Eldercare & Social Isolation: A Policy Perspective

Susan Ryan sits down with Anne Montgomery, co-director at Altarum's Program to Improve Eldercare, where she oversees a portfolio of quality improvement research and policy analysis focused on older adults. Montgomery has more than two decades of policy experience working on Medicare, Medicaid, and related programs. Prior to Altarum, Anne served as a Senior Advisor for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, where she developed hearings and numerous bills enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. She has also served as an analyst for the House Ways & Means Committee, the Government Accountability Office and the Alliance for Health Policy in Washington, D.C. Montgomery talks about her personal passion and motivation that has shaped her career trajectory in research and policy and how she has used her expertise to improve quality broadly in home- and community-based services and long-term care environments. Today, she provides a comprehensive analysis of COVID-related challenges that she has observed, and specifically discusses the research that Altarum conducted on the social isolation that occurred among nursing home residents. Montgomery shares recommendations in addressing social isolation and discusses the need to negotiate risk and balance that with safety when addressing this very challenging consequence of the pandemic and visitation bans in nursing homes.    Finally, Anne offers her perspectives on the Biden administration, policy champions, and the positive opportunities that lie ahead to elevate eldercare.   Find out more about Altarum report on social isolation here: https://altarum.org/sites/default/files/uploaded-publication-files/Nursing-Home-Resident-Survey_Altarum-Special-Report_FINAL.pdf