50+ Lifestyles

Care Coordination for Aging and Disability Populations

By Peggy Dykes
Community Relations Director
Milestone’s Area Agency on Aging

Milestones Area Agency on Aging is now offering expanded services to the aging and disability populations who are not currently receiving Iowa Medicaid benefits. These expanded services will help individuals requiring assistance in performing activities of daily living to live independently and safely in their home by defining their needs and helping them access services. With years of experience in providing case management, Milestones will expand their care coordination and options counselling assistance to all Iowans age 60 and older and individuals age 18 and over with a disability on a sliding scale, pay-for-service model.

Coordinating care can be challenging for people with underlying health conditions along with family caregivers who willingly take on the extra responsibilities of caring for family members or friends. Often inexperienced, busy with their own lives, caregivers perform their duties with little or no support, not enough information and little guidance as to the effectiveness of the care they are providing. “There definitely is a need for our services.” sites LifeLong Links Director Dawn Carstensen. “We are in contact with caregivers daily who want information on available services for their loved ones. We also talk to individuals with compromised health and mobility issues who have unmet needs and would like help in acquiring and coordinating in-home services.” Milestones expansion of services will offer alternatives to these situations through options counselling and/or care coordination.

Both services are person-centered with a needs assessment, development of an action plan and individual options, on-going support and advocacy. Options counseling is more short-term providing individual planning and implementation of long-term supports and services. Care coordination is
ongoing, long term coordination of home-based community services enhancing independent living. Both services are available to the aging and disability populations along with Veterans. Families and friends are supported by these efforts.

If you feel these services can benefit you or the person you are caring for, contact Milestones Area Agency on Aging at (855) 410-6222 or info@milestonesaaa.org

Peggy Dykes is Community Relations Director at Milestones Area Agency on Aging. She can be reached at (563) 484-3147, ext. 212 or at pdykes@milestones aaa.org.