Community Aging in Place - Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE)

Intent of SOI

This SOI is to identify qualified organizations who are interested in applying for an upcoming Request for Applications (RFA) for services as described herein. Interested organizations who reply to this SOI will be included in a notification when the RFA is released. Note: The following information regarding the anticipated RFA is subject to change at the NYS Department of Health’s discretion. The Department reserves the right to withdraw this SOI.

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Office of Aging and Long Term Care plans on releasing an opportunity for up to 20 qualified organizations to implement and manage the Community Aging in Place – Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) initiative in their communities. This grant opportunity will fully fund CAPABLE implementation and delivery across four New York State regions. The intention is to include four sites in the Capital District Region, three sites in the Central New York Region, nine sites in the Metropolitan Area Region, and four sites in the Western Region. An anticipated annual award of $315,000 per site will be provided for up to three years beginning July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028 contingent upon the availability of state funds and approval of the Office of the State Comptroller.

CAPABLE is an evidence-based program that combines nursing, occupational therapy, and handy worker services to help older adults live independently in their home environments. By addressing the home environment and personal health, CAPABLE has been shown to improve the functionality of participants and reduce healthcare costs. Moreover, the program has been tested in numerous small and large trials showing a benefit toward better functioning, decreased hospitalizations, and decreased nursing home admissions.

CAPABLE involves up to ten in-home sessions over five (5) months between the participant and a CAPABLE team comprised of a Registered Nurse (RN), Occupational Therapist (OT), and handy worker. The RN and the OT receive individualized training in motivational interviewing and person-centered care. They follow a specialty-specific outline to perform assessments, provide education, and encourage interactive problem-solving skills.

Importantly, CAPABLE is participant-driven in that the participant chooses the goals he or she wants to meet through participation in the program, and together the interdisciplinary team and the participant work toward achieving these goals. This process is critical to empowering the participant to take control of their own health and functional capacity.

For this RFA, CAPABLE participants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Older adult (over 60 years of age).
• Cognitively intact, or only have mild cognitive impairment to participate in goal setting and action planning processes.
• Have difficulty completing at least one Activity of Daily Living (ADL) or two or more Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADLs).
• Medicaid eligible or falls below 150% of the federal poverty line (FPL) for their household size based on the current FPL calendar year determinations.
• Not currently receiving personal care or consumer-directed personal care services through Medicaid or Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly (EISEP) or other paid assistance to address their functional needs.

Minimum Qualifications of Eligible Organizations

• Applicant must be prequalified in the New York State Statewide Financial System (SFS), if not exempt, on the date and time applications in response to the RFA will be due;
• Applicant must be a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, or a for-profit organization, either of which provides or arranges services for aging individuals with a functional need for assistance or chronic health conditions. Applicants eligible to apply for funding may include but are not limited to Certified Home Health Agencies (CHHAs), regionally governed health systems, or Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs);
• Applicant must be authorized to do business in New York State. If the Applicant is located outside of New York State, they must have a brick-and-mortar location in New York State; and
• Applicants will be required to submit an Eligibility Requirement Attestation in their application to certify that their organization meets all minimum qualifications.

Expected Program Activities

The funded entities will be expected to:

• Work in conjunction with the New York State Department of Health Office of Aging and Long Term Care to provide the prescribed CAPABLE program to eligible individuals in their specified region.
• Complete the required training and obtain a license from the CAPABLE National Center , which administers the CAPABLE program developed by Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.
• Maintain required program staffing that includes up to three teams of one RN, one OT, one handy worker, and a Project Coordinator to manage all aspects of program administration.
• Maintain responsibility for oversight and management of all CAPABLE operations, including establishing internal controls and quality assurance to ensure program integrity. All contractors must also adhere to training, program monitoring, and data collection requirements for CAPABLE grant-funded staff in compliance with OALTC direction.

Funding for this project is contingent on the availability of state funding and the number of eligible applicants that respond to the RFA. Available funding to support this initiative will be limited to the amount(s) appropriated in the enacted State Fiscal Year budgets for this purpose and approval of the Office of the State Comptroller.

This SOI is not a guarantee or promise of funding.