ALABAMA
Grant Information
- Name of Grantee
- MidAlabama Chapter of the Alabama Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, DBA Birmingham Independent Living Center
- Title of Grant
- Partnerships to Independence
- Type of Grant
- Nursing Facility Transitions, Independent Living Partnership
- Amount of Grant
- $450,000
- Year Original Funding Received
- 2001
Contact Information
Daniel Kessler
Birmingham Independent Living Center
206 13th Street S.
Birmingham, AL 352331317
2052515403
dgkessle@bellsouth.net
www.birminghamilc.org
Subcontractor(s)
No subcontractors planned.
Target Population(s)
People with disabilities who wish to transition from nursing homes to the community. The population includes residents of Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Walker, and Blount Counties in Alabama.
Goals
- Increase nursing home residents' awareness of independent living options.
- Assist nursing home residents' transition to the community.
- Recruit, hire, and train qualified personnel who are committed to the philosophy of independent living and personcentered planning.
- Promote the development of resource networks through local and statewide implementation teams.
Activities
- Peer Outreach Advocates will be recruited, trained, and supervised to conduct outreach to nursing homes in the catchment areas.
- Develop a consumerdirected personcentered assessment model.
- Assist at least 25 individuals to transition from a nursing home to the community.
- Produce a manual that can be replicated by sites around the state, region, and country.
- To conduct local implementation team meetings monthly during the first year and quarterly during years 2 and 3.
Abstract
Birmingham Independent Living Center (BILC), in collaboration with its partners, proposes to expand services to persons with disabilities in Alabama with an Independent Living Partnership Nursing Facility Transitions program entitled Partnerships to Independence. The cost of nursing home care in the State of Alabama is spiraling out of control. By the end of 2001, nursing home costs will exceed $600 million. At the same time, nursing home residents who desire to live in the community are given little opportunity to weigh community options. This project will develop the infrastructure, partnerships, and community services that will be required to offer the choice of community living to nursing home residents across the state.
The target population will include nursing home residents in the Birmingham service areas who express a desire to return to the community, regardless of age or disability. Contact with participants will be made at nursing homes. All potential participants will benefit from peer support, which means people with disabilities, older people, and family members who are familiar with the community will conduct outreach. A fulltime Community Transitional Advocate will assist nursing home residents to plan their moves and obtain required supports. Plans will be developed according to independent living and personcentered principles. Community supports that will be put in place include personal assistance, housing, home modification, advocacy, peer support, transitional subsidies, and other resources. It is anticipated that 25 people will transition to the community during the 3year project period.
Partnerships at the local and state level are a key to the success of this program. The Director of Alabama Medicaid's LongTerm Care Program will convene a group of statewide partners to advise on project direction and assist in the development of policy and sustainable resources for implementation. A local implementation team will be developed to enhance service planning and the development of local resources.