The Daily Globe - Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

By TOM LAVENTURE

tlaventure@yourdailyglobe.com

HURLEY, Wis. - An open house event on Friday provided the community a chance to see the new Iron County office of the Aging and Disability Resource Center of the North (ADRC).

The Hurley Senior Center staff had functioned as the county aging unit but a contract with the Iron County ADRC office in Washburn now has those services under the ADRC and offices for everything are now housed at the Veterans of Foreign Wars building in Hurley. The staff have slowly moved into the new working space over the past month.

"I just enjoy that we are now under one roof and the staff is not split up," said Trista Olson, manager of ADRC and Aging. "Some of our staff were in the Senior Center and some were up in Human Services and so now we are all in one spot."

A stream of visitors attended the open house including seniors from the meal site next door, who were all provided cookies and cupcakes and ADRC goodies like pens and back scratchers, she said. The Hurley Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony and staff and board members from the Hurley Senior Center, Iron County including Human Services, and the Aging Commission were also in attendance.

"It was a really good turnout," Olson said.

It was also a chance to talk with visitors about services, she said. The office has a loan closet for adaptive equipment, from walkers to shower chairs. Local Census officials were on hand to talk about what will be happening and offering work.

"It's been a whirlwind day," Olson said. "I haven't sat down yet."

The ADRC and Aging Unit are now integrated and have everything in a one-stop office, she said. This will hopefully avoid the confusion and inconvenience of having to send walk-in people to different buildings for different services.

The transportation and nutrition programs are now together with the elder benefit specialist, Olson said. This is now the centralized location for the aging and adult disabled to learn about resources.

There is general information about connecting people to home health agencies, or meeting with a disability specialist, or the elder benefit specialist to assist with Medicare and insurance. There is information about state programs, caregiver programs, and the Alzheimer's support program.

Seeking assistance and navigating the various agencies and private or nonprofit services can be a frustrating process. The ADRC is there to assist in determining eligibility and applying for elderly or disability benefits, short-term and long-term care, support, adaptive equipment and home delivered meals. They also assist with emergency referrals, protective services, nutrition and transportation.

"We work with any adult with a disability," Olson said. "As far as income requirements there are certain programs that have guidelines and others that do not. That is where there is a wider range of eligibility and the ADRC specialist can sit down with them to explore options available to them."

The ADRC is a five county consortium of Ashland, Price, Sawyer, Bayfield and Iron counties. The consortium operates under the state Department of Health and Human Services.

The Iron County ADRC office has a staff of six and currently has a vacancy with the elder benefit specialist position.

"The state's initiative is that why not be integrated to provide all of these services in one centralized location," Olson said

For more information, call 715-561-2108 or visit Adrc-n.org.