Department of Elder Affairs

Information and Assistance

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What is the purpose of information and assistance?

The Department of Elder Affairs coordinates programs to inform and assist elders and their caregivers to make informed decisions about their long-term care options. The department provides information and assistance in health, social welfare, long-term care, protective services, consumer protection, education and training, employment, and insurance.

The department provides this assistance through the Aging and Disability Resource Centers, which provide elders with information and referral services for state and federal benefits as well as available local programs and services.

What is an Aging and Disability Resource Center?

An Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is a single, coordinated system of information and access for all persons seeking long-term care resources, including people with disabilities and severe mental illnesses. The ADRC allows the public to find information and services through multiple entry points to ensure streamlined access to public and private long-term care services. In addition to streamlining services, ADRCs improve the capacity of consumers and caregivers to make choices regarding long-term care decisions. Each of the 11 Area Agencies on Aging in Florida is a designated ADRC.

By sharing a common information and referral system, ADRCs are able to provide elders and adults with physical and mental disabilities with uniform assistance regardless of where they live in the state. This system also offers the public access to a statewide database of local community resources, available on the internet or by calling the Elder Helpline toll-free at 1-800-96 ELDER (1-800-963-5337).

What programs or services are offered through volunteer and community initiatives?

The department provides volunteer and community services in five major areas.

Health and Wellness. The department's Health and Wellness Program is implemented by local partners to include programs such as chronic disease self-management, fall prevention, fitness and nutrition programs, and mental health programs.
Employment. The department's Senior Community Service Employment Program fosters individual economic self-sufficiency and promotes useful opportunities in community service activities for unemployed low-income persons who are age 55 and older, particularly persons who have poor employment prospects.
Housing. Under the Livable Florida initiative, the department helps cities, towns, and counties implement amenities to benefit youth and seniors for safe, nurturing communities for people of all ages. The department also provides information about assisted living facilities, adult family care homes, and other affordable supportive housing, as well as access to the most appropriate information and resources to meet an individual's housing needs and preferences.
Volunteerism. The department's volunteer programs include AmeriCorps, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, Respite for Elders Living in Everyday Families (RELIEF), Senior Companion, and the Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders (SHINE) program.
Elder Abuse Prevention. The department's Elder Abuse Prevention Program is designed to increase awareness of the problem of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The program includes training and dissemination of Elder Abuse Prevention Program materials and funds special projects to provide training and prevention activities.
Guardianship. The Office of Public & Professional Guardians, housed within the Department of Elder Affairs, appoints local public guardian offices as directed by statute to provide guardianship services to persons who do not have adequate income or assets to afford a private guardian and no available family member or friend. The office is also responsible for the registration and education of Professional Guardians.

How many clients do these programs serve?

During Fiscal Year 2020-21, the Department of Elder Affairs served 506,526 elders through prevention and early intervention programs, including SHINE, Health and Wellness Initiatives, Elder Abuse Prevention Education, the Elder Helpline, the Emergency Home Energy Assistance for Elders Program, and the Senior Community Service Employment Program. This exceeded the department's performance standard of 355,908.

How are these activities funded?

Fiscal Year: 2022-23

	Fund	Salary Rate/ Position	General Revenue	Trust Funds
SALARY RATE		1,814,370
POSITIONS		37.00
SALARIES AND BENEFITS
FROM GENERAL REVENUE FUND			841,024
	FROM ADMINISTRATIVE TRUST FUND			134,272
	FROM FEDERAL GRANTS TRUST FUND			1,610,647
OTHER PERSONAL SERVICES
	FROM ADMINISTRATIVE TRUST FUND			34,936
	FROM FEDERAL GRANTS TRUST FUND			429,145
EXPENSES
FROM GENERAL REVENUE FUND			209,359
	FROM ADMINISTRATIVE TRUST FUND			106,740
	FROM FEDERAL GRANTS TRUST FUND			107,427
SPECIAL CATEGORIES
PUBLIC GUARDIANSHIP CONTRACTED SERVICES
FROM GENERAL REVENUE FUND			15,961,663
	FROM ADMINISTRATIVE TRUST FUND			154,816
SPECIAL CATEGORIES
CONTRACTED SERVICES
FROM GENERAL REVENUE FUND			1,945,727
	FROM ADMINISTRATIVE TRUST FUND			149,000
SPECIAL CATEGORIES
RISK MANAGEMENT INSURANCE
FROM GENERAL REVENUE FUND			14,513
SPECIAL CATEGORIES
LONG TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN COUNCIL
FROM GENERAL REVENUE FUND			877,388
	FROM FEDERAL GRANTS TRUST FUND			626,020
SPECIAL CATEGORIES
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) - PUBLIC ASSISTANCE - STATE OPERATIONS
	FROM FEDERAL GRANTS TRUST FUND			1,189,491
SPECIAL CATEGORIES
LEASE OR LEASE-PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT
FROM GENERAL REVENUE FUND			50,092
SPECIAL CATEGORIES
TRANSFER TO DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES - HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICES PURCHASED PER STATEWIDE CONTRACT
FROM GENERAL REVENUE FUND			5,252
	FROM ADMINISTRATIVE TRUST FUND			466
	FROM FEDERAL GRANTS TRUST FUND			8,042
TOTAL			19,905,018	4,551,002

Source: www.transparencyflorida.gov

Updates

Chapter 2022-218, Laws of Florida, requires the Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation and the clerks of court to establish a statewide database of guardianship data. The law requires the Office of Public and Professional Guardians to share certain data, the corporation to compile and report certain data to OPPAGA, and protects certain information.

Where can I find related OPPAGA reports?

A complete list of related OPPAGA reports is available on our website.

Where can I get more information?

Websites of Interest
Department of Elder Affairs, Consumer Resource Guide
Department of Elder Affairs, Volunteers
Corporation for National & Community Service, Senior Corps
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, Programs
AARP, Volunteering

Performance

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

What are the applicable statutes?

National Community Services Trust Act (Public Law 93-113); Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-508); Older Americans Act (Public Law 106-501); Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (Public Law 104-191); Chs. 408, 429, and 430, and ss. 430.07 and 430.2053 Florida Statutes; and Rules 58B-1.001 , 58A-5 , and 58A-14, Florida Administrative Code.

Whom do I contact for help?

Elder Helpline, 1-800-963-5337 or 1-800-955-8771 for TDD or 1-800-955-8770 for voice

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