Western Montana Area Vi Agency

The organization's mission is rooted in the Older Americans Act, positioning the agency as the leader on aging issues in its planning and service area. The agency proactively carries out advocacy, planning, coordination, inter-agency linkages, information sharing, brokering, monitoring, and evaluation to develop comprehensive and coordinated community-based systems.

The agency assists older residents, their families, and caregivers by:

• Promoting independence and dignity
• Serving elders with the greatest need
• Providing easy access to services
• Providing opportunities for seniors to make a difference in their communities
• Providing consumer education and advocating for quality services
• Providing information about available services and assistance with accessing services

Primary Program Areas:

Nutrition Services — Provides education, training, and resources for obtaining and preparing quality nutritional meals. Services include congregate meal settings (66,010 meals served in FY23) and home-delivered meals (45,338 meals served in FY23).

Veterans Directed Care (VDC) — Provides in-home care to veterans referred by the Veterans Administration. Service coordinators assess needs and assist veteran employers with self-directing their care in their homes, including managing monthly service plans and budgets, hiring and scheduling staff, and avoiding institutional care. The program serves veterans of all ages who need personal care services and help with activities of daily living, as well as isolated veterans or those whose caregivers are experiencing burden.

Information, Referral, and Assistance (I&A) — Links people in need with appropriate services for their unique situations. State-certified technicians maintain databases of service providers and local resource information including social and health services, Medicare/Medicaid assistance, legal services, utilities assistance, meal services, in-home services, transportation, caregiving options, and volunteering opportunities. The program had 2,129 contacts with seniors in FY23.

State Health Insurance Assistance Program (S.H.I.P.) — Provides no-cost health-benefits counseling and advocacy for Medicare beneficiaries and their families or caregivers. Counselors assist with Medicare fraud, waste and abuse reporting; Medicare health plans; Medigap supplemental insurance; Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage plan comparisons; Medicare eligibility, enrollment and benefits; and long-term care options and information.

Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program — Serves as an advocate for individuals with disabilities and provides program and service assistance.

Additional Services — Transportation, homemaker services, lifespan respite programs, and online learning through GetSetUp (350 classes available).