Aging and Disability Resource Center

Answer any question about long-term support services:

The five Aging & Disability Resource Centers in Maine serve as “one-stop-shops” to answer questions from older adults, or from any individuals with disabilities, about a wide range of in-home, community-based, and institutional services.

Aging and Disability Resource Centers are expert at answering questions in-home care services and all kinds of long-term support. Maine’s five Aging and Disability Resource Center sites:

• provide information and assistance to individuals needing either public or private long-term care resources,
• serve professionals seeking assistance on behalf of their clients’ long-term care needs,
• serve individuals planning for their future long-term care needs, and
• serve as the entry point to publicly administered long-term supports including those funded under Medicaid, the Older Americans Act and state revenue programs.

Goal: Empowerment: The goal of these Aging & Disability Resource Centers is to empower callers to make informed choices about long-term support and to streamline peoples’ access to long-term support. 

People Served: Maine’s Aging & Disability Resource Centers are designed to serve all older adults, people with disabilities and their caregivers,  who have long-term care community or program needs.

To contact an Aging & Disability Resource Center in Maine:

	Aroostook Agency on Aging  - Aging & Disability Resource Center
	Eastern Area Agency on Aging – Aging & Disability Resource Center
	Spectrum Generations –Aging & Disability Resource Center
	SeniorsPlus – Aging & Disability Resource Center
	Southern Maine Area Agency on Aging – Aging & Disability Resource Center

 

To contact an Aging & Disability Resource Center nearest you:

Aroostook Area Agency on Aging – Aging & Disability Resource Center
County Served	Aroostook
ADRC Coordinator	Sharon Berz
Website:	http://www.aroostookaging.org
Phone:	207-764-3396
Fax:	207-764-6182
Address:	1 Edgemont Drive Suite 2 Presque Isle,  Maine 04769
Hours of Business:	8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
Eastern Area Agency on Aging – Aging & Disability Resource Center
Counties Served	Piscataquis, Penobscot, Washington, Hancock
ADRC Coordinators	Dyan M. Walsh, MSW
Website:	http://www.eaaa.org/dashnetwork.shtml www.eaaa.org www.easternagencyonaging.org
Phone:	(207) 941-2865 1-800-432-7812
Fax:	(207) 941-2869
TTY:	(207) 992-0150
Address:	Eastern Agency on Aging 450 Essex Street Bangor, ME 04401
Hours of Business:	8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
Spectrum Generations - Aging & Disability Resource Center
Counties Served	Knox, Lincoln, Waldo, Somerset, Sagadahoc, & Kennebec
ADRC Coordinators	Debra Haim
Website:	http://www.seniorspectrum.com/
Phone:	1-800-639-1553
Fax:	207-622-7857
TTY:	1-800-464-8703
Address:	One Weston Court Suite 203 Augusta, ME 04330
Hours of Business:	8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
SeniorsPlus – Aging & Disability Resource Center
Counties Served	Franklin, Oxford, Androscoggin
ADRC Coordinator	Connie Jones – Director, SeniorsPlus - Aging and Disability Connections
Website:	http://www.seniorsplus.org/aaoa/index.html
Phone:	1-800-427-1241 207-795-4010
Fax:	207-795-4009
TTY:	207-795-7232
Address:	8 Falcon Road P.O. Box 659 Lewiston, ME 04243-0659
Hours of Business:	8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday
Southern Maine Area Agency on Aging – Aging & Disability Resource Center
Counties Served	Cumberland and York
ADRC Coordinators	Katlyn Blackstone MS, LSW Director, Information & Advocacy Program
Website:	http://www.smaaa.org/
Phone:	207-396-6503
Fax:	207-764-6182
Address:	136 US Rt. 1 Scarborough, Maine 04074
Hours of Business:	8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday

More Background:

The Aging and Disability Resource Center national initiative is funded by means of a collaboration between the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) and the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

AoA and CMS envision ADRCs as highly visible and trusted places available in every community across the country where people of all ages, incomes and disabilities go to get information on the full range of long-term support options. Nationally, ADRC programs have taken important steps towards meeting AoA and CMS’s vision by

• creating a person-centered, community-based environment that promotes independence and dignity for individuals;
• providing easy access to information to assist consumers in exploring a full range of long-term support options; and
• providing resources and services that support the range of needs for family caregivers.

ADRCs target services to the elderly and individuals with physical disabilities, serious mental illness, and/or developmental/intellectual disabilities. The ultimate goal of the ADRCs is to serve all individuals with long-term care needs regardless of their age or disability.

Maine has received three grants to develop Aging & Disability Resource Centers in Maine, in 2003, 2006, and 2009. With these grants, we have been able to provide Aging & Disability Resource Center services for the entire state.

National perspective on “Why Transform Long Term Supports and Services?”

The U.S. Administration on Aging supports states’ efforts in developing and sustaining a person-centered, self-directed national long term care system. This system should effectively assist consumers with identifying and accessing a range of home and community based resources which maintain independence of older citizens and persons with disabilities and slow the rate of growth and expenditures in the states' Medicaid programs.

1. The national long term care system has already begun to evolve with programs such as CMS’s Real Choice Systems Change Grants, Cash and Counseling, and other consumer-centered and consumer-directed programs.
2. There is an opportunity to build upon this recent innovation and creatively resolve inefficiencies in the nation’s long term care system using identified best practices and programmatic strategies developed by the Aging Network and its partners.
3. State budgets will not be able to support the current system of Medicaid long-term care and spend-down without creating a plan to slow the rate of its growth and expenditures.
4. The “Silver Wave” is coming and many states are not prepared.
5. States’ fiscal crises must be resolved to effectively build service capacity and infrastructure for the growing numbers of elderly people and individuals with disabilities.

Consumer Satisfaction and Lessons Learned in Maine

The evaluation of the ADRCs was conducted in 2008 through the use of consumer satisfaction surveys and interviews with key stakeholders. The Muskie School of Public Service designed and administered the surveys, monitored the data collection protocols and analyzed the results.

The consumer satisfaction survey was mailed to individuals who had accessed the ADRCs for information or services. Staff at each ADRC sent names and addresses of “first time” contacts to the evaluation team at the Muskie School approximately every two weeks. Surveys were mailed to contacts immediately so that the interaction with the ADRCs would be fresh and accurately recalled. Over 1,900 surveys were mailed from the Muskie School along with a cover letter and a postage-paid business reply envelope to facilitate return of the completed surveys. Overall, there was a 28% response rate.

The Lewin Group has provided technical assistance to ADRCs and to the evaluators. The following Maine ADRC satisfaction survey results have been organized and reported under the key domains outlined by the Lewin Group: Visibility/Trust; Efficiency; Responsiveness; and Effectiveness.

The survey shows that consumers are pleased with the service and information they receive from the ADRCs.

For a fun look at finding an Aging and Disability Resource Center, click on a YouTube video here

For more information:
Federal Department of Health and Human Services. Administration on Aging
Aging & Disability Resource Center Technical Assistance Exchange
Video introduction to Aging & Disability Resource Centers