PowerPoint Presentations from Symposium Sessions

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• A-1 Aging & Disability I&R/As: National Initiatives, Trends, and Resources
• A-2 Mental Health and Aging: Addressing the Emerging Challenge
• A-3 Health Literacy: Implications for I&R/A Support to Consumer Decision Making
• A-4 The Role of Options Counseling in Balancing the Long Term Care System
• A-5 Statewide Implementation of Single Point of Entry Systems: How Partnerships Can Get You There
• A-6 Disability Rights: A Guide to Laws and Resources
• A-7 What's Different About Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Aging?
• A-8 Livable Communities: Promoting Choice and Independence
• A-9 Aging and Disability Resource Centers: "No Wrong Door" to Person-Centered Information, Assistance and Access
• A-10 Developing Web-Based Worker Registries: Choices and Challenges
• A-11 Florida's ADRC Experience: Pilot Sites and Diverse Populations
• A-12 Using Technology to Provide Consumer-Focused I&R/A Services
• A-13 Taking it Statewide: Looking Ahead at Expanding ADRCs
• Aging Luncheon Presentation

This session will provide an overview of federal initiatives and national trends impacting the aging & disability I&R/A service delivery system. Representatives from the U.S. Administration on Aging, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, and the National Association of State Units on Aging will discuss new outreach and promotional activities for the Eldercare Locator; Choices for Independence including the Long Term Care Campaign, Aging & Disability Resource Centers, and evidenced-base health promotion programs; and other trends and their implication for aging I&R/As. Training and technical assistance resources available from the National Aging I&R Support Center to enhance the quality of service delivery and foster professionalism of aging & disability I&R/As will be examined.

It is estimated that as many as 17 percent of older adults are affected by alcohol and/or prescription drug misuse, and 20 percent experience mental disorders that are not a normal part of aging. The 2006 Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act included new responsibilities for identifying, screening and de-stigmatizing mental health issues among the older population. In addition, many Aging & Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) are serving persons with mental health issues. To address this emerging challenge, the session will examine the federal, state and local infrastructure and financing related to the range of mental health programs; key national professional and advocacy organizations representing interests of the mental health community; current trends and challenges in the provision of services; and resources for linking consumers to needed services.

Millions of older adults lack the needed literacy skills to effectively use the health care system. According to recent findings, most adults have only an intermediate understanding of information associated with a broad range of health-related tasks including taking prescription drugs, reading insurance information, navigating health care systems, relating to clinicians for treatment and management of chronic conditions, and implementing home modifications for safety. It is important that professionals are aware of health literacy tools available to help communicate more effectively with older consumers on issues including long term care, Medicare and prevention programs. This session will examine common health literacy challenges, outline basic health literacy concepts, and showcase practical applications and resources designed to improve knowledge, communication, navigation and advocacy.

Long term care options counseling, a required component of an Aging & Disability Resource Center, is intended to support informed long term care decision-making by assisting individuals and families understand their strengths, needs, preferences, and unique situations and translate this knowledge into possible support strategies, plans and tactics. This session will differentiate options counseling from long term care education and futures planning and will highlight the important role of options counseling in efforts to "balance" or redesign the long term care system. The Wisconsin Bureau of Aging and Disability will demonstrate a practical application in training staff to provide options counseling.

A successful Single Point of Entry System relies heavily on close partnerships and collaborations among a variety of entities. This session will examine New York State's experience in developing a statewide Single Point of Entry System for older persons and adults and children with disabilities. Presenters will discuss lessons learned and strategies to support implementation including critical state government collaborations, state and local partnerships, and changes at the policy and practice levels. Attention will be paid to the establishment of mechanisms to ensure participation by and engagement of stakeholders, providers and consumers. Discussions will center on county Long Term Care Councils, charged with the responsibility of analyzing community needs and service gaps, identifying entry points into the long term care system, and making recommendations to rebalance services. This session will address ways to make the case for state funding, ensure statewide continuity and local flexibility, and engage stakeholders.

