About
Maryland Access Point of Garrett County is the county's local door into Maryland Access Point (MAP), the state's "No Wrong Door" Aging and Disability Resource Center. It is run from Garrett County Community Action's offices at 104 East Center Street in Oakland and helps older adults, people with disabilities, people living with mental illness, and the family members and caregivers who support them, regardless of income.
What MAP Can Help With
MAP is a one-stop information service. Instead of calling agency after agency, you talk with a trained specialist who helps you sort out what you need and where to get it. The state describes the kinds of support MAP connects people with as:
- Long-term and short-term care planning, including help staying independent at home
- Health care, medication and nutrition resources
- Transportation and housing
- Financial assistance and other public and private programs
- Referrals to other agencies when another office is a better fit
Specialists can also help you put together a personalised action plan, which is useful when a hospital discharge, a new diagnosis or a change in a parent's needs means several decisions at once.
How It Fits With Community Action
Maryland Access Point is led locally by Area Agencies on Aging, and in Garrett County that role belongs to the Garrett County Community Action Committee. The same building on East Center Street also houses Community Action's Area Agency on Aging and the Mary Browning Senior Center, so MAP is the place to start with questions, while programs such as home-delivered meals, senior health insurance counselling and in-home senior care are delivered by Community Action's own teams.
Before You Go
Call ahead to set up a conversation with the MAP Coordinator, which can happen at the office, at your home or over the phone. If you would rather start online, the statewide MAP website lets you browse programs and search for local providers.
It is a good first call when you are not sure which service you or a loved one needs.
Address
104 E Center St, Oakland, MD 21550