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HISTORY OF THE AGENCY ON AGING
Incorporated in 1974, the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut (AASCC) was the first established agency on aging in the state of Connecticut. It now acts in partnership with four other regional agencies on aging to serve the needs of older adults and individuals with disabilities throughout the state.
PURPOSE
The Older Americans Act intends that the Area Agencies on Aging shall serve a wide range of functions related to advocacy, planning, coordination, inter-agency linkages, information sharing, brokering, monitoring and evaluation, designed to lead to the development or enhancement of comprehensive and coordinated community based systems in or serving each community in the planning and service area.
MISSION
The Mission of the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut is to empower adults to remain as independent and engaged as possible within their communities through advocacy, information and services. "
Program Overview
ASCC programs include the following:
Programs that assist individuals in the community
- Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) provides a wide range of supportive services to help eligible seniors, temporarily disabled individuals, and persons with disabilities live independently at home.
- Connecticut Healthcare Program for the Disabled (CHCPD), following the CHCPE model, CHCPD provides case management and payment for services for individuals 18-64 who have a diagnosis of a degenerative neurological condition (such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s or Lou Gehrig’s disease) and have limitations that affect activities of daily living.
- Money Follows the Person Program/Transition Coordination assists eligible individuals residing in nursing homes to return to community living with appropriate support.
- Veteran’s Directed Home and Community Based Program provides Veterans of all ages the opportunity to receive home and community based services in a consumer-directed fashion that enables them to avoid nursing home placement and continue to live in their homes and communities.
- National Family Caregiver Support Program provides information, training and assistance to help family members care for their loved ones.
- Statewide Respite offers caregivers an assessment of services needed, development of a care plan and financial assistance for purchase of home and community based services for their loved ones with dementia.
Programs that provide information and referrals:
- Community Choices/Aging and Disability Resource Center provides comprehensive information on the wide range of available private and public long term care options, programs and services. Also conducts assessment of individuals’ long-term care needs.
- Home Share Match seeks to match those in search of affordable housing with home providers in need of extra income or service.
- CHOICES is Connecticut’s program for Health insurance assistance, Outreach, Information and referral, Counseling, Eligibility Screening.
- Home Delivered Meal Assessment for individuals seeking home delivered meals funded through Title III of the Older Americans Act.
- Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) addresses issues of health care fraud, errors, abuse and other related health care scams.
Programs that provide volunteer opportunities and employment counseling and placement
- Senior Service Corp, a federal initiative that includes the following programs for individuals 55 and over:
- Foster Grandparents Program, stipend positions in which eligible individuals age are assigned to work with children in need
- Senior Companions Program, stipend positions in which eligible individuals are assigned to work with their frail peers
- RSVP, individuals offer their skills, experience and talents to local community organizations, helping to strengthen and improve their communities
- Experience Corps trains and places volunteers age 55+ (some stipended) in schools for 12-20 hours a week as tutors for students in grades K-3
- Opportunities for Older Adults provides stipend and paid positions in which eligible individuals are assigned to work with older adults with developmental disabilities
- Employment Matching screens and places older adults in paid employment
- Senior Community Service Employment offers older adults subsidized employment
Program that award grants to community organizations
- Older Americans Act grants oversight, under which AASCC grants staff are charged with evaluating applications for and monitoring ongoing use of Older Americans Act funds that support in-home and community services (targeted toward persons age 60 and older who reside in the south central region of Connecticut)
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