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The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) initiative, a collaborative effort of the U.S. Administration on Community Living, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Veterans Health Administration is designed to streamline access to long-term services and supports for older adults, people with disabilities and their families. ADRCs seek to create a coordinated and streamlined system providing clients a "one-stop shop" experience.
In 2013, the Utah ADRC launched a pilot program to improve service to agency Veteran clients. The COVER to COVER "Connecting Older Veterans (Especially Rural) to Community Or Veteran Eligible Resources" program is a Veterans Health Administration demonstration project, sponsored by the Office of Rural Health and Geriatrics and Extended Care, to assist rural Veterans with gaining information and access to benefits within their communities. Developed in Utah, the COVER to COVER program emphasizes partnerships between the VA, State Veterans Agencies, and community partners such as Aging and Disability Resource Centers, Area Agencies on Aging, and Centers for Independent Living. COVER to COVER creates a “no wrong door” experience for Veterans and their families when they seek assistance with benefits and services at community agencies.
This video is a quick overview of the program.
"We just couldn't figure it out on our own and no one ever helped us, so we gave up." - a Veteran trying to navigate VA
Click here for a personal story about the impact of C2C for Veterans. This story was originally published in the Senior Edition of The Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, CO.