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Session Title: Exploring the Implications of the Administration of Aging's Performance Outcomes Measures Project for Evaluators

Panel Session 343 to be held in Mencken Room on Thursday, November 8, 11:15 AM to 12:45 PM

Sponsored by the Government Evaluation TIG

Chair(s):

Patricia payday loan  Yee payday loan ,  Vital Research, LLC,  patyee@vitalresearch.com

Discussant(s):

Melanie payday loan  Hwalek payday loan ,  Social Program Evaluators and Consultants Inc,  mhwalek@specassociates.org

Abstract: This panel will investigate the federal government's framework for measuring outcomes of social services for the aging and what it means for local evaluators. The first presenter will provide an historical overview and summary of the current research on the Administration on Aging's (AoA) core set of performance measures for state and community programs on aging operating under the Older Americans Act. Then, two presenters will discuss their own evaluations of programs in aging: (1) a utilization focused evaluation in senior affordable service-enriched housing and (2) a parenting grandparent caregivers program. In addition to describing their evaluations, the two presenters will examine the extent to which their outcomes relate to the Performance Outcome Measures Project (POMP) of AoA. The discussant will facilitate audience feedback about ways that local evaluators could link up with the performance measures AoA is using to build systems of accountability for social programs in aging.

Administration on Aging's (AoA) Performance Outcomes Measures Project (POMP) as a Resource: History and Use as a Resource for Evaluators Saadia payday loan  Greenberg payday loan ,  United States Department of Health and Human Services,  saadia.greenberg@aoa.gov Cynthia Agens payday loan  Bauer payday loan ,  Administration on Aging,  cynthia.bauer@aoa.gov This presentation will describe and outline the resources available from the AoA Performance Outcomes Measures Project (POMP). POMP supports state/area agencies on aging to develop performance indicators and conduct assessments of their services. Over the past seven years, these projects have developed assessment instruments for their own states. The projects work cooperatively and share extensively both among themselves and with AoA's POMP support contractor, Westat, Inc. Projects have built up a considerable body of tested and validated assessment instruments. Since 2003, AoA has conducted national surveys of its program participants. Three national surveys have been conducted; a fourth in the design phase; and a fifth is planned. The surveys included detailed assessments of services received by recipients of case management, congregate and home delivered meals, transportation, homemaker services, information and assistance assessment, senior center participation, as well as caregivers. In addition, survey instruments were designed to document client characteristics.

Assessing the Utility and Validity of the Senior Center Performance Measure in Senior Affordable Housing Developments Joelle payday loan  Greene payday loan ,  National Community Renaissance,  jgreene@nationalcore.org Service-enriched affordable housing developments frequently include community centers that provide services parallel to those offered by government-funded, community-based Senior Centers. These services typically include case management, resource referral, and socialization activities aimed at increasing quality of life and aging-in-place for low-income seniors. The utility and validity of the Senior Center Performance Measure from the Performance Outcome Measurement Project (POMP) (both center and participant components) will be discussed using data drawn from a portfolio of 12 senior affordable housing developments (serving over 1,200 residents) located in southern California. Relationships between center usage and participant emotional, social and physical functioning will be discussed and compared to findings reported by Aday (2003) indicating strong positive relationships between senior center participation and healthy aging. Implications for the use of POMP tools in these evaluative settings will be discussed.

Adapting the Caregiver Support and Assessment Survey Instrument to Assess Kin-caregiver Needs Allison payday loan  Nichols payday loan ,  West Virginia University,  ahnichols@mail.wvu.edu Most researchers of care giving focus on those who provide care to the frail elderly. There is another group of older adult caregivers, those who are who are raising their grandchildren. These caregivers have similar, yet different, needs. The Performance Outcome Measurement Project (POMP) has developed a Caregiver Support and Assessment Survey Instrument that collects data on services received, ratings of services, demographics, care provided, and burdens and rewards. Most of the questions in the POMP survey are relevant to kin-caregivers, but certain changes would have to be made. These changes might include the addition of services from the child/youth arena and legal/guardianship services, to name a few. Additionally, the survey would need to address the relationship of the caregiver to the young care recipient as well as to the biological parent or adult child. This presentation will make suggestions for changes to the survey to meet the needs of kin-caregivers.