ADRC and its Gatekeeper Program

Many baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are turning more and more to caring for their own parents themselves in their golden years. Many get caught in the wide web of services and resources offered, only to become confused and frustrated with what service or resource may be right for their situation. The Aging and Disability Resource Connection, or ADRC, is a free service that offers the public a single source for information and assistance on issues affecting older people and people with disabilities, regardless of their income.

Professionally trained information and assistance specialists provide you with knowledge about public and private services and programs so you can choose options that fit your personal situation.

There are many other services your local Central Oregon Council on Aging and ADRC office can advise you on, such as:

In-home service and support: bathing, dressing, housekeeping

Choosing a care facility: adult foster care, residential care, assisted living and nursing homes

Family and caregiver support, including respite relief

Transportation options

Home-delivered meals

Personal medication alerts

Medical equipment

Programs and resources for healthy living

Legal services

And the ADRC’s services don’t stop here. We follow up with you to make sure you are getting the help you need.

The Gatekeeper Program

The Gatekeeper Program is designed to assist vulnerable people who need help, but may be unable to get it for themselves. Each year, our vulnerable population grows. In fact, people older than 65 make up the fastest-growing segment of our population. Most are healthy, active people involved with family and friends, church or community groups. But many others are not so fortunate. They live alone and have little contact with others. If they become ill or unable to function independently, they can easily go unnoticed and unattended.

The Gatekeeper Program seeks to remedy the problem by enlisting the help of people who, in the normal course of their jobs, may have contact with the elderly or those with disabilities. This means a GateKeeper might be a grocery store clerk, bank, teller, pharmacist, utility worker, postal worker or newspaper delivery person. Because these Gatekeepers tend to get to know their clientele on a daily basis, and can recognize significant changes in their customer’s behaviors such as a change in appearance, signs of confusion and disability and mobility decline.

How Does the Gatekeeper Program Work?

Just making a single phone call to the Central Oregon Council on Aging and the ADRC at 541-678-5483 can open up a large network of services and resources an at-risk elder may need.

Instead of trying to figure out what agency should be contacted for your particular situation, you can let our professional Information and Resource personnel help you find the most current and accurate information. Once the Gatekeeper calls in to make their “Gatekeeper Referral” and has given as much information as they can about the client, and depending on the situation, we may transfer the referral to our in-house information and resource specialist — or we determine a call should be made to a specific entity specializing in that concern. We may also deem it worthy of a home visit and/or assigning this client to one of our case managers for follow-up.

The Gatekeeper may have initiated a conversation with the client and made the referral with them present, in which case anonymity and confidentiality are not an issue. Or the Gatekeeper may choose to remain anonymous. Both situations are fine. If the Gatekeeper does choose to give their name, it will be kept private from the client and/or alleged perpetrator. However, the Gatekeeper may choose to have the ADRC inform the client they called and who they are on their behalf, to build their trust and acknowledge they are being looked after.

All services are voluntary, so even if the client is contacted by the ADRC, they have the right to refuse. We all respect and value the client’s choice, independence and dignity.

If a person is found to be cognitively impaired to the point where they are potentially no longer competent and are unable to make decisions, for example, someone with advanced Alzheimer’s disease, proper measures will be taken to intercede and advocate in order to ensure the person receives appropriate assessment, care and support.

To Call or Not to Call?

It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

The ADRC specialists are here to help you and welcome your calls. You are NOT burdening them with silly concerns. If you are concerned, then the call is treated as a tangible situation and very important!

Still Seeing Troubling Signs?

That’s OK! By re-alerting the ADRC to the situation that it still hasn’t been resolved, keeps that at-risk person in the loop so they don’t fall through the cracks and it THEN becomes a critical care issue. That same person may now be at a point to accept help, as the condition may have worsened or created another situation they are unable to handle. Our goal is to assist them before the situation escalates to crisis mode.

The Gatekeeper program can, and has, saved lives. At the very least, it gives older people and those with disabilities a new lease on life by enabling them to maintain their independence. This also helps employees in the Gatekeeper position to help others and build employees job satisfaction and pride.

If you do encounter a senior with obvious declining social, emotional or physical conditions, please call the Central Oregon Council on Aging and the ADRC at 541-678-5483 and make your Gatekeeper report.

Gatekeeper presentations are offered throughout Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties and offer examples of Gatekeeper referrals and how COCOA is able to connect clients with needed services and programs. Typically training presentations are about 20 minutes and include a PowerPoint program, and can accommodate an existing meeting time such as a staff or volunteer meeting you regularly schedule.

Please contact Dawn Kirkpatrick, Gatekeeper Coordinator, at the Central Oregon Council on Aging and the ADRC at 541-678-5483 for more information.