who to talk to locally about a disabled elderly woman,needing household help?
John W., I think its a great thing that you are looking after this nice lady. As we age, it seems that in exchange for a long life some of us may be rewarded by the slow onset of dementia, a condition that may be progressive and may seem to come and go, causing a senior to progressively become more unable to recognize and appropriately respond to their activities of daily living. Other, physical illnesses or infirmities could also be contributing to the problems.
Every senior in America is entitled to some important benefits through their Area Agency on Aging, funded through the Older Americans Act. One of those benefits in every area is typically some referral for at least an assessment of needs, including occasional household help if funds are available. Other resources might be available and I’ll suggest several possible ones, depending upon your area, but I would begin with the Area Agency on Aging, who may be able to provide a variety of assistance to your friend without cost. You can go to this website, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging and search for your area. Keep in mind that not all areas may be listed. I know that because one of the areas that I service is not listed. If you cannot locate a provider in your area, call the toll free number for the Eldercare Locator provided by eldercare.gov, a site by the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., referenced on n4a’s website, which is 1-800-677-1666 and request the number of the Area Agency on Aging for your specific location.
Take a look at the types of services in the Eldercare Locator. I would continue on and discuss the matter with the Area Agency on Aging, who should be most knowledgeable about the benefits to which your friend may be entitled. You can see, however, that there are a number of programs that might benefit your friend, such as home services, and even a caregiver if her needs increase. Meals on wheels can provide a balanced meal each day delivered to the home, and there are resources available that might be able to adapt or modify her home to keep her out of a more restrictive living situation.
If these services will not help, or if she refuses help, then you might need to call your county’s division of a state protective services agency. Depending upon where you live, this may be the same agency that protects children, or it might be under the state’s department of aging or senior services. Try to find the correct agency under the Eldercare Locator referenced. If you don’t get the correct agency, you might check your state’s website or run a search. Many state’s have an elder abuse hotline that will direct you to the correct agency. The Administration on Aging runs the National Center on Elder Abuse and has some good information on their website, including state specific contacts.
The difficulty with this approach is two-fold. First, the agency may simply be overwhelmed and unable to provide timely assistance. Alternatively, if your friend’s needs are not so great as to be a priority, the agency may simply not have the resources to handle her needs. If her needs increase and present a danger to her living alone, then you can either request that she accept whatever help can be found or you might have to go further and discuss a guardianship or commitment through probate court. These steps are only necessary if she presents a danger to herself, or is in danger from someone else of abuse or financial exploitation.
There may be a number of community or religious organizations that might offer help. AARP is a good starting place and can provide some local contacts for you in addition to the governmental agencies. These programs are as diverse as a senior nutrition program that provides activities as well as nutrition, or an adult day care facility that can see to her increased needs while a caregiver works, or a volunteer program to provide some companionship, such as the senior companion program. Many charitable organizations, such as Catholic Social Services, may provide some limited funds for a housekeeper, but probably this is just a stop-gap measure.
I would also suggest that you seek, or have your friend seek, some advice about her finances and her preparation for illness later in life. An elder care attorney can take care of handling paperwork such as a durable power of attorney, so that if her health declines, she has already appointed someone to handle her health care and finances for her. Further, its possible that she might be entitled to benefits that could be used to pay for care. If she was a veteran, or if she is the surviving spouse of a veteran, she might be entitled to funds from the Veterans Administration under the program called Aid and Attendance. If she or her spouse served one day during wartime, then she might qualify for over $1,000.00 a month in additional resources to be used for her health care. That might enable her to hire someone to provide ongoing care for her and her home. Other benefits might include the Medicaid Waiver program, if nursing home admission becomes a possiblility. This program keeps qualified applicants at home with care instead of in a nursing home. These are all questions for an elder law attorney. Your Area Agency on Aging can provide you with the contact information with an attorney who can provide some or all of these services at no cost.
I hope that you can get some assistance through these resources. Let me know if you need any additional information.
Good luck with this difficult situation and thank you for looking out for your friend.
Kyla Kelim
