AGING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER GRANT
The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) grant is a Real Choice Systems Change Grant for Community Living funded by the Administration on Aging (AoA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The goal of the Aging and Disability Resource Center Program is to empower individuals to make informed choices, to streamline access to long-term support and organize the long-term support system. The vision is to have Resource Centers in every community serving as highly visible and trusted places where people can turn for information on the full range of long term support options and a single point of entry to public long term support programs and benefits.
Resource Centers gather and manage information from individuals in a way that ensures their confidentiality, but limits repeated collection of the same information throughout their long-term support careers. Resource Centers move beyond information and assistance and assume the role of primary entry point into the long-term support system.
The Centers are a resource for both public and private-pay individuals. Making information and counseling available to private-pay individuals is a central element of the AoA/CMS Resource Center vision. Reaching people before they become Medicaid-eligible, and helping them to learn about low-cost options and programs such as private long term support insurance, can help individuals make better use of their own resources and help to prevent or delay spend-down to Medicaid. Resource Centers serve elders age 60 and older and people with physical disabilities over the age of 18.
Montana received its 3 year ADRC grant in October 2003. Yellowstone County was the site of the first Resource Center. In 2006, 11 more counties and two Reservations were added to the model. They include: Missoula, Carbon, Big Horn, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Wheatland, Musselshell, Judith Basin, Petroleum, Fergus and Golden Valley as well as the Northern Cheyenne and Crow Reservations.
To date the Center has accomplished the following:
- Increased capacity and expertise to provide information and assistance to consumers needing help in exploring long-term care options and services. The caseload has increased from about 60 clients per month to about 400 per month.
- Developed relationships and expertise to provide assistance to persons with physical disabilities.
- Provided enhanced assistance to clients on applying for publicly funded long term care programs such as Medicare Part D, Medicaid, long-term care Medicaid, Medicaid Waiver, Social Security, SSI, Food Stamps and LIEAP.
- Provided outreach and public education on long term care topics.
- Developed Medicare Part D educational materials that were used statewide.
- Developing an Internet based system for people to apply for multiple public benefits (including Medicaid programs, Food Stamps, Low Income Energy Assistance (LIEAP), Big Sky Rx, Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Aging Services programs). The system will limit repeated collection of the same information when applying for public benefits.
For more information contact:
Yellowstone County:
The Resource Center
(406) 259-5212
Carbon, Big Horn, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Wheatland, Musselshell, Judith Basin, Petroleum, Fergus, Golden Valley Northern Cheyenne and Crow Reservations:
Area II Agency on Aging
(800) 551-3191
Missoula County:
Missoula Aging Services
(406) 728-7682
