DEPARTMENT ON AGING
Freeholder Liaison: Blanquita
Valenti
Executive Director: Margaret
Chester
Department E-mail: answersonaging@co.middlesex.nj.us
County of Middlesex
Middlesex County Administration Building
John F. Kennedy Square - 5th Floor
New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901
Phone ( 732 ) 745 - 3295
Fax ( 732 ) 246 - 5641
Department
Services:
The Department on
Aging has the responsibility to administer federal funds and contracts
approved by the State under an Area Plan. Funds are then granted to
local providers for support services in: legal assistance, adult day
care, telephone reassurance, outreach, transportation & assisted
transportation, congregate nutrition, home delivered meals, nutrition
education & counseling, language translation, friendly visiting,
visiting nurse, homemaker home health, care management, residential
maintenance, senior center support, information & assistance, caregiver
education, caregiver support, adult protective services, physical health
and mental health.
The office conducts
an Annual Service Needs Survey of Older Adults. Approximately 1,200
seniors respond to the survey in which they are asked the type of services
they use and what they might need in the future.
The Department on Aging
also directly provides information and assistance, medicare insurance
counseling, care management for specific programs, congregate and home
delivered meals.
Specific programs operated within the Department include:
Ensuring Seniors Get Counted in the 2010 Census
The U.S. Constitution requires a national census once every 10 years. The County Department on Aging has become an official 2010 Census "It's In Our Hands" partner with the U.S. Census Bureau to support a full and complete count for the senior residents living in Middlesex County.
This partnership program combines the strengths of local governments, community based organizations, faith based organizations, schools, media, businesses and others to ensure a complete and accurate 2010 Census,
Every year more than $300 billion in federal funds is awarded to states and communities based on census data. Census data guides local decision makers in important community planning efforts, including where to build senior housing, schools, hospitals, roads, child care and community centers and much more.
Community planners and governments rely on census data to determine where there is the most need for additional social services and who gets needed funding, such as community development block grants and Older Americans Act funds.
The number of members New Jersey has representing us in Congress is also determined by the census.
The 2010 Census questionnaire asks only a few simple questions of each person, name, relationship, gender, age and date of birth, race and whether the respondent owns or rents his/her own home. This simple, short questionnaire will take only a few minutes to complete and return by mail. However, the results of the census will have an important and long term -10 year impact on our county.
The County Department on Aging has been working closely with the municipal senior centers and senior network to get the word out and encourage seniors to respond to the census questionnaire. By law the Census Bureau cannot share any individual's answers with everyone inclUding welfare and immigration agencies.
You've got everything to gain and nothing to lose - so join with us and ensure you get counted!
Information
and Assistance - the direct provision of specific information
or assistance which links or enables individuals to obtain available
services, benefits or entitlements and assistance with completion of
applications for programs. Older persons who appear to have multiple
problems and require extended assistance are referred to a care manager
for more indepth assessment. The Office maintains an inventory of resource
materials for distribution to seniors, caregivers, local providers and
the general public. A Resource Directory of services and programs for
seniors is published as well as county specific booklets on housing
options and long term care settings for older adults. Upon request,
speakers are available to address various groups. Caregivers looking
for assistance should call the office and ask our senior service counselors
about available programs.
Senior Meals
Program - provides a 1/3 RDA meal and social interaction five
days per week to seniors at seven locations around the County. For frail/disabled
homebound seniors there is a home delivered meal program available for
weekday and weekend meals. A special "Ensure Seniors Are Nourished"
program provides Ensure Plus to eligible seniors who are not able to
partake in regular food diets due to certain health conditions. Locations
and hours.
Medicare Counseling - the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides FREE assistance to anyone enrolled on Medicare Health insurance who has questions or problems. Under the Office SHIP Coordinator, there are over 50 trained volunteer counselors located at local sites around the County to provide easy access for enrollees. Medicare enrollees needing assistance should ask to speak with a SHIP Counselor.
Also available free online is MEDICARE INERACTIVE (www.medicareinteractive.org) a Medicare reference guide from the Medicare Rights Center that features thousands of Medicare answers written in straightforward user-friendly language, including New Jersey specific information.
Respite Care
Program - provides respite care services to the elderly, disabled
and functionally impaired persons to allow their unpaid caregivers relief
from the stress associated with the responsibility of providing daily
care. Based upon an assessment of need, the care coordinator for the
program can arrange for the following services: companion, homemaker/home
health, medical or social adult day care, temporary care in licensed
medical facilities and private duty nursing. Eligibility requirements
are based on the client income and assets, not the caregivers. Cost
share fees are determined on a state established sliding scale basis.
