“Resource centers are a tremendous help to families who need to find effective long-term care for a loved one, often with little time to prepare,” said Dr. McClellan. “These grants will help these states integrate their varied long-term support programs into a single, coordinated system that will make it easier for families to get the most effective care for their loved ones, usually right in their own communities.”

Currently, a broad range of programs and services ranging from home-and-community based care to institutional support are available to assist older adults and individuals with disabilities. These services are sponsored and supported by numerous agencies and have diverse and sometimes complex eligibility requirements. Individuals and their families who are seeking support services often have difficultly sorting through or even locating community-based services. The result may be unnecessary and costly institutionalization.

The ADRC grants are designed to give states flexibility in the development and administration of their programs. Some states may utilize a single agency as the entry point to long-term support while other states will establish centers with multiple sites that may work together to ensure uniform access to long-term care support options.

“Aging and Disability Resource Center grants offer states the opportunity to create ‘one stop’ entry points to long-term support services,” said Administrator Carbonell. “These centers can serve as visible and trusted places for information on long-term care options, to help seniors and people with disabilities get long-term care where they want it. Our goal is to make ADRCs the foundation for community-based care.”

States and territories receiving the grants referenced in today’s announcement are: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming. All together, 43 states have received the three-year grants with awards of up to $800,000.

For more information on the Aging and Disability Resource Centers Grant program, go to the AoA web site at http://www.aoa.gov, the CMS web site at www.cms.hhs.gov/newfreedom/default.asp or the Aging and Disability Resource Center Technical Assistance Exchange at www.adrc-tae.org.

Aging and Disability Resource Center Grant Program

Fiscal Year 2005Awards State Agency Total Award Alabama Alabama Department of Senior Services $800,000 Arizona Arizona Department of Economic Security $750,000 Colorado Colorado Department of Human Services $800,000 District of Columbia DC Department of Health, Medical Assistance Administration $629,507

Guam Guam Department of Integrated Services for Individuals with Disabilities $800,000 Hawaii Hawaii State Executive Office on Aging $800,000 Idaho Idaho Department of Health & Welfare, Division of Medicaid $800,000 Kansas Kansas Department on Aging $800,000 Kentucky Kentucky Cabinet for Health & Family Services $800,000 Michigan Michigan Department of Community Health $800,000 Mississippi Mississippi Department of Human Services, Division of Aging $750,000 Nevada Nevada State Department of Health and Human Services $750,000 Ohio Ohio Department on Aging $800,000 Tennessee Tennessee Commission on Aging & Disability $800,000 Texas Texas Department of Aging & Disability Services $800,000 Vermont Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living $800,000 Virginia Virginia Department for the Aging $756,670 Washington Washington Department of Social & Health Services, Aging and Disability $800,000 Wyoming University of Wyoming Institute for Disabilities Services $800,000 TOTAL $14,836,177