DHHS - Aging And Disability Services

The staff of Aging and Disability Services shares the Montgomery County vision, where seniors, persons with disabilities, and their families are fully participating members of our community. The mission of this service area is to affirm the dignity and value of seniors, persons with disabilities, and their families by offering a wide range of information, home and community-based support services, protections, and opportunities, which promote choice, independence, and inclusion.

Service Area Administration This program area provides leadership and direction for the administration of Aging and Disability. Community Support Network for People with Disabilities (CSN): CSN provides services that enable individuals to remain in their home or in the least restrictive environment and provides general support, guidance, and assistance to clients with developmentally disabilities and their families. This program area coordinates and monitors services and supports (including crisis management and intervention and school-to-work transition assistance) to clients with developmentally disabilities eligible to receive services through the State Developmental Disabilities Administration (Coordination of Community Services Program), provides service coordination to young people that are found eligible under the Maryland Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Autism Waiver Program) and provides financial assistance to State-funded providers who serve adults with developmental disabilities. CSN provides summer camp placements and other resources, support, and programmatic/financial assistance to families with children with developmental disabilities ages 3 to 13 years old (My Turn Program), provides supported employment for adults with developmental disabilities (Customized Employment Public Intern Program), and also conducts site visits to group homes that serve developmentally disabled clients in the County. This program area monitors contracts that provide services to people with various disabilities including visual and hearing impairments. Assessment and Continuing Case Management Services This program area provides multi-disciplinary assessments, care planning, and case management services to frail seniors and adults with disabilities to remedy and prevent abuse, neglect, self-neglect, exploitation, or inappropriate institutionalization. Services include Adult Protective Services, Adult Evaluation and Review Services (AERS), Statewide Evaluation and Planning Services, Social Services to Adults, and the Public Guardianship Program. Assisted Living Services This program area provides subsidies and case management for low-income seniors who live in group homes for the frail elderly and adult foster care homes for frail seniors and adults with disabilities. Home Care Services This program area provides personal care assistance to seniors and eligible adults with disabilities who are unable to manage independently due to physical and/or mental impairments. In-home aide services prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults, and enhance overall quality of life by providing personal care, chore assistance, therapeutic support, self-care education, and escorted transportation. Community First Choice This program area administers and operates Maryland's new Long Term Care Medicaid program, Community First Choice (CFC). CFC Supports Planners and Nurse Monitors provide a continuum of services designed to allow people of all ages and in need of long term care to live in the community, rather than in institutions. Aging and Disability Resource Unit This program area assists seniors, persons with disabilities, and their families, in defining service needs, locating required services, and facilitating the application process to access services. Ombudsman Services This program area investigates and resolves complaints made by residents, staff, and family members in nursing homes and assisted living facilities for seniors and people with disabilities. Respite Care This program area provides temporary, occasional care of frail seniors, adults and children with disabilities, and children with severe behaviors and/or medical issues to give relief to families and other primary caregivers. Senior Community Services This program area provides funds for services that help seniors to remain independent in the community including: coordinating community ?villages? to help seniors remain safe and independent in their communities, services for caregivers, legal services, representative payee services, health insurance counseling, ?visitor? services, grocery shopping, providing transportation and mobility management to evaluate and advocate for transportation resources for seniors and individuals with disabilities, subsidized employment, and socialization for seniors with visual impairments. Senior Nutrition Program This program area provides lunches to seniors at sites around the County and provides home-delivered meals, nutrition education, and physical fitness activities. It is administered in cooperation with a variety of public, private, and nonprofit organizations.