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AVLNC Draft Vision/Traction OrganizerPurpose: To ensure all older people with vision loss receive high quality comprehensive specialized vision rehabilitation including low vision services by focusing the healthcare, aging and vision rehabilitation communities on:the unique challenges of the combined experience of vision loss and aging;the impact of that combined event on the socio-economic life of our nation; and the need to work together to advance research, policy & funding that maximizes the positive contributions of older people living with vision loss.Niche: The combined aging and vision rehabilitation expertise in collaboration with consumers and advocacy partners uniquely positions AVLNC to engage the aging, healthcare and vision rehabilitation networks in essential program and policy changes.Three-Year Target: by December 31, 2023AVLNC will have strategic alliances with national partners and policy champions who agree to include aging & vision loss in federal legislation and other policy documents The Surgeon General will issue a report on the Impact of Aging and Vision Loss based upon the recommendations that came out of the NASEM workshopsVision-related research recommended by NASEM will be underway; some completed and in report status for Surgeon General considerationA national interagency committee on Aging & Vision Loss will be established and meeting in a meaningful way (in accordance with the 2016 NASEM recommendations) Older people with vision loss are included as a targeted population in aging policy, public health initiatives (i.e. Healthy People 2030) and health coverageEyecare professionals recognize that vision rehabilitation is a part of the continuum of care and appropriate referrals are made routinelyOlder people with vision loss are trained & mobilized to advocate for policy changeFederal funding for older people with blindness and low vision will be increased; at a minimum OIB Funding will be increased tenfold and regular cost of living increases thereafter will have been enacted Other funding at state and local levels will be available and utilized by community-based vision rehabilitation providersThe field of Vision Rehabilitation will have adopted practice and program standardsOutcome measures will be collected routinely by vision rehabilitation providers and shared with research partners for the purposes of establishing evidence- based programsFederal grants will be available again for the establishment of new community-based vision rehabilitation programs in severely underserved parts of the nationUniversity programs for eyecare, occupational therapy, geriatrician & gerontology professionals will include aging and vision loss curricula and facilitate practicum opportunities in community-based vision rehabilitation programs; and those for vision rehabilitation will include specific aging curriculaBest practices for the combination of Aging & Vision Rehabilitation Services will have been established, rolled out and accepted by both professional networksClinical data on eye disease/condition and acuity/specific vision loss will be routinely collected nationally and reported (including counting all older people with vision loss)National Awareness Campaign on Aging & Vision Loss (based upon the Frameworks Institute recommendations) is funded, executed and adopted by the Ad Council and national partnersThe National Policy Collaborative will have a joint legislative agenda on Aging & Vision Loss Targeted Sector/Market Segments:Eyecare professionals: ophthalmologists and optometrists Other Medical professionals: geriatricians and gerontologists and OT’sAging Policy Makers: ACL (including CIL’s), NCOA, N4A, GSA, AARP, Area Agencies on Aging, Long-term Care Providers, Assisted LivingHealthcare Policy Makers: CDC, NEI, NIH, CMS, Surgeon General, Home Healthcare Agencies and staffOlder People (including those with vision loss) and Their FamiliesElected Officials at the federal and state levelsACB, NFB, BVA, FFB, NOAH (Consumer Associations)Research Partners including NASEM and CDCUniversities with Relevant Personnel Preparation ProgramsVision Rehabilitation Community: Community-based service providers, national organizations, RSA, DOE, state agencies, TAC’sTwo-Year Picture: by December 31, 2022AER Higher Education Accreditation Commission (HEAC) will have mandated a comprehensive aging curriculaThe Coalition will have developed the framework and hired the firm for the National Awareness CampaignSubstantive communication with the AD Council will have occurred and application submittedWill be presenting at all relevant major Aging ConferencesNational vision rehabilitation service/outcome data will have started being collectedThe Coalition will have established a