If an older parent, a spouse or a person with a disability needs help at home, in assisted living or in a nursing home, the Aging and Disability Resource Center is usually the first door to go through. This page explains what the center does, who can use it, what happens when you call, and how our firm works alongside it.
What the Aging and Disability Resource Center is
Florida law makes the Aging and Disability Resource Center, often shortened to ADRC, the single point of entry for long-term care services and supports (Florida Statutes section 430.2053). In the Tampa Bay area the center is operated by the local Area Agency on Aging, under the Florida Department of Elder Affairs.
The center runs on a “no wrong door” rule. Whatever program you first ask about, the center must screen you for every program you might qualify for. You do not need to know the name of the right program before you call.
There is no financial test to use the center, and its services are free.
Who can use it
- Adults 60 and older
- People with disabilities, of any age
- Family members and caregivers of someone who needs help
What happens when you call
- You call or visit. A trained staff member takes your call.
- They listen. The staff member learns about the situation: health, daily needs, who is helping now, and where the person lives.
- They screen. The staff member checks which programs the person may qualify for.
- They connect. The center helps you apply, or refers you to the office that handles the program.
- They follow up. The center checks back to make sure help arrived.
Programs the center screens for
Long-term care at home or in a facility
- Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care, the Medicaid program that pays for care at home, in assisted living or in a nursing home (Florida Statutes section 409.978). It requires the CARES assessment described below.
- Home Care for the Elderly, state-funded help for a family caring for an older adult at home (Florida Statutes sections 430.601 through 430.606).
- Community Care for the Elderly, state-funded community services for frail older adults (Florida Statutes sections 430.201 through 430.207).
- The Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative, dementia-specific services and caregiver respite (Florida Statutes sections 430.501 through 430.504).
- Older Americans Act services, including home-delivered meals, transportation and supportive services, and the National Family Caregiver Support Program for the people doing the caring.
Health coverage and daily living
- Medicaid, and the Medicare Savings Programs that help pay Medicare premiums
- SHINE, free Medicare counseling
- SNAP food assistance
- Meals on Wheels and other home-delivered meals
- Transportation to appointments
- In-home services and respite for caregivers
The CARES assessment, and what it does and does not decide
To receive Medicaid long-term care in Florida, a person must meet two separate tests.
The first is a functional test: does the person need a nursing facility level of care? The state answers that question through the CARES assessment (Comprehensive Assessment and Review for Long-Term Care Services, Florida Statutes section 409.985). The assessment is requested through the Aging and Disability Resource Center. A nurse or assessor reviews the person’s medical records and daily needs and issues a level-of-care decision.
The second is a financial test: income and assets. That decision is made separately by the Florida Department of Children and Families, not by the center and not by CARES. A favorable CARES decision establishes functional eligibility only. It is not Medicaid approval.
Families often mix these up. Our Medicaid Planning page explains the financial test and the figures that apply this year: Medicaid Planning.
Waiting lists
Several of these programs are funded for a fixed number of people. When the program is full, the center places the applicant on a waiting list ranked by a priority score that reflects need and the risk of nursing home placement. A waiting list position is not a denial, but it can mean a wait of months. Keeping the center informed when a person’s condition changes can move the position, and the firm tracks the position as part of its work.
How we help
We work at the “assistance” level with the center, which means we do more than hand you a telephone number.
- We screen you for the programs you may qualify for before the call, so nothing is missed.
- We make the referral to the center and request the CARES assessment when one is needed.
- We help gather the medical and financial records the assessment and the applications require.
- We track each application and the waiting list position, and we respond when a slot opens.
- We fit the center’s programs into the rest of the legal plan: Medicaid planning, powers of attorney, guardianship where needed.
Our attorney, Jack M. Rosenkranz, Florida Bar No. 815152, has practiced elder law for over 30 years and is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and the Florida Bar Elder Law Section.
What to have ready when you call the center
- Photo identification
- Social Security number
- Proof of income, such as the Social Security award letter or a pension statement
- Medicare and Medicaid cards, if any
- A list of current medications
- Recent medical and utility bills
How to reach the center
Statewide Elder Helpline: 1-800-963-5337
Hillsborough County: Senior Connection Center, the Area Agency on Aging for Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Highlands and Hardee counties. Elder Helpline 1-800-963-5337. 8928 Brittany Way, Tampa, Florida 33619. seniorconnectioncenter.org. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pinellas County: Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas, the resource center for Pasco and Pinellas counties. Helpline 1-800-963-5337, or 727-217-8111 from outside the area. 9549 Koger Boulevard North, Suite 100, St. Petersburg, Florida 33702. agingcarefl.org. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Talk with us first
If a Medicaid application, a guardianship or an estate plan may be part of the picture, call us before the center’s screening so the pieces fit together.
Rosenkranz Law Firm, P.A.
412 East Madison Street, Suite 900, Tampa, Florida 33602
Mailing address: Post Office Box 1999, Tampa, Florida 33601-1999
Telephone 813-223-4195 (Tampa) and 727-895-6500 (Pinellas). House calls are available.
Related pages: How To Pay For Elder Care · Medicaid Applications · Caregiver Legal Advice · Guardianship · Record Keeping