ADRC Midlands

About the ADRC program

The Aging and Disability Resource Center Program (ADRC) is a collaborative effort of the Administration on Aging (AoA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) designed to streamline access to long-term supports and services. The ADRC initiative is part of a nationwide effort to restructure services and supports for older adults, all persons with disabilities, family members and care providers. It also complements long term care system change activities designed to enhance access by older adults and people with disabilities of all ages to community living, personal choice and independence.

The overall goal of the ADRC Program is to empower individuals to effectively navigate their health and other long-term support options. ADRCs accomplish this goal by: 1) serving as visible and trusted sources of information on the full range of long-term care options; 2) providing personalized and objective advice and assistance to empower people to make decisions about their support options; 3) providing coordinated and streamlined access to all publicly-funded long-term care programs through a single intake, assessment and eligibility determination process; 4) helping people transition from hospitals and other institutional settings into the community; and 5) maintaining rigorous quality assurance processes. ADRCs serve as integrated points of entry into the long-term care service system and are designed to address the frustrations many consumers and their families experience when they need to obtain information and access to supports and services.

ADRCs are not necessarily located in a single physical place and their functions are not necessarily carried out by a single agency. Rather, ADRCs involve networks of state and local organizations working together in a coordinated manner to provide consumers with integrated access points to all long-term services and supports. From the consumer’s perspective, ADRCs help them obtain the services and supports they need as if they were dealing with one organization. From a systems perspective, this strategy can also help to break down barriers to community-based living by giving consumers of all income levels comprehensive information about the complete spectrum of long-term care options available to them.

Funding for ADRCs was first made available to 12 states in 2003. Since then 54 states and territories have implemented or are implementing ADRCs through additional grants and state initiatives. As of May 2010, there are more than 280 ADRC programs nationwide, reaching approximately 48% of the US population. In addition to serving individuals, ADRCs help states and communities realign and optimize use of existing financial and other resources available under federal and state long-term services and support programs such as Medicaid, OAA and state revenue programs. By leveraging resources and developing strong state and local partnerships ADRCs are highly effective in streamlining access to long-term care services and supports.

Core Functions of ADRCs

• Information, Referral and Awareness
• Options Counseling, Advice and Assistance
• Streamlined Eligibility Determination for Public Programs
• Person-Centered Transition Support
• Quality Assurance and
• Continuous Improvement

ROLE OF ADRCS IN HEALTH AND LONG-TERM CARE REFORM

AoA and CMS share the vision of ADRCs as integral components of health and long-term care reform and the development of effectively managed person-centered service systems at national and state levels. These person-centered systems are envisioned to: optimize choice and independence; be served by an adequate workforce; be transparent, encourage personal responsibility; provide coordinated, high quality care; be financially sustainable; and utilize health information technology. ADRCs have a critical role in supporting this long-term care reform by improving the ability of state and local governments to effectively manage the system, monitoring program quality and measuring responsiveness of state and local systems of care.

KEY FACTS

Seventy-six percent of ADRCs have Medicaid applications available online; 36% have online decision-making tools.
Twenty-nine states maintain publicly-accessible databases of information and resources across the state and 13 states are developing similar statewide capacity.
Over three-quarters of ADRCs can track the eligibility status of applicants as they move through the system.
Almost half of the 54 ADRC states and territories have passed legislation, developed executive guidance, and/or contributed state funds to enhance and expand ADRCs.
ADRCs report high levels of consumer satisfaction – an average of 91% satisfaction with services.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT AN ADRC?

Integrates or coordinates aging and disability service systems.
Establishes formal partnerships between aging, disability & Medicaid agencies and stakeholder groups.
Serves individuals of all ages and income levels.
Works towards one comprehensive, integrated assessment and eligibility determination (financial and functional) process.
Makes effective use of technology – invests in management information systems that facilities service delivery, supports integration of data, streamlines access to information and options.