Programs

Aging and Disability Resource Centers

Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) are part of a national initiative put in place by the Administration for Community Living to provide access to information and assistance for older adults, individuals with disabilities and their caregivers. The ADRC acts as a no wrong door for those needing assistance by providing benefits screening, education and options counseling on long term care services and supports. It is also an entry point for professionals, caregivers, and family members to seek resources and assistance on behalf of their clients, friends or family members. All callers are screened for assistance utilizing a universal screening tool that prevents the caller from having to give the information numerous times. Referrals are made on behalf of the individual needing assistance and follow-up is provided for quality assurance. The ADRC will offer extended assistance to those who choose an advocate to assist with application for services and benefits. ADSS strives to support individuals with the tools they need to make informed decisions and maintain their independence in the community of their choice.

Contact your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5463).

View our brochure on ADRC's

Caregiver Assistance

Do you care for a loved one daily who has a disability, has Alzheimer's Disease or some form of dementia, are they frail?

Do you provide them transportation, help with their medications, do chores and errands for them?

Do you attend to their personal needs such as dressing, bathing, eating, toileting?

Do you sometimes need help being a caregiver?

The Alabama Cares Program can provide you the help and education you need as a Caregiver for your loved one.

Information

We provide information on resources and services available within your community through public education, health fairs, brochures, and newsletters

Caregiver Access Assistance

We assist you in obtaining access to the services and resources that are available within your community through outreach and case management

Caregiver Education

We provide you counseling to assist in making decisions and solving problems relating to areas such as health, nutrition, and finances

Caregiver Respite

We can give you temporary relief or a brief respite from care giving by providing personal care, homemaker services, adult day care, and other services requiring a skilled helper in the home

Caregivers Supplemental Services

We can also provide on a limited basis incontinent supplies, minor home modifications, assistive technology, home delivered meals, emergency response alarms, nutritional supplements and transportation.

To contact your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5463).

View our Alabama Cares brochure

Disaster Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness

Each person's needs and abilities are unique, but every individual can take important steps to prepare for all kinds of emergencies and to put plans in place. By evaluating your own personal needs and making an emergency plan, you can be better prepared for any situation. A commitment to planning today will help you be better prepared for any situation. Preparing makes sense.

GET READY NOW!

Seniors and Disasters

Senior citizens are particularly vulnerable during emergency situations – hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, even heat waves. Sixty (60) percent of people who died in Louisiana as a result of Hurricane Katrina were older than 60.

Disasters are not an everyday occurrence in the lives of individuals, especially seniors; however, it takes just one such event to change calm surroundings into chaos. Thankfully there are resources available than can be easily access by seniors such as the American Red Cross, FEMA, police and fire departments, and other first responders who are available to assist before and after a crisis to help bring a sense of normalcy back to everyday lives.

In Alabama, as well as the other states, seniors are also fortunate to have access for disaster assistance through their Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). Individuals at these locations can assist seniors in meeting their planning needs before a disaster occurs, as well as help after a disaster occurs.

To find the location of your local area agency on aging you are encouraged to click on the link for the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC). ADRC staff will assist not only disaster resources but in screening you for all potential services that you may be eligible to receive such as other long-term support and services.

Safe Centers

Safe Centers continues to serve as places for refuge for seniors during climatic events. During the catastrophic tornadoes of April2011, seniors sought safety in safe centers and/or safe rooms throughout Alabama. Often, these safe centers were the only functioning facilities in some regions. Consult your local Area Agency on Aging for a center near you or call 1-800-AGELINE (1-800-243-5463).

Registering for Post Disaster Services

Applicants must be able to provide FEMA the following information during the registration process:

•Social Security number

•Official First and Last name - include middle initials and suffixes

•Telephone number where the individual can be reached

•Address of the damaged property

•Current address

•Brief description of disaster-related damages and losses

•Insurance information

•Bank account information

More information about disasters, preparation, and assistance programs can be found by visiting the FEMA website.

During a disaster, Aging

Assists county EMA in identifying locations for Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC)

Identifies staff to assist at DRC

Reviews press releases for appropriate information

Develops and post marketing materials needed at each site

To Contact Your Local Area Agency on Aging, Please Call: 1-800-AGELINE (1-800-243-5463).

Elder Abuse

Are you or someone you know a senior who is being abused?

Elder Abuse is not only physical, but also emotional, financial exploitation, sexual or neglect. If this is happening to you or someone you know then please contact us.

Our Elder Abuse program can help!

We can help connect you to the State department or local law enforcement to end the abuse.

To contact your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5463).

View our Elder Abuse Prevention toolkit

Employment Training for Seniors

Are you a Senior looking to get back into the job market or an employer looking for a responsible and qualified employee?

Then our Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) might be the program for you!

SCSEP provides community and worked-based training to seniors and assists in finding unsubsidized employment upon completion. SCSEP is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and enrollment in the training program is limited.

if you are a Senior

looking for a job and want to learn new skills then continue reading to learn more about SCSEP

if you are an Employer

Experienced...Qualified...Responsible...Talented.... if these are the qualifications you're looking for then continue to see why you should consider an older worker.

