Services We Can Provide
 
Outreach

Outreach services are the Agency's assertive efforts to seek out and identify individuals who need services, but lack access to them due to their disabilities, communication barriers, isolated home location, and aloneness.  Outreach is also an ongoing effort to provide additional community resources to meet the needs of senior citizens.
Transportation

Somerset County Transportation Services are available to persons age 60 and over to provide transportation to and from community facilities.  Trips are scheduled to meet the most serious and immediate needs first, with emphasis on health maintenance and daily living activities, such as medical appointments, grocery shopping, senior community center activities, and banking.  Other trips for shopping or recreation are scheduled as space is available.  Call Community Action Partnership at (814) 445-9628 or 1-800-452-0241.
Legal Assistance

Needs for legal counsel, such as wills, powers of attorney, living wills, guardianship, and advocacy in benefit appeals are addressed through the Agency's Legal Assistance Program.  Access to legal guidance presents a special problem.  If you experience lack of transportation, hearing impairments, isolation, inadequate capacity to pay, and ambulatory impairments, you may not be able to get needed assistance.  More complicated legal matters will be referred to attorneys who accept reduced fees and the American Association of Retired Persons Legal Hotline.
Placement Assistance

A Personal Care Home (PCH) is a community residential setting where room, board, and personal care services are provided, to four or more adults unrelated to the owner.  PCHs are licensed by the Department of Public Welfare.  If appropriate to meet an individual's specific needs, AAA care managers will assist persons seeking placement with finding a home and arranging a relocation.
Pre-Admission Assessments (Level of Care)

The pre-admission, or Level of Care Assessment, provides a comprehensive medical and social assessment of individuals seeking nursing home care.  Additionally, the program also provides an assessment for individuals wishing to access the Domiciliary Care or Personal Care Supplement Programs.  Any individual, age 18 or older, who is requesting consideration for any of these three placement options can qualify for an assessment. The assessment is beneficial to all persons who may be considering placement and is provided without charge.  All individuals applying for domiciliary Care or the Personal Care Supplement must be evaluated through this process.

OBRA Assessments

A federal law signed into existence in 1987, known as the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA), required that each state establish a Pre-admission Assessment Program for any nursing home facility participating in the Medicare and Medical Assistance Program.  The purpose of conducting this assessment is to determine whether individuals, regardless of their income and/or resources, who are diagnosed as mentally ill, mentally retarded, or have other related conditions, require nursing facility services. If the applicant is diagnosed with one of these conditions and requires nursing facility services, it is also determined whether he/she will require special treatment for the condition.  Under the OBRA Law, nursing providers must utilize a screening/identification process to evaluate whether an individual seeking admission to a nursing facility is subject to the requirements of this legislation.