Since 2003, the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have made a series of grants to states to develop Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs). The ADRC program's purpose is to help people of all ages, disabilities, and income levels more easily access long-term services and supports through single points of entry, make more efficient use of care options, and maximize the services available. Almost $111 million in joint AoA-CMS funding has been devoted to the ADRC initiative since its inception in fiscal year 2003. As of October 2010, 325 ADRC sites are in operation in 45 states and territories. Wide variation among ADRCs exists, and the AoA is calling for more standardization. This publication provides background on the evolution of ADRCs, their functions and implementation, grants to states, and state and federal evaluation efforts. It also points to selected issues in continuing ADRC implementation.

The purpose of this Five‐Year Plan is to provide guidance on recommended actions for moving toward the expansion of aging and disability resource centers (ADRC) services to at least one disability population in the remaining Planning and Service Areas (PSAs). The addition of the disability component to current Aging Resource Centers (ARCs) throughout Florida will move the state’s home‐and community‐based service system another step closer to facilitating access for all populations seeking long‐term care information, supports and options.

This thesis reports on the perspectives and experiences of policymakers, advocates, agency supervisors, and experts in the field of gerontology, about the development of Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC) programs and Options Counseling (OC). By examining the foundations upon which ADRCs and OC are built, this study sought to inform future research about the effectiveness of existing practice, increase understanding of best practices, and clarify whether these emerging services are accomplishing original goals. ADRCs and OC intend to address long-term care issues and healthcare needs by providing a single entry point to the social service system. ADRCs offer information, assistance, and OC to people of all ages, incomes, and disabilities, and promote long-term care options that honor independence and respect for the needs and preferences of individuals, their families, and caregivers. They are the latest iteration of policymakers' efforts to provide affordable home-and community-based care for older persons and their caregivers. A total of fifteen qualitative interviews were conducted and analyzed using grounded theory methods. Key persons interviewed included experts in the area of aging, aging policy, and aging. Participants were recruited through referrals suggested by Portland State University's (PSU) Institute on Aging (IOA) staff. In addition, several key experts known to the researcher through affiliation with PSU's IOA agreed to be interviewed. Snowball sampling was then used to locate additional key experts. Interview participants were classified as advocates, state decision makers, policy makers, or academicians. Advocates included national and state directors of agencies that promote the development and management of effective services to aging adults. State decision makers included state directors, ADRC directors and supervisors, and program analysts. Policy makers interviewed were national program directors responsible for shaping the future of developing programs to assist older adults. Academicians who participated in the study have been instrumental in developing and researching practices that promote well-being for the aging and the aged. These key experts were selected based on their knowledge and ability to inform the strengths, weakness, and development of ADRCs and Options Counseling. Many have been instrumental in health and aging policy and service development and research, and possess insider knowledge not available to the general public regarding attitudes and interests motivating the actors. Findings indicate that ADRCs and OC are designed to manage within existing social service systems. They can benefit some individuals by providing more options and support in accessing public and private services. It remains to be seen whether they have the capacity to ameliorate some existing system-level problems. Findings highlight program strengths and weaknesses, sustainability issues, and policymakers, state decision makers', and providers' commitment to sustaining ADRCs and OC.