AGING & DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTERS

What are Aging and Disability Resource Centers?

Aging and Disability Resource Centers, or ADRCs, offer the general public a single entry point for information and assistance on issues affecting older people, and people with disabilities regardless of their income. These resource centers are welcoming and convenient places for you and your family to get information, advice and access to a wide variety of services. Services can be provided through the telephone, in the resource center, or in your own home.

What kind of services can I get from an ADRC?

The types of services that an ADRC has to offer include: information and assistance, long-term care options counseling, benefits counseling, emergency response, prevention and early intervention, and access to publicly funded long-term care programs such as Family Care, Family Care Partnership, and the Self-Directed Supports Waiver.

What is Information and Assistance?

Information and assistance specialists in the ADRC provide you with information about services, resources, and programs in areas such as disability and long-term care, living arrangements, health, adult protective services, employment and training for people with disabilities, home maintenance, nutrition and publicly funded programs. ADRC specialists can help to connect you with services and can help you apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), FoodShare, and Medicaid as needed. You can call the resource center about a wide variety of topics from home care to hospice services, from legal issues to Alzheimer's care, from job help to education.

What is Long-Term Care Options Counseling?

Options counselors offer information and advice about the options that are available to meet your long-term care needs. An options counselor discusses factors to consider when making long-term care decisions. ADRCs provide this service to the general public and to all individuals with long term care needs who are entering nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The ADRC Specialist provides objective information to help you plan your own care and consider how to best spend your personal resources.

What is Benefits Counseling?

Elderly or disability benefit specialists can provide you with accurate and current information about private and government benefits and programs that you may be entitled to. They help to sort through the maze of benefits, the varying eligibility requirements and application processes. Benefit specialists can also help when people run into problems with Medicare, Social Security, and other benefits.

What if I have an emergency related to my long-term care needs or services?

Emergency Response is another service of the ADRC. If you call the ADRC with a health related emergency, the resource center is there to help connect you with someone who will respond to your urgent situation. For example, if someone experienced a sudden loss of a caregiver, they may need emergency help to keep them safe. The ADRC can help connect you with resources immediately.

Can I learn about ways to maintain my health and wellness from an ADRC?

The ADRC promotes effective prevention to keep you healthy and independent. In collaboration with public and private health and social service partners in the community, the ADRC offers both information and intervention activities that focus on reducing the risk of disability. For example, the ADRC can talk to you about strategies to make sure you are taking all of your medications when you need to, or ways to improve your nutrition. They can help you think about home safety to prevent falls, or consider appropriate fitness programs for older people or people with disabilities.

Can I enroll in a publicly funded long-term care program through the ADRC?

Yes. In fact, ADRCs are the “entry-way” to publicly funded long-term care programs. The resource center would first help assess your level of need for services and make sure that you are eligible. The ADRC provides advice about all the options available to you and will help you select the best option. If you are eligible and choose to enroll in a long-term care program, the ADRC will enroll you!