Two Day Scientific and Public Policy Conference for 100 participants to be held on December 6-8, 1993, at the Hotel Washington in Washington, D.C. in conjunction with a conference on December 9 on related topics. The organizing Co-Sponsors are American Association for Retired Persons (AARP), Mental Health Policy Resource Center, and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged.
The Specific Aims of the Conference, which will be accomplished through careful conference and strategic planning are to A.) stimulate state of the art research on: (1) The status of Mental Health Care in Nursing Homes and major barriers to care including information on diagnosis, utilization, staffing and staff training, quality of care standards and monitoring procedures, and innovations in mental health treatment approaches and care, including both medical and behavioral, financing, coordination and program designs. Emphasis will be given to residents with mental disorders, including dementia, depression and other mental illnesses and behavioral problems. (2) Effect of recent federal policies on access, treatment and care, costs, quality of care, staffing, alternatives and financing. Particular emphasis will be placed on examining the impact of the Nursing Home Reform Act, Medicare and Medicaid changes on mental health care given to nursing home residents. (3) Projected impact on mental health care in nursing homes of projected changes in demographics, federal budget crisis situation, financing and private and government funding sources for nursing home including possible national health care and long-term care reform, mental and physical health care research advances in both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of persons with dementia and other mental disorders, changes in funding of institutional vs. community-based care for the elderly, and in elderly housing. (4) The Research Agenda needed to further address the current and projected needs as well as the advances made in the care and treatment, program design and financing of mental health services to individuals in nursing homes. B.) Develop policy options and recommendations to improve mental health care of nursing home residents. Disseminate these latest scientific findings to clinicians, practitioners and policy leaders who are charged with responsibility for overcoming widespread problems. Dissemination will be accomplished in three ways: First, leading practitioners, consumer, provider, professional, insurance industry and other associations representing key actors in this arena and relevant government policy makers or their key staff will be invited to participate in or present at the conference and will have first hand opportunity to not only hear research results but also engage in dialogue with researchers. Second a substantial public relations effort including a press conference following the conference will be conducted to bring to both the public and targeted media read by practitioners, clinicians and private and public policy makers the results of the conference. Third, a book will be published based on conference results and widely distributed to key agencies, organizations and individuals at the state and federal level who are in position to improve mental health care of nursing home residents.