collaborative relationship with at least 6 National Organizational PartnersThe Congressional Vision Caucus will have established an Aging Focus Vision-related research recommended by NASEM will be underwayA Surgeon General’s Report on Aging & Vision Loss will be in discussionThe Coalition will be conducting/coordinating Consumer Advocacy TrainingWill have established a relationship with the Congressional Physicians Caucus Funding mechanism in place to support the AVLNC InitiativesWill have developed the OIB Cost of Living strategy and language and supported by the blindness communityOne-Year Plan: January 1 – December 31, 2021National Awareness Campaign:What – Conduct initial research and planning for the campaignResearch who has worked with Ad Council, what Ad Council has supported; draft application for Ad Council support; disseminate Public Awareness Flyer with all VSA members and national partnersBegin drafting the framework for the campaignResearch potential ad firmsWho – OIB-TACUniversity Personnel Prep Program Changes: What – Lay the groundwork for partner buy-in of and planning for changesmeet with SALUS, Hunter & UMass to determine logistics and realistic timeline for making curricula changes; convene a meeting with HEAC to garner buy-in for enhanced curricula and practicum regarding Aging & Vision Loss; initiate communication with AGHE; initiate communication with OT University Programs; initiate communication with AGESW & learn how they provided leadership & assistance to SOW programs and professionals to add gerontological content in their education programs as a model for our workWho – Personnel Prep Committee/AERBVI?National Partners in Aging:What – Lay the groundwork for the creation of a national interagency committee/council on Vision Loss and Aging Develop working relationships w/ N4A, NCOA, AARP, ASA, GSA, ACL/CIL’s to:focus on what we want included ultimately in OAA reauthorization and other policy documents; disseminate NEI materials and promote OIB-TAC courses for use with their staffmembers;collaborate on accommodations/adaptations for their existing – and the development of future - evidence-based programming for the inclusion of visually impaired participants and staff; and make referrals to community-based vision rehabilitation services.Develop a plan for an interagency council in accordance with NASEM 2016 recommendationsSupport the Aging & Vision Rehabilitation Pilot Project in Oklahoma as a possible model for other areas of the countryWho – VSA Staff and Individual Point People from the Steering Committee/Coalition; VSA Public Policy CommitteeNational Partners in Eyecare:What – Lay the groundwork for regular communication and planning for strengthening the referral relationship between eyecare and vision rehabilitationDevelop working relationships with the Academy of Optometrists, AAO, Low Vision & Geriatrics Divisions of each, University hospitals with eyecare & (retinal) training programs with feeders to low vision, with retinal specialists; develop a plan with them to understand vision rehabilitation and make appropriate referrals to vision rehab providerswork with Carlene Lebous on Pilot Project with healthcareWho - VSA Staff and Individual Point People from the Steering Committee/CoalitionNational Partners in Other Medical:What – Lay the groundwork for regular communication and planning for strengthening the referral process to vision rehabilitation servicesAMA (vision and geriatrics divisions; develop a plan with them to understand vision rehabilitation and make appropriate referrals to vision rehab providersWho - VSA Staff and Individual Point People from the Steering Committee/CoalitionNational Partners in Healthcare:What – Lay the groundwork for regular communication and planning for strengthening the referral process to vision rehabilitation servicesFederally Qualified Community Health Centers, Home Healthcare Organizations and Long Term Care (in addition to education of their staff, consider a pilot towards contracting with these); develop a plan with them to understand vision rehabilitation and make referrals to or contract with vision rehab providers to provide care onsite gain a better understanding of Medicare and Medicaid, healthcare coverage and begin to understand potential bridges, partners; Who – Funding CommitteeHealthy People 2030:What – connect with the Vision Workgroup of Healthy People 2030 to see how AVLNC can be includedWho – VSA StaffConsumer Advocacy on Aging & Vision Loss: What – Develop a process for organized consumer advocacycollaborate with the Aging Divisions of ACB and NFB – check out NOAH, BVA, AER and FFB aging foci; state rehab councils; establish a collaborative committee to develop advocacy training for consumers; develop an advocacy program as simply and cost-effectively