Adult Day Healthcare - is a licenced community-based day program providing a variety of health, therapeutic, and social services designed to serve the specialized needs of those at risk of being placed in a nursing home. For more information Click Here

Alzheimer's Day Care Center - These centers provide services that support the physical and psychosocial needs of patients with Alzheimer's Disease. For more information Click Here

Elder Abuse - States are required to identify abuse, neglect, or exploitation; procedures for receipt of reports of abuse; and referral of complaints to law enforcement, public protection service agencies, or other appropriate agencies. Involuntary or coerced participation in the program by alleged victums, abusers, or their households is prohibited. For more information on elder abuse Click Here

Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) Assists individuals and families with Medicare problems and other health-related concerns. For more information Click Here

Information and Referral Services
Trained staff help link older persons and their families to specific community services.

In-home Services
Assistance with personal care and daily tasks, homemaker and home health aide, visiting and telephone reassurance, chore maintenance, and supportive services for families of elderly victims of Alzheimer's and related diseases.

Legal Services
Are provided to identify legal problems and legal service needs of older persons. The legal services can help you with a variety of legal problems concerning housing, consumer fraud, elder abuse, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicare, Medicaid, age discrimination, pensions, nursing homes, protective services, conservatorships, and other matters. The legal assistance provider:

• must have expertise in specific areas of the law affecting older persons in economic or social need, for example, public benefits, institutionalization, and alternates to institutionalization.
  
• must have the capacity to provide support to other advocacy efforts, for example, the long-term-care ombudsman program.
  
• must provide legal assistance in the principal language spoken by clients in areas where a significant number of clients do not speak English.
  
• must provide effective administration and judicial representation in all areas of the law affecting older persons.
  
• may not require an older person to disclose information about income or resources as a condition for providing legal assistance.
  
• may ask about the person's financial circumstances as a part of a process of providing legal advice, counseling, and representation, or for the purpose of identifying additional resources and benefits for which the person may be eligible.

Linkages
Provides four levels of services ranging from in-depth information and referral to ongoing case management. Linkages serves elderly and younger functionally impaired adults at risk of institutionalization. Clients do not need to be eligible for Medi-Cal (Medicaid).

Long-Term Care Ombudsman Services
Since 1978, the Older Americans Act has mandated all State Units on Aging to establish and operate a long-term-care Ombudsman program. A state-certified ombudsman is a public official who investigates and resolves complaints made by, or on behalf of, older individuals who are residents of long-term-care facilities, nursing homes, and residential care homes. They do not represent the facility.

Complaints may relate to inadequate hygiene; physical abuse; personal items lost, stolen, or used by others; understaffing of the facility; action, inaction, or decisions of long-term-care providers (or their representatives), public agencies, or social ser-vice agencies that may adversely affect the health, safety, welfare, or rights of residents.

Ombudsmen are required to exercise oversight of skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, board and care homes, and other adult care homes. Ombudsmen are guaranteed access to facilities and must maintain strict rules of confidentiality for clients and complainants. Your ombudsman can be located through your area agency on aging or through your state office of aging (see listing in your yellow pages under "Senior Citizens Organizations").

Outreach
Seek out persons who may be eligible for assistance under SSI, Medicaid, and Food Stamp programs but are not receiving such assistance.

Respite Care/Respite Care Registries
Provide information and referral to help caregivers obtain temporary or periodic relief (in-home and out-of-home). The Respite Care program also gathers data on the availability of respite in local communities.

Senior Companion Program
Is like the Foster Grandparent program except it gives support to adults (instead of children) with special needs, such as the frail homebound elderly in jeopardy of being institutionalized, those physically handicapped, and those who are mentally or neurologically impaired. Requirements and volunteer benefits are the same as the Foster Grandparent program.

Senior companions serve as an integral part of a care plan designed to allow homebound persons to continue independent living. Volunteers serve as peer counselors and advocates, linking their clients to appropriate community services. Special emphasis is on acute care, discharge planning, mental health, and care of the terminally ill.

Host Site Facilities--Senior companions serve in many settings such as private homes, nursing homes, convalescent hospitals, private nonprofit health agencies, day care centers, nutrition sites, multipurpose senior centers, and other facilities that serve seniors.

Senior Discount Programs
Many states develop a statewide network of community-based discount programs for persons 60 years of age or older. The primary goal is to extend the purchasing power of older consumers by enhancing existing discount programs. Benefits include:

• Seniors can stretch their buying power by taking advantage of cash discounts.
  
• Businesses can increase visibility by offering discounts and other special benefits to seniors.

Transportation
Local agencies secure escorts and travel vouchers or provide vehicles to assist in transportation of older persons to essential services.