This paper provides concrete examples of how seven No Wrong Door Systems—sometimes called Aging and Disability Resource Centers—are promoting person- and family-centered practice. No Wrong Door Systems involve an array of organizations including Area Agencies on Aging, Centers for Independent Living, and state agencies such as Medicaid agencies and state units on aging. Older adults, people with disabilities, and their families can access services through these agencies in a variety of ways including in person, by telephone, and online.
Individualization is at the heart of person- and family-centered practice. It is an essential component of No Wrong Door Systems, allowing people to have information about their options and facilitate decision making based on individual and family preferences, values, and financial resources. The paper includes a toolkit of resources and contacts for states to learn more and even replicate these practices. A checklist—specifically created for this project—provides a roadmap for states to ensure that No Wrong Door Systems operate in a person- and family-centered way.
This paper is the first in a series of promising practices and emerging innovations reports. This series is a new feature of the upcoming, 3rd Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Scorecard. The LTSS Scorecard—written by the AARP Public Policy Institute and funded by The SCAN Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund—measures state-level performance of LTSS systems that assist older people, adults with disabilities, and their family caregivers.