residential care home (RCH), especially when a home has been sold and the new owner needs funding to rehabilitate the property and whether there are any set asides for such owners who are members of minorities.

Provides a series of questions and answers about adult day care centers.

Provides brief descriptions of bills and concepts originating in the Human Services Committee that the 2005 General Assembly enacted directly or incorporated into other bills, those that originated in other committees and were subsequently approved by Human Services, and those that never came to the Human Services Committee but are related to its jurisdiction.

Provides brief highlights of new laws (public acts) affecting seniors enacted during the 2005 regular and June special sessions.

Provides a list of all Connecticut's Medicaid waivers, a brief description of them, and the dates the federal government first approved each one.

Outlines which state programs are open to only U.S. citizens, legal immigrants, or illegal aliens.

Discusses home care practices and procedures in Connecticut, Oregon and Vermont.

Summarizes Select Committee on Aging bills favorably reported to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee.

Summarizes Human Services Committee bills favorably reported to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee.

Outlines how many states have separate departments on aging or similar cabinet-level entities that deal with elderly programs and issues, including states that have an office on aging in the Governor's office. Also, provides background on Connecticut's former Dept. on Aging and its functions.

Provides a series of questions concerning the Governor's proposed biennial budget recommendations of an 18% cap on "administrative and general" (A & G) expenses for nonprofit contracts and grants in several human service departments for FY 07. The cap would affect private providers who are on a "purchase of service contract" (POS) with the state.