Are you and/or your loved one in need of senior services and you don’t know where to turn? Have you and/or your loved one gone through an emergency crisis, are being discharged from hospital or rehab and you are not sure what resources are available to you? Looking for and understanding the services that are available to you can be very overwhelming.

Here are some helpful tips:

IDENTIFY YOUR NEEDS

You need to identify your needs first before you can start searching for services.

• Identify and determine the level of assistance needed regarding physical safety and psychological well-being.
• Limited mobility
• Frequent forgetfulness
• Assistance getting to the grocery store, shopping or running errands
• Assistance with personal care and homemaking
• De-cluttering,  or down-sizing
• Limited socialization or activity

RESEARCH OPTIONS

Once you have identified your needs, you can start researching your options for care.

Start with your local Council on Aging/Senior Center. But make sure you specify what services you are looking for.
Call your health care provider. Again, be specific on what services you are looking for.
Contact your State and Federal Organizations: Such as (but not limited to);

• The official U.S. Government site for Medicare:   http://www.medicare.gov
• Eldercare.gov:   http://www.eldercare.gov/eldercare
• USA.gov – Government Made Easy:  http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Seniors
• Administration on Aging: http://www.aoa.gov

YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL ON AGING/SENIOR CENTER CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH YOUR STATES ELDER CARE PROVIDER SERVICES.

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN INQUIRING ABOUT SERVICES:

• Is the Company fully insured?
• How long have they been in business? What is their experience?
• Can they provide references?
• Are they licensed or certified in their service?
• How do they credential their employees? Background checks?
• ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU ARE THE CONSUMER! ASK QUESTIONS! EDUCATE AND UNDERSTAND THE SERVICES YOU NEED.