Other Services

Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) | Personal Assistant Program (PA) | Hearing/Visual Impairment | Youth Services

Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP)

As a support system for qualifying seniors, the state of Illinois provides and organizes the Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP), a free counseling service under the Illinois Department of Aging.

What is SHIP?

SHIP is a free, statewide health insurance counseling service for Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers. The Illinois Department of Aging trains SHIP counselors to help educate consumers and answer questions about Medicare, Medicare Supplement, long-term care insurance, prescription drug coverage through Medicare, and health care in general. SHIP counselors also help organize and assist consumers with filing Medicare and Medicare Supplement claims.

What is Medicare?

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older and for people with disabilities under the age of 65.

There are four parts to Medicare:

Hospital insurance
Medical insurance
Medicare advantage
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit

While costs related to Medicare vary from plan to plan, and there are additional deductibles and co-payment for medical services, there is no cost for hospital insurance under Medicare.

What are the Eligibility Requirements for Medicare?

There are a few different qualifications in order to be eligible for Medicare. These include:

An individual aged 65 years or older and eligible for benefits under Social Security or the Railroad Retirement System, or a federal, state or local government employee insured on his/her own record or that of a spouse.
An individual who has been receiving disability benefits under Social Security or the Railroad Retirement System for 24 months or more.
Persons of any age who are receiving regular dialysis or have received a kidney transplant due to kidney failure.
Persons of any age who have been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

It should be noted that a person 65 or over who is not eligible for Social Security benefits may purchase Medicare coverage.

What is Medicaid?

While sounding and seeming similar to Medicare, Medicaid is a medical assistance program managed by the state rather than the federal government. Medicaid can provide eligible low-income families and seniors with coverage for a variety of medical services.

In order to qualify for Medicaid, you must be a U.S. citizen or meet certain non-citizen requirements, and you must be an Illinois resident. You must also meet the requirements of the program.

Questions?

Contact the Center Today

Personal Assistant Program (PA)

As a way to help our clients achieve further independent living, we are proud to help train and provide personal assistants to help our clients feel comfortable in their independent lifestyle.

What is a Personal Assistant?

A Personal Assistant (or PA) provides services to persons with disabilities who require assistance in personal care and activities of daily living in order to truly live independently. These services are funded by the Department of Human Services, Office of Rehabilitation Services, and Home Services Program.

Having a Personal Assistant can help an individual avoid having to live in institutions or nursing homes or having to rely on family members for their personal care. Consumers are matched with individuals who want to work as personal assistants and are looking forward to assistant the consumer in their daily tasks. The consumer is then responsible for hiring, paying, and managing their own personal assistant services.

We are more than happy to assist you in identifying funding for your PA’s wages. Contact us today for any questions you may have when considering the use of this service.

Interested in Becoming a Personal Assistant?

If you’re interested in making a difference in your community, one of the best ways to do so is becoming a personal assistant. The timeline for becoming a PA is as follows:

The first step is to fill out an application, at which time the PA coordinator will request a copy of your ID and social security card.

Then, you will be scheduled to attend a one hour orientation session at AIM Center for Independent Living.

After you attend an orientation, you will be placed on the PA referral list.

When a consumer is looking for a PA and your availability and location is a match, your information will be sent out.

The consumer will choose who to call and who to interview.

Note that once you are on the PA list, please contact the PA coordinator at least once per quarter to update your contact information and availability.

Training in managing personal assistants is also available upon request, and can be provided individually and in groups.

Hearing Loss

Parallel to the five core services, this program is provided to people with hearing loss, including people who are deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, and deaf-blind. This program is designed to meet the needs of and increase the community options for persons who are deaf/hard-of-hearing/hearing-impaired. One component of this program is the interpreter referral program. AIM-CIL maintains an updated list of interpreters who are registered with the Illinois Deaf/Hard of Hearing Commission and who are certified by the State of Illinois. We support compliance with the Illinois Deaf/Hard of Hearing Commission’s requirements for qualified interpreters and offer resources to help meet these requirements. Support groups to provide educational and peer support for persons with hearing loss are an additional component of AIM-CIL’s Deaf Services Program. Further, sensitivity training can be provided and is aimed to enlighten the community on understanding and interacting with persons with hearing loss. In addition, the Deaf Services Program offers information and resources through catalogs, newspapers, magazines, and other resources on issues related to deafness.

Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation (ITAC) Testing

AIM-CIL is also an ITAC Amplified Phone Selection Center. If you are an Illinois resident who is certified with hearing loss, we can assist you with applying for a free amplified telephone. Please contact us for more information on how you can receive this free amplified telephone.

Visual Impairment

If you are blind or have low vision, we can help you learn the skills needed to maintain your independent lifestyle. We can show you many low vision aids and assistive devices, where to get them, and how to use them. In-home mobility training and tactile markings are provided. We can refer you to additional services such as community orientation and mobility training and guide dog services, if desired. The Center also assists with local recreation programs for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. All activities are provided with the help of the Northeast DuPage Special Recreation Association (NEDSRA)and the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (WDSRA). They are open to anyone in DuPage County who is blind or visually impaired. For services or for more information, con t act the Center.

Youth Services

The Youth Services program is geared to serve children ages 0 to 25. The Program strives to empower young people with disabilities to live independently in our community by providing systems advocacy for improving educational opportunities, transition assistance to adult living and coordinating independent living services for youth with disabilities and their families.

Specific Activities of the Program Include:

Serving as a resource person and specialist with regard to issues on educational rights of children with disabilities
Providing information and referrals to consumers and their parents
Provide information on educational rights of children, IDEA, and inclusion to children, their families, and the community
Providing one on one or group orientation to independent living for consumers requesting services
Provide systems advocacy and serve as a resource to improve educational options for young adults with disabilities
Attending IEP meetings as requested by parents of children with disabilities.
Attend community forums/meetings to gain information that will benefit young adults with disabilities.
Provide technical assistance to parents and school personnel as requested
Give presentations in high school classrooms to share program resources.
Provide social opportunities for Youth with disabilities
Organize social activities for Youth to develop peer relationships
Organize field trips from high schools to the Center to build awareness of our programs and services