Executive Director of the Area Agency on Aging District 7, Pamela Matura, announces that the PASSPORT (Pre-Admission Screening System Providing Options and Resource Today) program is celebrating its 10^th anniversary year. Executive Director Matura said, "We started this Homecare program 10 years ago with only 54 slots and today we have built a program that now helps over 1900 clients in our ten county district."

The amount of service dollars received by service providers in Adams County in 1990 was $184,593. In 1999 the total dollars received by Adams County providers to serve seniors were $2,105,504. Increasingly, PASSPORT is contributing to the local economy and the creation of jobs within the county. This two million plus dollars injected into Adams County were dollars not there before 1990.

These financial figures also illustrate that the life of the older adults and their families in Adams County are benefiting by being able to remain at home longer; and by helping the families in their caregiving activities. Recent studies indicate that as people are living longer, family members who have cared for children for eighteen years, are then helping to care for older relatives nineteen years and longer.

The Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. wishes to thank each of the following providers who provide services to Adams County seniors and who have helped create one of the largest, if not the largest rural homecare program in the nation for the elderly: Adams County Home Health, Adams County Senior Citizens Council, Adams Nursing Supply, Adams-Brown Counties Economic Opportunities, Inc., Best Choice Home Care, Brown County General Hospital, Duraline Medical Products, Edgepark Surgical, Inc., Genesis Respiratory Services, Hallmark Health Care, Inc., Heartland Home Health Care, Home Delivered Meals, Inc., Homecare Network, Inc., Howland Center, Interim Healthcare Services, Kendall Home Care, Inc., Lorraine Surgical Supply Co., Medicall, Inc., Milt’s Termite and Pest Control, Mullaney Medical, Inc., My Alarm of Cincinnati, Ohio Pest Control, Queen City Med Mart, Response Ability Systems, Inc., Skilled Nursing II, Inc., Skilled Nursing, Inc., Unlimited Pharmacy Services, and Walker Construction.

Through the PASSPORT program the following services are provided in Adams County: Personal Care Services, Homemaker, Home Delivered Meals, Emergency Response Unit, Nutrition Counseling, Home Medical Equipment/Supplies, Major Housecleaning, Waste Disposal, Pest Control, Minor Home Modifications, Independent Living Assistance, Enhanced Adult Day Services, Intensive Adult Day Services, Speech Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Registered Nurse services.

PASSPORT gives an individual and family the option of choosing home and community based services over nursing home placement. The Area Agency on Aging provides a free consultation and information on aging services to better enable individuals to make informed choices about their long-term care.

To receive help from PASSPORT, one needs to call the Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. at 1-800-582-7277 to determine what an individual’s long-term care needs are, including eligibility for PASSPORT Home Care or other services.

To receive an in-home assessment, the individual must be age 60 and over and considering community based care or nursing home placement. To evaluate the best way to meet long-term care needs, a nurse or licensed social worker from the Area Agency conducts a free comprehensive in-home assessment of the individual’s health and living conditions. If eligible for in-home services through PASSPORT, a plan of services is proposed. The client and his/her physician must agree with the care plan for services to begin.

In order to ensure that quality care is maintained for the client, the Area Agency District 7 provides on-going case management. It is important to realize the type and amount of in-home services vary depending on the need of each individual.

PASSPORT is a service of the Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. and is made possible by funds through the Ohio Department of Aging. The Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. offers PASSPORT in the following counties: Adams, Brown, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Vinton. All services are provided on a non-discriminatory basis. For more information you may call 1-800-582-7277.