Aging and Disability Resource Centers
The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) initiative, a collaborative effort of the U.S. Administration for Community Living, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,
and the Veterans Health Administration, is designed to streamline access to long-term care. Launched in 2003, the ADRC initiative supports state efforts in better coordinating
and integrating their existing access functions to create a new interface between consumers and the long term care system. States developed local community centers that make
it easier for older adults and individuals with disabilities to learn about and quickly access the long term services and supports that best meet their needs.
ADRC programs provide information and assistance to individuals needing either public or private resources, professionals seeking assistance on behalf of their clients,
and individuals planning for their future long-term care needs. ADRC programs also serve as the entry point to publicly administered long term supports including those
funded under Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, and state revenue programs.
ADRCs support consumer-friendly entry points into long-term care at the community level. The ADRC vision grew out of best practice innovations known as “No Wrong Door” (NWD)
and “Single Points of Entry” programs, where people of all ages could turn for objective information and one-on-one assistance on their options. This effort help states
make better use of taxpayer dollars by streamlining access to community services and supports (both publicly and privately funded) and diverting individuals from more
costly forms of care, including institutional care and unnecessary hospital re-admissions. These systems are a key component in transforming states’ access systems to
long-term services and support programs.