JACC
- Jersey Assistance for Community
Caregiving provides a broad array of in-home
services and supports that enable an individual at risk of placement
in a
facility to remain in his/her community home. This program serves
individuals over the age of 60 who are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicaid
waiver services. The program care manager helps to strengthen the
capacity of caregivers by supplementing their efforts with a uniquely designed
package of home supports including: respite care, homemaker services,
home delivered meals, social adult day care, adult day health, transportation,
personal emergency response systems, special medical equipment, chore
services, environmental accessibility modifications and caregiver training.
A state established sliding scale cost share is required.
MCMAP
- Middlesex County Multi-Assistive
Program casts a broader safety net to assist those individuals
with slightly higher income levels than Medicaid and other state funded
programs within the Office. Services available include: prescription
assistance, home health care, medical and social day care, meals, medical
supplies and durable medical equipment. While the majority of clients
are senior citizens, many younger disabled persons also utilize the
program.
Elder Abuse
Programs - training programs are conducted in coordination with
the Adult Protective Services Unit of the Board of Social Services and
are designed to sensitize the general public, sheriff officers, law
enforcement, bankers, teachers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other
community groups how to identify neglect, abuse and financial exploitation
of the elderly.
"Kids
and Seniors - Perfect Together"- program was designed to
provide interaction
between 1st-4th grade students and older adults within the
classroom. The
N.J. Association of Area Agencies on Aging (all County Offices on Aging)
developed a teacher
curriculum that in a very easy manner introduces the image of
aging, myths about
aging, how older people should be respected and gently touches
on recognizing when
seniors are being taken advantage of or abused.
Health Promotion
- the Office conducts health awareness campaigns for seniors to
provide information and encourage older adults to participate in important
health related programs
such as flu and pneumonia shots, mammograms, pap smears,
medication management, mental health and nutrition education.
Carrier Link
- The
County Department on Aging and local senior centers will aid vulnerable
older adults in the community by enlisting the help of postal workers
who will be trained to identify certain danger signals that could indicate
assistance is needed.
A uniform county
wide identification will be issued to older residents registered on
the program to allow postal workers to identify participant homes. A
phone call from the postal office to the locally designated senior agency
will help a person obtain immediate help to avert a crisis situation
or to link them into support services in the community. A phone call to the
County Department on Aging or the municipal senior center will provide more
specifics on the program.
File of Life - A county wide initiative
coordinated by the Middlesex County Department on Aging. This new safety net
for senior citizens is being circulated throughout Middlesex County to its most
vulnerable population. Specifically targeted to the homebound senior, it is
available to all seniors residing in the county. The File of Life is a red
magnetic refrigerator pouch which holds a reference card that captures vital
health and emergency information including doctors, medications, medical
conditions and emergency contacts. This tool will assist the police and
emergency response teams who are called to the aid of a senior resident of the
county. The File of Life will be distributed by local senior centers,
meals programs and agencies that contract with the Department.
Middlesex
Rx - A prescription discount plan for all county residents with
no other prescription coverage. The program provides a discount on the
wholesale price of the drug and savings vary depending on the drugs.
The savings have average about 28% off regular prices. For more information
click on the link for Middlesex Rx.
Medication
Management - this program is available for use by county residents
with a caregiver. A FREE handheld medication reminder dispenser
is used to assist with the task of overseeing a medication schedule.
The device has programmable time settings and several reminder settings.
Caregivers must ensure the device is refilled weekly with the right
medications, in the right dose, and set to the appropriate time.
Global Options (GO) Program consolidates the programs that had previously gone by the names of CAP, CCPED and Assisted Living.
The GO long term care system is designed to offer a variety of services for individuals who meet nursing home level of care needs. A person must meet the Medicaid financial eligibility and clinical health criteria to be eligible. Age requirements are over age 65 - or disabled age 21-64 years old.
This program promotes self-direction and participation in decisions that emphasize dignity, individuality and choice for services in a home environment. Individuals can be residing in a home in the community, in an assisted living residence, or comprehensive personal care home.
The N.J. Department of Health & Senior Services works with approved provider agencies for care management services. Clients have a designated care manager to help develop individual care plans and authorize allowable services.
Depending on the needs identified, GO clients may be eligible to obtain such services as home health aide, adult day care, meals, transportation, medical supplies, personal response system, respite care, or environmental modifications.
Project Lifesaver Program uses radio technology to help locate missing persons. It is available FREE to eligible county residents who have a history of wandering due to illness or disability, (for example Autism, Alzheimer's disease). Participants wear a bracelet, equipped with a transmitter, which can aid specially trained Sheriff's Officers in locating them. A caregiver must live with participant and be able to check the bracelet battery signal daily.
