Nursing
Facility Transitions
ALABAMA
Grant
Information
Name of Grantee
Mid-Alabama
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 South
Birmingham, AL 35233–1317
205–251–5403
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 person-centered 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
consumer-directed person-centered 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 full-time 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
person-centered 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 3–year project period.
Partnerships at the local and State level are a key to the
success of this program. The Director of Alabama Medicaid's Long-Term 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.
*Grantee did not provide any updates to contact information
for this edition.