CICOA to offer case management services to people with developmental disabilities

When given the choice, most older adults say they prefer to live at home rather than in a care facility. Most parents want to care for their children with disabilities at home, too. To make that possible for even more families, CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions now offers its Flourish Care Management services to children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, such as autism, Down syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome.

CICOA, Indiana’s largest Area Agency on Aging, has been providing services to low-income seniors and adults and children with physical disabilities for 46 years, with the goal of helping them live independently in their homes. Beginning this month, the State of Indiana’s Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services (BDDS) granted CICOA accreditation that allows the nonprofit also to serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to offer CICOA’s certified care management services to people with developmental disabilities and to make a real difference for their families,” said CICOA CEO Tauhric Brown. “Our focus is on improving quality of care and health outcomes across the lifespan for the individuals we serve.”

CICOA’s Flourish Care Management, which has achieved the highest standards in case management by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, will provide the service. Personal care managers help clients and their caregivers develop a plan of care to meet individual needs and provide support on an on-going basis. They also serve as an advocate to ensure students are getting their needs met at school, and can connect families with additional community resources.

The new accreditation allows CICOA to administer developmental disability waivers that help pay for services for children and adults with intellectual or other developmental disabilities. These include the Community Integration and Habilitation Waiver and Family Supports Waiver.

“Too often family caregivers don’t know what resources may be available to help their loved ones, and it can be complicated to apply for those services,” Brown said. “CICOA care managers are going to help families understand what’s available and advocate for them, so people can get the help they need and feel empowered to live their best lives.”

For the launch of the new waiver programs, CICOA hired three additional care managers who have undergone training specific to intellectual and developmental disabilities. In all, CICOA employs 125 certified Flourish care managers who support approximately 11,000 care-managed clients.