Finding the right services can be a daunting task for elders and their family members. The current system – involving multiple federal, state and local agencies – is complex, fragmented, and often times the eligibility processes are duplicative and not user-friendly.  Fortunately, SWIRCA & More’s Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) can help! More and more services and support options are available, including in-home, residential, and institutional settings. If a person is confronted with a maze of agencies, organizations, and bureaucratic requirements during a crisis or when a family member is at their most vulnerable, this often results in the use of the most expensive forms of assistance, such as nursing homes or extended hospitalizations. A person can quickly exhaust their own resources without ever knowing they had other options.

The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is a collaborative effort to streamline access to long-term services and support options for older adults and individuals with disabilities. The ADRCs started as a collaborative effort with the Administration on Aging and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid beginning in 2003 to help simplify the “system” for those in need, open the door to community resources, and de-mystify the myriad of options available. To date, 54 out of 56 states and territories sustain ADRC activities. Nationwide 467 ADRC systems are in place actively serving older adults and persons with disabilities. Since the inception of the program, ADRCs have responded to over 17 million contacts helping answer questions related to health and long-term services and supports.

SWIRCA & More, with the mission to “Enhance opportunities for independent living”, serves as the ADRC for Southern Indiana covering Posey, Perry, Gibson, Warrick, Vanderburgh, and Spencer County. SWIRCA & More’s ADRC serves as the single entry point for persons seeking assistance, helping to eliminate many frustrations people experience trying to access needed services, referrals, information, and support. It is a highly visible and trusted place where people of all ages, income levels, and disabilities can get free, unbiased information and assistance. ADRC Option Counselors provide one-on-one counseling to help you make informed decisions about your care options, whether it is temporary, permanent, part-time, or full-time.

The friendly, professional Option Counselors provide information and support not only to individuals needing either public or private resources, but also help professionals seeking assistance on behalf of their clients. Option Counselors are trained to assess existing or anticipated long-term care needs. Based upon those needs, the Options Counselor takes the time to explain the full range of available programs, options, service providers, and resources within our community.

The ADRC can help answer questions regarding:

–          Volunteer opportunities

–          Transportation

–          Social Security

–          Housing

–          Homemaking Services

–          Medicare/Medicaid

–          Nutrition

–          Case Management

–          Home-Delivered Meals

–          Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage

–          Medical Equipment

–          Support Groups

–          Community Resources

–          Legal Assistance

–          Nursing Facilities

–          Family Caregiver Assistance

–          In-Home Care Services

–          And much more…