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Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Department of Aging (MDOA) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded $450,000 from the Administration for Community Living to modernize and improve access to long-term services and supports for older Marylanders, individuals with disabilities, and their care providers.
The grant will help streamline access to public benefits and services—an essential objective of the Longevity Ready Maryland (LRM) multisector plan for aging—while highlighting Maryland’s leadership in developing innovative, forward-thinking solutions to support older adults. To ensure our growing aging population can more easily navigate and access the long-term services and supports they need without confusion or delay, the funding will be used to:
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Expand the Maryland Access Point (MAP) Governance Committee, bringing more voices to the table;
- Upgrade the MAP online hub in collaboration with 211 Maryland with tools that make it easier for people to find information and get connected to services; and
- Improve communication between health care providers and community-based organizations to better support people transitioning out of a hospital or nursing home.
“This grant supports LRM’s goals and objectives by modernizing how we connect individuals to care and essential resources,” said Amanda Distefano, Director of Long-Term Services at MDOA. “It strengthens the MAP network’s ability to provide truly person-centered support, simplifying the process of finding and accessing long-term services so Marylanders can make confident, informed choices that reflect their unique needs and preferences.”
Established in 2004, MAP serves as Maryland’s No Wrong Door system—a federal initiative to provide a coordinated approach that helps Marylanders find long-term care services and supports without getting shuffled between agencies. MAP is the primary entry point for Medicaid home- and community-based services and functions as Maryland’s Aging and Disability Resource Center.
MAP operates in partnership with MDOA, the Maryland Department of Health, local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), Centers for Independent Living, and 211 Maryland. MAP offices are located at each of the 19 AAAs, providing coverage for all 23 counties and Baltimore City.
Learn more at https://marylandaccesspoint.211md.org/ or call 1-844-MAP-LINK (1-844-627-5465) to reach a MAP counselor. Learn more about LRM objectives and strategies at LRM.Maryland.Gov.
Media Contact: Barbara Sigler, barbara.sigler@maryland.gov
MAP Program Manager: Renee Stainrod, renee.stainrod@maryland.gov
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