as possibleNOTE: Would Hadley consider adding online advocacy training?Who – VSA Staff and partners including ACB and NFBCongressional Vision Caucus: What – Begin to activate CVC with PBbegin to establish relationship with CVC through PB/Sara Brown; provide education about aging issues; develop a plan to recruit additional congressional members through VSA/PPCWho – VSA Staff/Paul Schroeder, Public Policy CommitteeOIB Funding Increase:What – Develop a plan for a funding increase ask that is supported by the fieldDetermine the ask for increase in OIB fundingDetermine process for establishing new federal program establishment grants in severely underserved locations of the countrydevelop buy-in support from ACB, NFB, NCSAB and CSAVR for an increase, through the National Policy Collaborative; identify legislative championsWho – Funding & Public Policy CommitteesAlternative Funding: What – Continue to research state and local funding opportunitiesidentify and collect alternative (i.e., other than RSA OIB $) funding strategies to include in a toolkit for vision rehabilitation providersWho – Funding CommitteeAging & Vision Loss Briefing Papers:What – Create and disseminate focused briefing papers for the edification of policy makersDevelop plan for dissemination of the first paper on Aging and Vision Rehabilitation; Consider alternative formats for the paper (audio/video)consider funding asks to accompany the paper; continue to develop data offerings that will live on VSA’s website; include data from Medicaredevelop plan for additional papers and conduct the workWho – Funding Committee Incidence & Prevalence Data Collection: What – Lay the groundwork for the establishment of desired systemresearch strategies – what data already exists; data sources; etc (support and promote NORC’s Vision & Eye Health Surveillance System)Who – Services & Data CommitteeVision Rehabilitation Outcomes Data:What – Develop a plan for national data collectiontalk with Denny about what her outcomes committee has produced as a framework & researched – what is the VA already collecting? What else? How can VSA & AVLNC help implement their framework? Also what is available through OT’s? SRA? Is New York State’s Client Information System a model for outcomes data?Who - Services & Data Committee Data CommitteeVision Rehabilitation Service Program Standards and Best Practices:What – Develop a plan for the establishment of national vision rehabilitation program standards and best practicesdevelop best practices in connecting the aging network to vision rehabilitation service providers – design & launch pilot in OK with NVO; develop a pilot project to demonstrate the efficacy of vision rehabilitation services being provided within a larger healthcare system;develop and conduct training with AAA staff and their contracted aging providers regarding what Vision Rehab services are, their benefit, how to identify through screening and refer Who - Services & Data CommitteeResearch:What – Develop a research plan that encompasses essential elements of the 2016 NASEM Report including:Determination and comparison of the cost, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of different vision rehabilitation models of care, and the effect of greater integration of vision rehabilitation services onpatient outcomes and care access and quality;determination and comparison of the cost, effectiveness, andcost-effectiveness of vision rehabilitation services and interventions including optical and non-optical low vision aids, mobility aids, environmental modifications, and adaptive strategies, and to develop effective, evidence-based training programs on the use of these and other interventions and services;identification of the vision rehabilitation needs of minoritygroups, developmentally disabled populations, individuals with common comorbidities of vision impairment, and populations living in medically underserved areas, and to develop vision rehabilitation services and interventions that address these needs;determination of the extent of awareness of vision rehabilitationamong patients, providers, and the public health workforce in the United States, and to develop effective health education campaigns and other programs to eliminate lack of awareness of vision rehabilitation;assessment of how the organization, distribution, and scope ofvision rehabilitation services affects care access and quality, and to determine how vision rehabilitation services at the national, state, and local levels could be designed to best meet patient needs. Who – Services and Data CommitteeSecure Funding for AVLNC Initiatives:What – a full time position (paid or volunteer); and additional hours for advocacy directorWho – VSA Staff ................
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