Community Resources
Many people associate the aging process
with the need for nursing home care. In fact,
most persons do not need nursing home care.
Instead, many parents or older persons can
remain independent, but frequently need
assistance with various daily living tasks.
Communities throughout the United States
offer varied services for their aging populations.
Check with the social services office
of your parent or older person's local
government to determine which services are
available in his or her area. Utilizing these
community resources can help your parent or
older person live more comfortably and remain
independently in his or her home. In addition,
a parent or older person who have chosen an
alternative living arrangement, such as congregate housing, can use these services as an
additional tool to make daily living simpler.
The list below will familiarize you with some
of the community resources that may be
available in your parent or older person area
and suggest the general availability of these
services across the country. Remember, you
must contact the local government where your
parent or older person resides to determine if
these services are available in his or her area.
Adult Day Care
Adult day care centers offer a variety of health care and social services for people who need assistance with personal care such as grooming or toileting, but not around-the-clock care. Round trip transportation may be provided to the center where people may spend a few hours or all day.
Availability - Adult day care center
availability varies. The centers may be
operated by hospitals, nursing homes, religious organizations or privately owned
care centers. Contact your parent or older
person's Area Agency on Aging for
information.
Area Agencies on Aging
Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) provide access to a variety of services to older persons in communities throughout the United States. These services include: information and referral, homemaker/home health aides, transportation, congregate care and home-delivered meals, chores, and other supportive services.
Availability - AAAs are located in every
State. The types of services they offer will differ. A partial listing of AAA addresses and telephone numbers are provided in the Resource and Referral Services section of this Handbook.
Assistive Products
Assistive products are services and devices
that can be purchased or rented to help people
function better at home. These may include
devices for persons with hearing and/or visual
impairments and those who need help in
walking or moving about.
Availability - Assistive products may be
available from medical equipment rental stores
or electronic product retail stores. Several
States have assistive products and devices
distribution programs operated by the State
rehabilitation agency for the disabled.
Case Management
Case management is a method of assessing
a person's total care needs, arranging for necessary services, and coordinating the
delivery of services. Since care problems rarely occur one at a time and services may
be fragmented, this service can be used by
caregivers to coordinate a care plan.
Availability
- While availability varies, case
management services are becoming more
widely available. Contact your parent or older person's AAA for information.
Friendly Visitors
Friendly visitors are volunteers who regularly
visit older persons who may need companion-
ship. They may read, write letters, run local
errands, etc. for the older person.
Availability - Friendly visitors are usually
provided by a religious or volunteer organization. Contact your parent or older person's
church or synagogue or the Visiting Nurses
Association to see if the service exists in their
community.
Home Adaptation
Home adaptation means making changes to
your parent or older person's home to
accommodate his or her changed needs.
Adaptation may include small changes like
installing grab bars, or major changes such as widening doorways for wheelchairs or
installing a bathroom on the first floor of the
home.
Availability - You need a good contractor and a good idea of what your parent or older person wants done. Seek advice from
professionals you know you can rely on, such
as an occupational therapist, before hiring
anyone to do major jobs.
Home Chore Services
Home chore services offer minor household
repairs, household cleaning, and yard work.
Availability - Home chore services are widely
available. Contact your parent or older
person's AAA for information.
Home-Delivered Meals
Home-delivered meals or "meals-on-wheels"
is a service that delivers hot, nutritious meals
once or twice a day, usually five days per
week. Most home-delivered meal programs
can accommodate special diets.
Availability - Home-delivered meals are widely available. Contact your parent or older person's AAA for information.
Home Health Care
Home health care covers a wide variety of medical services provided by such
professionals as nurses or physical therapists.
Availability - Home health care is widely
available. Contact your parent or older
person's Visiting Nurses Association or AAA.
Refer to the Practical Tips for Elder Care
section for a helpful checklist on selecting a
home health care agency. Also, see the
Resource and Referral Services section for a
listing of home health care resources.
Home Maintenance and Repair
Programs
Home maintenance and repair programs
(usually sponsored by nonprofit organizations)
provide home maintenance, home repairs, and
help with emergencies such as frozen pipes.
No major improvements or cosmetic changes
are included. Some programs will help you
work with contractors.
Availability - These programs are widely
available. Contact your parent or older
person's AAA for information.
Homemaker Services
Homemaker services include assistance
with grooming and dressing, and help with
meal preparation, food shopping, or light
housekeeping.
Availability - Homemaker services are
widely available. Contact your parent or older person's AAA for information.
Hospice Care
Hospice is a special kind of care for terminally
ill people and their families. It does not focus
on recovery through medical treatment, but
instead helps people cope with the physical
and emotional pain of dying from a clearly
terminal illness. Hospice care may be given at home or in a hospice facility, and may be
provided by or supplemented by trained
volunteers, as well as by family members.
Insurance coverage for hospice care varies.
Medicare will provide benefits to patients who are diagnosed as being terminally ill, but
patients receiving hospice benefits waive their
regular Medicare coverage while they are
under hospice care.
Availability - Availability varies from State to
State. Contact your parent or older person's
AAA for information. You can also contact
your parent's State hospice or home care
association, the Foundation for Hospice and
Homecare at (202) 547-6586, or the Hospice
Association of America at (202) 546-4759.
Nutrition Services
Nutrition services provide people with
inexpensive, nutritious meals in group settings
such as senior centers, churches, synagogues,
or senior housing. Nutrition sites may provide
transportation.
Availability - Nutrition services are widely
available. Contact your parent or older
person's AAA for information.
Personal Emergency Response
Systems (PERS)
PERS are emergency alert button devices that
are placed in the home and can be pressed to
summon help from emergency response
centers such as hospitals or 800 numbers.
Availability - Approximately ten national
companies manufacture PERS. They may not
be readily available in all areas. Contact your
parent or older person's AAA for information.
Respite Care
Respite care provides short-term relief to
people who care for a parent or older person
at home. The respite can be for a few hours
or several days. It may be provided at home,
at adult day care centers, or at hospitals
overnight.
Availability - Respite care services are widely available. Contact your parent or older
person's AAA for information.
Senior Centers
Senior centers offer older people an oppor-
tunity to socialize and a place to meet. They
offer a wide variety of social, educational, and
recreational programs. Some senior centers
provide transportation services.
Availability
- Senior centers are widely
available. Contact your parent or older
person's AAA for information.
Telephone Reassurance
Telephone reassurance is offered by volunteers
who arrange to talk to older persons daily to
ensure that "all is well." This service is
especially helpful to people who live alone.
Availability - Availability varies in
communities. Contact your parent or older
person's AAA, church or synagogue, or
Visiting Nurses Association.
This information is reprinted with permission from the
AARP's publication Tomorrow's Choices.