Contact your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5463).

Health Care Fraud

Every day seniors fall victim to health care fraud. Why? Because anybody can be a health care fraud criminal - doctors, health care providers, medical equipment suppliers, telemarketers or your neighbor.

Our Alabama Senior Medicare Patrol program can help you avoid being a victim!

Learn how to.......

• Protect yourself from Medicare errors, fraud, and abuse.

• Detect potential errors, fraud, and abuse.

• Report errors, fraud, and abuse.

Visit AlabamaSMP.gov for more information or contact your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5463).

Legal Assistance

Do you need assistance in non-criminal legal matters?

The Legal Assistance Program in Alabama is staffed by lawyers licensed by the State Bar of Alabama and their supervised legal assistants to provide you with no cost representation.

Our program targets people 60 or above in the most social or economic need, low income minorities, or individuals in rural areas.

Our program can assist you with the following........

• Accessing health and long-term care

• Advanced Directives

• Consumer Issues

• Debt collection

• Elder Abuse Exploitation Fraud

• Guardianship Issues

• Housing

• Income maintenance

• Medicaid

• Medicare

• Powers of Attorney

• Social Security

• Wills

For legal assistance contact your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC)

at 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5463).

Long Term Care

If you have concerns about the health, safety, or welfare of a loved one in a long term care facility our Long Term Care Ombudsman program can assist you.

Some of the areas we can help are....

• Residents rights

• Care provided

• Transfers and discharges

Complaints may be about the facility, its employees, providers, public or private agencies, guardian, or anyone who is in a position to threaten or interfere with the rights, health, safety, or welfare of a resident.

Call and ask to speak to the Ombudsman. All contacts are private and confidential.

Contact your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5463).

Medicaid

The Medicaid Waiver for the Elderly and Disabled (E&D Waiver) Program is designed to provide services to seniors and persons with disabilities whose needs would otherwise require them to live in a nursing home. Our goal is for clients to retain their independence by providing services that allow them to live safely in their own homes for as long as it is appropriate.

Case managers work with clients to develop a care-based plan according to the clients’ medical needs. Depending upon their plan of care, individuals in this program may receive personal care, homemaker, respite, adult day care, companion services, or home-delivered frozen meals.

Personal Choices - Alabama’s Option for Self-Directed Home and Community-Based Services

The Personal Choices program is Alabama’s option for self-directed home and community-based services and is based on a national model of self-direction called the Cash and Counseling program. It is designed to offer seniors and people with disabilities more choice and flexibility in the type of care they receive. Personal Choices fosters independence as participants have greater control over their finances and decisions directly related to their care.

Medicaid HIV/AIDS Waiver

this program is designed to provide services to individuals with a diagnosis of HIV, AIDS, and related illnesses whose needs would otherwise qualify for placement in a long-term care facility.

Alabama Community Transition (ACT)

This program is designed to provide services to individuals with disabilities or long term illnesses, who live in a nursing facility and who desire to transition to the home or community setting. The Plan of Care and Case Management services are based on individual client’s needs. The individual must have been in the nursing facility for 90 days or more and are expected to move into the community within 180 days.

Visit Alabama Medicaid Agency Gateway To Community Living page for more information.

The Technical Assisted Waiver (TAW)

This program is designed to allow adults who are ventilator dependent or who have a tracheostomy and who would otherwise require care in an institutional setting to remain in the community. The Plan of Care and Case Management services are based on individual client’s needs.

for more information contact your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5463).

View our brochure on E&D Waiver View our brochures on HIV/AIDS

Medicare and Insurance Counseling

Do you have questions about your Medicare benefits?

Do you need help understanding your Medicare Summary Notice?

Have your Medicare claims been denied and you don’t know why?

Maybe our SHIP can help!

Through our State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) you can get:

• Answers to your questions about: Medicare, Medigap, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, Long-term care insurance and other health insurance programs for seniors.

• Information and materials designed to assist Medicare beneficiaries in specific areas such as home health benefits, Medicare claims and appeals and other similar issues.

• Assistance in understanding your Medicare and other health insurance benefits

• Referrals to other program or agencies, when appropriate.

• Group presentations by our SHIP counselors on a variety of health insurance topics

KEPRO is contracted by Medicare as the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization.

They offer information and assistance to providers, and to Medicare recipients and their families, about beneficiary complaints, discharge appeals, and Immediate Advocacy. View their site at www.keproqio.com

For more information, contact the SHIP in your area by calling your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and

Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) 1-800-Ageline (1-800-243-5463).

View our SHIP brochure

Nutrition

Are you at least age 60? Would you enjoy meeting others, socializing, playing games, learning about healthy eating, and enjoy a hot meal? There are over 350 Senior Centers in Alabama for you to do just that! Contact your local Area Agency on Aging to go visit one today.

Are you at least age 60, married to someone age 60, or have a person with a disability residing with you and are homebound? Would you benefit from a home delivered meal? Contact your local Area Agency on Aging to see if you qualify.

To learn more about our Nutrition programs, contact your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5463).

View our Nutrition brochure