Optimizing Health and Well-Being

The goal of Optimizing Health and Well Being is to ensure North Carolinians will have access to person-centered services and supports that will optimize their life-expectancy and health quality.

Good health is more than medical care. It’s about access, prevention and support at every stage of life. These are key priorities, and the Workgroup and Subgroups collaborate to make the plans a reality.

Priority: Long-term Services and Supports

• Convene task force to address delivery and financing
• Educate consumers on long-term care costs
• Address challenges to providing continuum of LTSS

Priority: Workforce

• Ensure skilled aging workforce
• Support current workforce studies
• Expand financial incentives for healthcare careers and address wage disparities
• Expand consumer-directed options

Join an Existing Subgroup

The Long-Term Care Costs and Medicare Subgroup is tasked with (1) Increasing public awareness and understanding of long-term care insurance (LTCI) and Medicare; (2) Launching an initiative to simplify coverage information, expand accessibility and help individuals plan for future care needs.

The Workforce Priority Subgroup is tasked with (1) Building a stronger aging services workforce through recruitment campaigns and partnerships with schools; (2) Implementing recommendations from the Investing in North Carolina’s Caregiving Workforce report; (3) Expanding loan repayment, tuition reimbursement, and other financial incentives to attract health professionals to aging services.

Missed the first round of subgroup selection? Subgroup leaders are still filling key representation gaps. If interested, email Divya.Venkataganesan@dhhs.nc.gov  or Caylee.Weaver@dhhs.nc.gov.

Resources

Focus on the Direct Care Workforce in LTSS Presentation
Quarterly Webinar Presentation (July 2025)
National Core Indicators Aging and Disability State of the Workforce Survey Presentation