“85” documentary reveals challenges of Medicaid case workers in Iowa
A documentary produced by Kirkwood Community College Media Services and the Heritage Area Agency on Aging has been awarded a 2008 Telly Award. The 2008 Telly Awards competition honors local and regional cable television programs and video and film productions.
The Kirkwood-produced documentary entitled “85” features local Iowans that are part of the Medicaid Elderly Waiver Case Management program for the frail elderly. The program follows two rural case managers as they help frail older adults remain in their own homes and prevent placement in a nursing home. “85” refers to the average case load of case managers in Iowa.
Elderly Waiver Case Management became a new Medicaid service administered by the Iowa Department of Human Services on October 1, 2006. The service helps seniors who would qualify for nursing home placement under Medicaid guidelines coordinate home and community-based services to help them remain in their own homes instead of being placed in an institution.
The case managers develop an individual care plan of services that is regularly monitored and modified as the individual’s needs change. Individuals who receive case management are able to stay at home longer than those who do not receive case management services. In 2008, the Heritage Area Agency on Aging, along with its partner providers, served over 1,000 frail seniors through Elderly Waiver Case Management.
For nearly three decades the annual Telly Awards honor achievement in television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions and work created for the Internet. This year the Telly Awards office received over 14,000 entries from all 50 states in the U.S. and five continents.
For more information on Case Management for the Frail Elderly or to receive a copy of “85” from a lending library call the Heritage Area Agency on Aging 1 (319) 398-5559/1(800) 332-5934.