The West Central Florida Area Agency on Aging, Inc. has been designated by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs as an Aging Resource Center (ARC) covering Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Highlands and Hardee Counties in Florida.
An overarching goal of an ARC is to provide easier access to long-term care services to Florida's elders and their families.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS AN AGING RESOURCE CENTER (ARC)?
An administrative entity accessible through multiply entry points that provides information and referral services and “no wrong door” access to economic and long-term care services for all elders and their families, regardless of ability to pay.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN FUNCTIONS OF AN ARC?
Primary functions are: Information and Referral; Financial and functional eligibility determination; Triaging; and budget authorization. Other services such as health and wellness, employment initiatives, food stamps, and Medicaid will also be accessible through the Center.
DO ALL PERSONS HAVE TO GO TO A SINGLE LOCATION TO RECEIVE SERVICES OR INFORMATION?
No. The ARC will be accessible through a number of local providers, including senior centers, lead agencies, health care providers, and other community agencies. Additionally, citizens will be able to access ARC services by phone or through the Internet. ARC affiliated agencies and organizations that are normally an elder’s first point of contact will be trained in a unified computer-based web-accessible protocol for initial screening and information and referral.
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF AN ARC?
To provide elders and their families with customer-friendly access to services, seamlessly and efficiently, by minimizing service fragmentation, reducing duplication of administrative paperwork and procedures, enhancing individual choice, supporting informed decision-making, and increasing the cost effectiveness of long-term care support and delivery systems.
HOW IS THIS MORE ELDER FRIENDLY?
It will be a seamless one-stop shop. Elders will be able to receive consistent and uniform information and referral and service access regardless of where they first enter the system. They will receive follow up to ensure that the information and service met their needs. They will have more options and choices from self-directed information and referral searches to face-to-face assessments and from private pay and faith-based service providers to Medicaid and state funded programs. Duplication of application and eligibility processes will be reduced.
HOW IS THIS ANY DIFFERENT?
The ARC will be a “one-stop” for all elder services. It is anticipated that approximately 80% of questions and service needs will be handled through individualized, self directed or personally assisted information and referral to community, faith-based, charitable, for profit and public non long-term care programs. Others needing more intensive assistance or services that require eligibility determination will have a streamlined, simplified system to obtain these services. Elders will be able to receive a single financial eligibility determination for all services including Medicaid, food stamps and Supplemental Security Income.
HOW IS THIS MORE EFFICIENT?
The ARC will screen all individuals entering long-term care, whether, through a community agency, a heath care provider, or a nursing home for eligibility and appropriateness of home and community based services. Currently, only customers entering through some community agencies are screened. Increased screening will ensure optimal targeting, therefore reducing long-term care nursing home use. Having all elders access services through this system will result in more nursing home diversions and provides a means to receive services for those who choose to and can afford to pay for services. Since, all customers access the service network through the same referral system, there is not a “wrong door”.