The place for information and assistance
Aging
and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) are the first place to go
with your aging and disability questions. ADRCs are service centers
that provide a place for the public to get accurate, unbiased
information on all aspects of life related to aging or living with a
disability.
These
centers are friendly, welcoming places anyone can contact to receive
information and assistance regarding not only the public benefits
that may be available, but all of the programs and service available
throughout the area.
Individuals,
concerned families or friends, or professionals working with issues
related to aging, physical disabilities, developmental disabilities,
mental health issues, or substance use disorders, can receive
information specifically tailored to each person's situation. ADRC
services can be provided at the Center, or via telephone or through a
home visit, whichever is more convenient to the individual seeking
help.
Resource
centers offer the following services:
Information
and Assistance
Provide information to the general public about
services, resources and programs in areas such as: disability and
long-term care related services and living arrangements, health and
behavioral health, adult protective services, employment and training
for people with disabilities, home maintenance, nutrition and Family
Care. Resource center staff will provide help to connect people with
those services and to also apply for SSI, Food Stamps and Medicaid as
needed.
Long-Term
Care Options Counseling
Offer consultation and advice about the
options available to meet an individual’s long-term care needs.
This consultation will include discussion of the factors to consider
when making long-term care decisions. Resource centers will offer
pre-admission
consultation to
all individuals with long-term care needs entering nursing
facilities, community-based residential facilities, adult family
homes and residential care apartment complexes to provide objective
information about the cost-effective options available to them. This
service is also available to other people with long-term care needs
who request it.
Benefits
Counseling
Provide accurate and current information on private
and government benefits and programs. This includes assisting
individuals when they run into problems with Medicare, Social
Security, or other benefits. Both Elderly
Benefits Specialists
and Disability
Benefits Specialists
are available.
Emergency
Response
The resource center will assure that people are
connected with someone who will respond to urgent situations that
might put someone at risk, such as a sudden loss of a caregiver.
Prevention
and Early Intervention
Promote effective prevention efforts to
keep people healthy and independent. In collaboration with public and
private health and social service partners in the community, the
resource center will offer both information and intervention
activities that focus on reducing the risk of disabilities. This may
include a program to review medications or nutrition, home safety
review to prevent falls, or appropriate fitness programs for older
people or people with disabilities.
Access
to the Family Care Benefit
For people who request it, resource
centers will administer the Long-Term
Care Functional Screen
to assess the individual’s level of need for services and
eligibility for the Family Care benefit. Once the individual’s
level of need is determined, the resource center will provide advice
about the options available to him or her – to enroll in
Family Care or a different case management system, if available, to
stay in the Medicaid fee-for-service system (if eligible), or to
privately pay for services. If the individual chooses Family Care,
the resource center will enroll that person in a CMO. The level of
need determined by the Long-Term Care Functional Screen also triggers
the monthly payment amount to the CMO for that person.
From the Wisconsin Department of
Health & Family Services Web Page on Family Care
December 1, 2006
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