ALLIANCE FOR AGING INC

This program provides community-based and in-home services to assist functionally impaired elders to live in the least restrictive, cost-effective environment suitable to their needs. The core services most often provided in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties to frail consumers under the CCE program are case management services, personal care, adult daycare, homemaker services, chores, respite, specialized medical equipment & supplies, home-delivered meals, and emergency alert response.

The Alliance is the home of the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), a single point of access to information and referrals on benefits, programs, and services for older adults, adults with developmental disabilities, and their caregivers. In 2021, the ADRC provided telephone consultations to over 110,000 callers, including elders, caregivers, and family members. The ADRC utilizes a locally-focused, coordinated approach to integrating information and referrals for all available services for elders, adults with disabilities, and their caregivers, including eligibility determination for State and federally funded long-term care services.

This free program is offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Alliance for Aging. Specially trained volunteers in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties assist elders 60 and older with their Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance questions by providing one-on-one counseling and information. SHINE services are free, unbiased, and confidential. The population served under this program includes older adults over 60 years of age living in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.

The Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative (ADI) provides services to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and similar memory disorders and their families. Supportive services include counseling, consumable medical supplies, caregiver training, and respite for caregivers. Services are authorized by a case manager based on a comprehensive assessment and unmet needs identified during that assessment. The population served under this program includes older adults over 60 years of age living in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.

Funded by the Veterans Administration, this program allows veterans with service-related disabilities to live more independently in their communities and avoid costly nursing home placement by recruiting and hiring their own caregivers. Under this program, each qualifying Veteran is assessed to determine the level of custodial care he/she needs to maintain his/her activities of daily life. Based on the score of this assessment, a monthly budget is assigned. This budget is a fraction of what it would cost to provide services in a nursing home and costs less than traditional elder assistance programs. Once assigned a budget, the Veteran is ready to direct his/her own care. The population served under this program includes older adults over 60 years of age living in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.

The Diabetes Self-Management Education and the Chronic Disease Self Management Education programs are both workshops to help older adults manage their chronic disease symptoms and/or blood glucose (sugar) better, adopt healthy habits and prevention strategies, and, better manage their day-to-day activities. Both programs are intended for adults 60 and older, either living with or at risk of having multiple chronic conditions or living with or at risk of having Type 2 Diabetes, in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. These workshops are offered separately in both English and Spanish.

The Alliance for Aging provides caregiver support services to caregivers and interested individuals. The evidence-based Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives (PEARLS), which aims to improve the quality of life for older adults and their caregivers, was developed at the University of Washington. The program is home-based and consists of eight 60-minute sessions with a PEARLS-trained counselor over a six-month period. The one-on-one sessions are provided either by phone or via zoom, these evidence-based programs have been proven to empower older adults to take control of their mental and physical health. Workshops are offered in English, Spanish, and Creole throughout the year.

The Alliance designed the Hospital to Home (H2H) program to connect patients directly with supportive services immediately following discharge, which eliminates several steps to accessing services, and can eliminate the need for a transition coach, which can be expensive and in short supply. The direct connection allows for a faster transition from hospital to home with the appropriate services and faster recovery. The program is available to discharged patients over the age of 60, who are not current clients, not in a Medicare Advantage plan, and not in a Medicaid-Managed Long-Term Care waiver (MMLTC) program to avoid duplication of services. Under this program, services such as case management, shopping assistance, personal care, chores, home-delivered meals, and transportation are provided by lead agencies for up to 60-90 days to help in the patient’s recovery and prevent unnecessary readmissions.