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AAA9 Title III & State Block Grant Application

Looking for Direction on Aging Issues?

Everyone has the right to receive the care they need in the settings they prefer. The Area Agency on Aging assists nine East Central Ohio counties understand their options for care and ensures your rights as a consumer are not infringed. Most older people remain independent their entire lives, but others find themselves needing some help with activities we once took for granted, such as fixing meals and traveling to appointments.

There comes a time when we need a level of care that we just can't provide for ourselves. We offer many different options in a variety of settings, from linking you to care in your home to assisting you in nursing facility placement. Select the Programs Link for more information or make a Referral click on the image below.

Long-term care “Conversation Checklist” for Families and Seniors

The Area Agency on Aging Region 9 (AAA9) has received the 2010 editions of many popular aging publications and is making them available to the public free-of-charge.  They will be distributed on a first come first serve basis, upon request.  To request any of these publications call toll free, (800) 945-4250 or locally, (740) 439-2294.

Among the new publications available this year are a Medication Management Wall Calendar, the 2010 Aging Resource Guide for Older Adults and Caregivers as well as brochures, flyers, and applications pertaining to PASSPORT, Home First, and Caregiving.  Applications for prescription drug assistance for low-income seniors, telephone premium assistance, and HEAP applications are also available.    

“We have information related to any aging or caregiving subject,” explained AAA9 Executive Director Alan Burnett.  “If we don’t have it, we’ll find the information for you free-of-charge.”   We also have a very extensive lending library that has the most current books, videos, and manuals,” Burnett added.  “We pride ourselves in being the area’s leading source of information about aging and caregiving.  And, our information is free.  If there’s a subject your interested in just call one of our information and assistance screeners and they’ll prepare a packet of information on the subject and mail it to you; Alzheimers disease, prescription drug assistance and Medicare Part D, wills, guardianships, we’ll find it for you,” Burnett concluded.

All publications and information is available to the public free of charge, but supplies are limited.  To receive any of the publications listed or to find out information about a specific Aging topic, call AAA9 at (800) 945-4250 or (740) 439-2294 or stop by their facility at 60788 Southgate Road in Byesville, Ohio.

(105 Area Seniors Expected to be enrolled immediately.)

The Area Agency on Aging Region 9 (AAA9) received news from Governor Strickland on Tuesday that he has called for the elimination of the waiting list for the PASSPORT (Pre-Admission Screening System Providing Options and Resources Today) In-Home Care for Seniors Program and Assisted Living Waiver Program that AAA9 administers.  Eliminating the waiting list will mean that 105 frail East Central Ohio seniors can expect to get services such as help with bathing, dressing and home-delivered meals through the PASSPORT Program sooner than expected instead of continuing on a waiting list for up to several months.  The Controlling Board has approved the funds and PASSPORT can begin enrollment immediately.

“We should do our best to support older Ohioan who prefer to live independently in their own homes, but need assistance along the way,” Governor Strickland said. “We have identified existing funds that will allow us to assist all seniors eligible for home and community-based care without a wait.”  The longer these frail seniors who want to stay in their own homes sit on a waiting list, the more likely these seniors are to be at risk of going into a nursing home.  Instead of these seniors going to a nursing home and having tax-payers pay $60,000 a year for them to be there, each of these seniors prefer to get the same kind of services in their own homes through the PASSPORT Program at a cost to tax-payers that is only 1/3 of the cost of a nursing home.

Statewide nearly 600 people who need and are eligible for home and community-based services are currently on a waiting list for these services.  Many more had been on waiting lists for more than a month waiting for help before they were able to be enrolled.  The Department of Aging implemented waiting lists for these services in order to balance their budget for fiscal years 2010-2011. 

In addition to helping older adults remain in their own homes, AAA9 and the PASSPORT program provides jobs to the area.  Locally, AAA9 directly employees 72 people and numerous more indirectly through our providers and service network; statewide PASSPORT employs nearly 30,000 people.  To accommodate the over-night influx of consumers, AAA9 will probably need to hire a few registered nurse or social worker case manager positions and anticipates the provider network will require more staff as well.

“Not only is this good news for Ohio Seniors, this is good news for our local economy as well,” explained AAA9 CEO Alan Burnett.  “AAA9 contributes nearly $25 million a year into the local economy through wages and services provided through PASSPORT and other programs.  Opening PASSPORT enrollment will allow us to continue to grow, meeting a tremendous need in our area.  We are truly thankful to Governor Strickland for eliminating the waiting lists and providing the funding needed to lift managed enrollment,” Burnett concluded.   

Anyone interested in making a PASSPORT referral or scheduling a free in-home assessment for themselves or a loved one should contact AAA9 toll-free at (800) 945-4250 or locally at 740-439-2294. 

Still have questions ? Call Now 1-800-945-4250