February 28, 2008

ADRC: A closer look
The future of how Indiana cares for the aging and disabled is evolving. As part of a national trend, Indiana is transitioning Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) to Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), which are intended to provide "one stop shopping" for access to information and services for people age 50 and over and for the disabled. 

A vision for long-term care support
In 2003, the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a collaborative national Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) grant initiative to streamline access to long-term care. The grants awarded under this program are intended to help states build community-level systems of long-term care support that help people make informed decisions about their long-term care services and support options. 

The AoA/CMS vision for Aging and Disability Resource Centers is to:

• Actively promote public awareness of both public and private long-term support options, as well as awareness of the ADRC, especially among underserved and hard-to-reach populations
• Provide information, and counseling as needed, on all available long-term support options
• Help people assess their potential eligibility for public long-term support programs and benefits
• Determine programmatic eligibility for public long-term support programs and benefits, including level of care determinations for Medicaid nursing home and HCBS waiver programs
• Assist people with the Medicaid eligibility determination process (in collaboration or coordination with Medicaid eligibility determination staff)
• Provide short-term assistance or case management to stabilize long-term support individuals and their families in times of immediate need and before they have been connected to ongoing support (e.g., enrolled in a home and community-based waiver)
• Provide on-going case management to public- and/or private-pay individuals where needed
• Provide information and referral to other programs and benefits that can help people remain in the community, such as disease prevention and health promotion programs, transportation services, and income support programs
• Help people plan for their future long-term support needs
• Organize, simplify, and ensure "one-stop shopping" for access to all public long-term support programs.

For more information on the national ADRC Initiative go to www.adrc-tae.org

ADRCs in Indiana
In 2004, Indiana was awarded funding to develop pilot ADRC sites in two AAAs: Area 2-Real Services, Inc. and Area 13, Generations Vincennes University Statewide Services. See map to the right for  AAA coverage areas. Click the map to be taken to a list of AAAs.
 
In 2006, the pilot was expanded to include AAAs in Area 6-Life Stream Services, Inc. and Area 11-Aging & Community Services of South Central Indiana, Inc.

The branded name for the ADRC system in Indiana is Link-Age. The chief goal of Link-Age is to create a single, coordinated system of information, access and assistance for persons age 50 and over and their families and caregivers and persons of all ages with physical disabilities. 

At the recent Indiana Collaborative Conference on Aging, Kristiana Caraman of Area 2 and Laura Holscher of Area 13 outlined Indiana’s first steps in fully developing the ADRC system. They include: 

• Establishment of a statewide advisory board
• Development of an understanding of a comprehensive resource center
• Development of a plan for simplifying access to services which includes moving from information and referral to Options counseling
• Integration of a technology system that is consumer-friendly and seamless
• Evaluation of consumer satisfaction
• Marketing and promotion of the ADRC
• Provision of training and implementation of philosophy and operations

For more information on this presentation go to the ICCA website.

Click here for more information on Indiana’s development of ADRCs. 

Interesting reads

The Older Population in 21st Century Rural America

Source: Carolyn C. Rogers, Rural America Vol. 17, Issue 3

Frequently Asked Questions About People Living with Disabilities in Rural Areas
Source: Rural Assistance Center

To read either of these reports, click here and scroll down.

"Music Listening Enhances Cognitive Recovery and Mood after Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke"
Source: Sarkamo, Teppo et al, Brain: A Journal of Neurology, Vol. 131, No. 3

FAQs now available at the online "Gateway to the Older Americans Act 2006 Amendments."
Source: U.S. Administration on Aging

Events to note

Creating Aging-Friendly Communities: The University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community (CAC) and the University of California at Berkeley will host a unique online experience on Wednesday, March 5, 2008.

• Explore over 25 different presentations on creating more aging-friendly communities
• Engage with national experts such as Jennie Chin-Hansen (AARP), Judy Goggin (Civic Ventures) and Jody Kretzmann (ABCD Institute)
• Discover what other communities are doing to be more aging-friendly
• Network to explore and solve your community’s issues
• Identify approaches that work
• Access practical tips, models, tools, and training materials

10:00 - 11:45am     Pre-recorded Presentations
1:00 - 2:30pm         Live Presentations
2:30 - 3:15pm         Open Dialogue

Indianapolis Location*: University of Indianapolis Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL), 1400 East Hanna Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana 46227, Esch Hall, Room 214. Click here for a campus map. For more information or to RSVP, contact LaNita Garmany at (317) 791-5941 or garmanyl@uindy.edu.

