How to Advocate for and Talk About Home and Community-Based Services
The vast majority of older adults and people with disabilities want to live at home and receive the help they need there. But most people who receive Medicaid can’t access the support they need because Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) are woefully underfunded across the country. At the same time, because funding for institutions is required through the Medicaid program, millions of people are institutionalized who would do much better at home.
Advocates are working together to secure investments to increase the availability of Medicaid HCBS and ensure that the workers who provide help to people in their homes, who are mostly women of color, are paid fairly, receive proper training, and are treated with respect. Recent messaging research has revealed best practices for how to talk about HCBS persuasively, and can be used to advocate for increased funding. Individuals who rely on Medicaid HCBS can help make this funding a reality by sharing their stories about how HCBS allow them to remain at home and in their communities living independent lives.
This webinar, How to Advocate for and Talk About Home and Community-Based Services, co-presented by Justice in Aging and The Arc, will provide an overview of HCBS and the state of legislation in Congress, present the results of messaging research, and provide participants with best practices for advocating and sharing stories.
Who Should Attend: Advocates, people who rely on HCBS, direct care workers and HCBS providers, and family caregivers.
