The Alzheimer's Disease Initiative (ADI) was created by the Legislature in 1985 to provide a continuum of services to meet the changing needs of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. The Community Care for the Elderly (CCE) and the Home Care for the Elderly (HCE) programs enable functionally impaired elders to live dignified and reasonably independent lives in their own homes or in the homes of relatives or caregivers.

• Alzheimer's Disease Initiative. Respite care is available for individuals who are diagnosed or suspected of having a memory loss and caregivers of adults who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease or a related disorder. Individuals of any age suspected of having a memory disorder may request diagnostic evaluations in a Memory Disorder Clinic.  Individuals of any age, with or without a diagnosed memory disorder, are eligible to sign up for the ADI Brain Bank.

• Community Care for the Elderly. Individuals must be age 60 or older and functionally impaired, as determined by an initial comprehensive assessment and annual reassessments. Primary consideration for services is given to elders referred to Department of Children and Families’ Adult Protective Services (APS) and determined by APS to be victims of abuse, neglect, or exploitation and in need of immediate services to prevent further harm.

• Home Care for the Elderly. Individuals must be age 60 or older, meet the Medicaid Institutional Care Program (ICP) asset and income limitations, be at risk of nursing home placement, and have an approved adult caregiver living with them who is willing and able to provide or help arrange for care.

Alzheimer's Disease Initiative. This initiative is a coordinated, comprehensive plan of care and, in conjunction with a 15-member advisory committee appointed by the Governor, is made up of three program components.

• Respite care services provided in all 67 counties by Area Agencies on Aging offer caregiver relief or rest for a specified period of time. The service may be provided in a client's home or in a facility, such as an assisted living facility. In addition, caregivers and consumers may receive supportive services essential to maintaining persons with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia in their own homes. The supportive services may include caregiver training and support groups, counseling, consumable medical supplies, and nutritional supplements
• Memory Disorder Clinics provide comprehensive diagnostic and referral services for persons with memory problems. The clinics also conduct research and develop training materials for caregivers and health care professionals. The Legislature has authorized 17 memory disorder clinics operating in 13 service areas in the state.
• The Florida Brain Bank is a service, education, and research-oriented network of statewide regional sites. The intent of the Brain Bank is to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease by collecting and studying the brains of deceased patients who were clinically diagnosed with dementia.

Community Care for the Elderly. This program provides a wide variety of home and community-based services for elders, including adult day care, case management, chore assistance, counseling, home-delivered meals, home health aide, legal assistance, personal care, respite, and transportation.

Home Care for the Elderly. This program provides a basic subsidy for most program participants.  Some participants receive special subsidies that can be used for incontinence supplies, medications, medical supplies, wheelchairs, assistive devices, ramps and home accessibility modifications, nutritional supplements, home health aide, home nursing, and other services to help maintain the individual at home. The program provides formal case management when necessary.

For more information about services provided by the ADI, CCE, and HCE programs, please see the department's Summary of Programs and Services.

The department provided state-funded home and community-based services to the following numbers of seniors.

Home and Community-Based Services Provided in Fiscal Year 2020-21
Service	Numbers of Seniors Served
ADI - Respite and Supportive Services	9,357
ADI - Memory Disorder Clinic Services	13,249
ADI - Registered With the Brain Bank	41
Community Care for the Elderly	49,429
Home Care for the Elderly	4,797

 

In Fiscal Year 2020-21, the average time a client received Community Care for the Elderly (CCE) services before enrolling in the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care (SMMC LTC) program was 3.6 months. This did not meet the department's performance standard of 2.8 months.

The number of older adults served under SMMC LTC is based on the availability of capacity with priority given to those with the highest priority score. Currently, the SMMC LTC program is only serving the frailest Medicaid eligible individuals, resulting in less-frail older adults receiving CCE services for longer periods of time. Therefore, some clients may remain in CCE for longer than the standard of 2.8 months.

Home and community service programs are funded as part of the Home and Community Services budget entity.

Waitlist Funding. The 2022 Florida Legislature appropriated $9 million to serve elders on the CCE program waitlist, as well as $12 million for Alzheimer's respite care services to serve individuals on the waitlist.

Other Reports
Alzheimer's Disease State Plan 2020, Department of Elder Affairs
Reports, Department of Elder Affairs

Websites of Interest
Alzheimer's Research Forum
Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center
Caregiver Action Network
Personal Assistance Services
Home and Community Based Services Clearinghouse

Performance Information

Performance measures and standards for the department may be found in its Long Range Program Plan.

Title 42, U.S. Code, s. 1396n; Title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, s. 441.302; and ss. 430.201 through 430.207, 430.501 through 430.504, and 409.906(13), Florida Statutes.

Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Bureau of Community and Support Services, 850-414-2073 
Elder Helpline, 1-800-963-5337 or 1-800-955-8771 for TDD or 1-800-955-8770 for voice

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