*To attend another location in Indiana, please contact one of the following:

Training for those wishing to receive a Certified Aging in Place designation will be offered by the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis March 10-12 from 8am to 5pm. A different course will be offered each day:

March 10: Communications Strategies for Aging & Accessibility (CAPS I)

March 11: Design/Build Solutions for Aging & Accessibility (CAPS II)

March 12: Business Management for Buldign Professionals

Cost is $185 per session or $500 for all three days. For more information, or to register, contact Rachel Daeger at (317) 236-6340 or racheld@bagi.com.

The St.Vincent Center for Healthy Aging will hold its 19th Interdisciplinary Conference on Aging: Optimizing Aging in the Presence of Disease: Managing Life's Transitions on March 14, 2008 at the Fountains Banquet & Conference Center in Carmel, Indiana.

Registration for Summer 2008 courses in Aging Studies at the University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community is now open. Courses are taught in an online format, with some courses requiring a one-time on-campus weekend component. Click here to review the course schedule. Students may take up to two courses without being enrolled in the master's or graduate certificate program. For more information, visit http://cac.uindy.edu or contact Tamara Wolske, Academic Program Director.

Aging network news

Thank you! The Steering Committee of the Indiana Collaborative Conference on Aging sends out a big thank you to everyone who attended, exhibited and presented at the first conference. We had over 300 aging services professionals in attendance and have received very postitive feedback regarding the caliber of the conference offerings. Several of the conference presentations are available at www.inagingconference.com.

• The Senior Care program at Wishard Health Services in Indianapolis recently opened the Healthy Aging Brain Center. The Center's interdisciplinary staff will work with patients, family and other caregivers to diagnose and treat memory problems.

Logos, posters and other materials to help organizations celebrate Older Americans Month in May are available for download at the U.S. Administration on Aging website.

• Who are the professional, in-home caregivers of older Americans and how are they trained?  Those are the questions being answered in a new initiative of The Caregiving Project for Older Americans, funded by a $264,000 grant from the UniHealth Foundation. The new Caregiving Project initiative is housed within the International Longevity Center-USA (ILC-USA). Click here to learn more.

Grants to go for

Dollar General Literacy Foundation -- Dollar General Adult Literacy Grants
Eligibility Requirements: Proposals will be considered from eligible 501(3)(c) tax-exempt organizations and/or educational institutions with a minimum of two years experience providing adult education.
Due Date: March 4, 2008
Award Amount:  For FY 2008, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation will award a minimum of
$1,500,000 in grants through its annual RFP process to qualifying nonprofit adult literacy providers.

Hamburger Helper/General Mills -- My Hometown Helper Grant Program
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizations or public
schools.

Due Date: March 31, 2008
Award Amount: Hamburger Helper will fund initiatives to help hometowns across America with
monetary grants of up to $15,000. 

Protective Life Foundation
Eligibility Requirements: Protective Life Foundation seeks to work in partnership with other
organizations, corporations, and individuals to find solutions for some of the difficult human and economic situations in our communities. All grant recipients must be charitable organizations as designated by the IRS under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Due Date: Depending on the nature and amount of the request, some proposals will be reviewed monthly, and others will be considered on a quarterly basis. Request Deadlines: May 25, August 25, and November 10. Quarterly Review Cycle: June, September, and December.

Ludwick Family Foundation
Ludwick Family Foundation varies from many other foundations in that it tends to provide grants for tangible types of items that assist a program or project, rather than funding the program itself.
Eligibility Requirements: Applicants must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code, known as nonprofit public charities, and not be a private foundation under 509(a) of the code.
Due Date: Initial requests are only accepted during these times: July 1 to September 1, 2008 and January 1 to March 1.
Award Amount: 20-25 grants per yer, ranging from $5,000 to $50,000.