Maine Area Agency on Aging Program Completes Chronic Care  Professional (CCP) Staff Accreditation

Area Agencies on Aging are pursuing new opportunities as community partners in senior wellness and chronic care management. Elder Independence of Maine (EIM)—a division of SeniorsPlus, the Area Agency on Aging for western Maine—recently achieved Chronic Care Professional (CCP) staff accreditation, demonstrating the preparation of their staff in person-centered, evidence-based chronic care support. CCP certification was completed by over 40 nurse and social worker care management and supervisory staff at EIM. SeniorsPlus AAA Community Services Division staff was recently added as part of this initiative. According to Sharon Foerster, LCSW, EIM Director, “EIM staff now have a unified set of knowledge and skills that enhance the value of our services. Our customers—whether federally funded programs or private insurance--deserve access to credentialed and caring case managers who are prepared in evidence-based approaches that support senior independence, dignity and quality of life. It’s a win all the way around.”

Today, forward-looking Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) like SeniorsPlus, are exploring innovative ways of partnering with community stakeholders in senior health including purchasers, physician practices, hospitals, home care providers, and home and community-based services programs. According to Dr. Blake Andersen, President and CEO of HealthSciences Institute, “Most of us in this field recognize that we need to look for new ways to integrate formal health care, aging services, and informal community services that support senior wellness and independence. We believe that seniors, caregivers and purchasers stand to benefit from a common practice platform that is person-centered and evidence-based.” In support of the EIM staff accreditation program, HealthSciences Institute provided partial tuition waivers to program staff through the Partners in Improvement program.

EIM is Maine’s Home Care Coordination Agency for state and federally-funded community-based home care programs. On any given day, EIM serves about 3,200 older people and adults with disabilities throughout the state. The goal of all EIM programs is to help people remain independent, in their homes for as long as possible—as 86% of Mainers prefer according to a recent AARP study. EIM is staffed by over 40 professionals and includes access to over 150 local home and community-based providers throughout the state. Ms. Foerster added “While the waiver programs are not thought of as medical programs, through preparation in these evidence-based approaches, we can support better consumer value and bottom line savings of precious health care dollars.” HealthSciences Institute staff has supported senior wellness and chronic care improvement programs in a number of other states. “As we work with State Units on Aging, Medicaid Programs, and AAAs, our goal is to move beyond medical, social or aging service models, to whole-person, integrated implementation models. We can all agree that poorly managed chronic conditions are the biggest threats to independence and managing these conditions is our best opportunity for supporting aging in place and reducing avoidable health care expenses such as those due to hospitalization. We believe EIM is a leader in what we expect to be a promising new model for the AAAs,” Dr. Andersen added.

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