Aging with serious mental illness: One state’s response

As care for individuals needing long-term services and supports has shifted from institutional settings to home- and community-based services (HCBS), caring for people with serious mental illness has become a significant challenge. Oregon has a long history of using community-based care (CBC) to serve all populations needing supports. This article outlines Oregon’s use of CBC and how those services apply to individuals with serious mental illness; it also addresses the financial and health-related issues facing family caregivers, who themselves often are of advanced age.