The Detroit Area Agency on Aging provides an array of services through its local Aging Network. Services administered directly and/or through satellite sites include the following:
Project CHOICE – Care Management Services
The Detroit Area Agency on Aging’s Care Management Program helps families find, mobilize and coordinate a variety of home-care and other services needed by frail, homebound elderly persons age 60 years and older at ‘high risk’ of entering a nursing home. The goal of this program is to help the frail seniors remain independent by helping them arrange for formal and informal services in order to prevent their premature admission to a nursing home or other institution.
Detroit MI Choice – Medicaid Waiver
This Medicaid Home and Community-Based Waiver Program makes home and community services available to individuals 18 years and over if they are Medicaid-eligible. An assessor helps participants obtain needed services with the support of a care-management team consisting of a social worker and nurse. Services may include in-home support, adult day care, durable medical equipment and other services.
Detroit Meals on Wheels
Detroit Meals on Wheels is a public and private partnership that uses volunteers and voluntary contributions to make holiday, weekend and breakfast meals available to homebound elders. These nutritious meals supplement daily meals provided to homebound seniors through the Meals-At-Home program or other family and community efforts. For more information, see Detroit Meals on Wheels.
COMMUNITY SERVICES
Besides Information & Assistance, the following services are special projects
handled through DAAA’s Community Access & Development Department:
Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP) – Counseling and advocacy related to Medicare and Medicaid is available through a network of trained, community volunteers.
Housing Planning & Assistance – DAAA’s CIRA unit has staff specialized in making referrals for senior housing related assistance. The Agency’s Senior Housing Committee held public forums to get community input on senior housing issues and prepared a “Senior Housing Report: A Look at Housing Issues Impacting the Elderly of PSA 1-A, March 2003”.
Refugee Assistance Project – The special project seeks to provide service information to elderly refugees and their families. Targeted groups include the Hmong and older persons from Iraqi, Bosnian and Kosivar communities. The Project also seeks to sensitize the local aging network to cultures of these refugee groups.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren – This collaborative effort seeks to honor and assist grandparents raising grandchildren. The Project promotes the availability of support services and advocates for issues surrounding grandparents’ rights.
Faith-based Initiatives – This Project seeks to develop and implement a range of interfaith caregiver support services which build networks, train volunteers and/or caregivers, coordinate counseling, alleviate suffering and enrich the lives of those who give care to the frail elderly or disabled in a home setting.