As the aging service delivery system continues to evolve relationships with the disability community and/or provide services to individuals with disabilities, a through knowledge of disability laws and rights is essential. This session will provide participants with a general understanding of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal/state disability rights laws and the resources associated with them. This interactive session will provide participants with opportunities to ask questions and participate in sample case reviews.

Whether you know it or not, GLBT elders are probably part of your client census. This session will examine issues of GLBT aging, review current research, increase awareness about the diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities among older persons, and identify actions to make service delivery more GLBT culturally competent. Participants will be able to identify the needs and concerns of older GLBT people requesting information about health and social services, identify barriers to optimal care, communicate more effectively, and make appropriate referrals.

By 2030 one out of five Americans will be an older adult. The vast majority of Americans want to age in their own homes and communities. To address this challenge, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs is leading the statewide initiative Communities for a Lifetime to assist cities, towns and counties in planning and implementing improvements benefiting the lives of residents of all ages. The Department will provide an overview of the initiative, a review of progress to date, and plans for next steps. Representatives from an Area Agency on Aging and a municipality actively involved in the initiative will discuss their efforts in addressing improvements in housing, health care, transportation, accessibility, business partnerships, community education, efficient use of natural resources, and volunteer opportunities to enhance the ability of residents to age in place.

Today's consumers of aging and disability services face an array of service options and multiple entry points to systems of support for independent living in the community. This session will examine how two states have utilized the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRCs) demonstrations to simplify access while retaining entry options. Minnesota and North Carolina will examine their "no wrong door" approaches to making ADRC services and assistance available to seniors and persons with disabilities with a focus on education, training, and communications. Presenters will highlight the planning processes, strategies, partnerships, and opportunities and challenges of creating effective networks for access.

The increasing demand for consumer-directed home and community based services is driving the need for development of worker registries to locate independent and agency-affiliated service providers. South Carolina and Washington State have recently undertaken initiatives to create web-based worker registries designed to address this demand. These states will discuss the benefits and challenges of creating web-based worker registries, including issues such as procedures, disclaimers, marketing, inclusion and exclusion criteria, staff time, sustainability and consumer choice.

This session will provide an overview of Florida's Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) initiative as it has developed in three pilot sites across the state. Each ADRC has faced unique challenges in designing a service delivery model to accommodate variations in the infrastructure and population profiles in its respective geographic area. Presenters will discuss the ADRC development challenges and the evolving strategies employed to achieve success. The ADRCs will share their experiences with identifying and establishing partnerships to serve diverse ethnic/cultural groups and lifestyle population segments and in coordinating service delivery with other consumer assistance programs.

The Customer Relation Management philosophy requires that organizations collect and use the right information at the right time to assist the customer. This philosophy is true for today's I&R/A providers as they compete with the for-profit sector to deliver services to increasing numbers of consumers with limited public funds. This session will focus on Minnesota's experience in creating a statewide virtual call center that provides high quality, low cost consumer focused services that build on Internet basics such as electronic messaging technology, live chat, and email. The marketing strategies employed to enhance the credibility and visibility of the Minnesota Linkage Lines in order to expand I&R/A service delivery will also be explored. A demonstration of the technology will be provided.

Forty-three states and/or territories have received demonstration grants from the Administration on Aging to develop Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) and several are now considering statewide expansion. The Florida Department of Elder Affairs will highlight its state legislation requiring ADRCs statewide, discuss the design and implementation of the three pilot ADRCs, and highlight strategies employed by Area Agencies on Aging to prepare for the statewide rollout. The Lewin Group will provide an overview of ADRC development nationwide and discuss key challenges/opportunities related to expansion, including funding, model-types, implementation strategies, and organizational readiness. Discussion will also focus on a new web-based self-assessment tool to assist organizations to determine readiness to become ADRCs.

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