The DSHS Aging and Disability Services Administration will convene a planning and policy committee to help create a five year plan and budget for Aging and Disability Resource Center statewide development and sustainability. In the first year of funding, ADSA is expanding the program to two Area Agencies on Aging in Eastern Washington. Currently the state’s only Aging and Disability Resource Center is in Pierce County.

The U.S. Administration on Aging awarded ADSA the funding for the first year of a three year grant to enhance its Aging and Disability Resource Center program. The Aging and Disability Resource Center initiative is a collaborative effort of the AoA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Additional grant funding, up to a maximum total of $750,000 over the three year grant period, is dependent on availability and the state's progress toward Aging and Disability Resource Center expansion.

"These funds will enable us to continue strengthening local and state partnerships in helping citizens link to the right resources at the right time," said Kathy Leitch, DSHS assistant secretary of Aging and Disability Services Administration. "Aging and Disability Resource Centers provide a valuable service by offering free long-term care information, referral and assistance to resources including services to assist family caregivers continue providing care, meals, housing, assistive technology, personal care, and transportation."

Aging and Disability Resource Centers make it easier for people of all ages and economic circumstances learn about and access the full array of long-term care options. They do this by providing objective and professional-level information and assistance to individuals needing either public or private resources, professionals seeking assistance on behalf of their clients, and individuals planning for their future long-term care needs.

For more information about long-term care services, please visit the ADSA Web site at http://www.adsa.dshs.wa.gov/.

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DSHS does not discriminate and provides equal access to its programs and services for all persons without regard to race, color, gender, religion, creed, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, age, veteran's status or the presence of any physical, sensory or mental disability.