Local Support Services
In order for many frail elders to remain in their homes, they need a wide range of services that allow them to continue participating in family and community life. In addition, caregivers such as spouses, partners, children, siblings and friends may need supports to help them continue in their caregiving responsibilities.
NY Connects: Choices for Long Term Care
There is a great demand for long term care services in New York State and it is increasing daily. Until now, no one source was available to help people with such needs.
New York State's Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and Department of Health (DOH) developed NY Connects: Choices for Long Term Care. It is designed to help people learn about, and access, long term care services. Most counties have an NY Connects program.
Anyone may contact their local office to learn about long term care options. The office will give them unbiased information. When needed, consumers will be linked with services. The NYConnects office can be contacted by phone, by mail, and in many cases by fax or e-mail. Information and assistance will be given without regard to a person's income.
You can also play an important role in helping shape the long term care services that are available in your community. If you would like to become involved, please contact your local office for the aging or local department of social services
to indicate your interest in serving on the Long Term Care Council in your county.
For additional information, and to find out if your county NY Connects is operational, go to the NYConnects website at: http://www.nyconnects.org
Alzheimer's Disease or other Dementias
Many people and families struggle to cope with the challenges of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Many services are available to assist both the persons afflicted with the disease and their families. See the list of Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Centers on pages 56-57.
These centers can help persons obtain a clinical diagnosis and referral for proper treatment. Also see the list of Alzheimer's Disease Community Services Programs and Alzheimer's Associations and other Alzheimer's Associations in New York State. They provide a variety of valueable programs for sufferers of dementia as well as their family members and other caregivers. Services may include support groups, information, training for families, and educational materials.
Caring for Minor Children
Hundreds of thousands of grandparents and other relatives in New York State care for minor children who are without their own parents. The Kinship Navigator is a statewide program that began in 2007 specifically designed to provide information and resources to kinship caregivers across the state. For more information go to http://www.nysnavigator.org/
Also, the New York State Office for the Aging has developed a Grandparent/Kinship Caregivers Support Programs Directory that is designed to provide information on resources and services available across the state to support grandparents and other relatives (kinship caregivers) raising children. The directory is available on the NYSOFA website at http://www.aging.ny.gov/Caregiving/GrandParents/Index.cfm
Elder Caregiver Support Program
This program provides support and assistance to those persons (such as spouses, partners, children and friends) who are caring for an older person who needs assistance to be able to remain at home in the community. The goal is to enable these caregivers to continue to do so by providing them support based on their unique circumstances.
The assistance provided to caregivers may include the following: information about available services; assistance with obtaining services; individual counseling, participation in support groups and training to assist in making decisions and solving problems related to their caregiver roles; respite care to provide a temporary, short-term break from their caregiving responsibilities; and other supplemental services to complement the caregiver's efforts. In some counties, it may also provide support for grandparents and other older relatives caring for children. Contact your local office for the aging about caregiver programs in your area.
Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP)
EISEP assists elders who need help with activities of daily living (e.g., dressing, bathing, personal care) and instrumental activities of daily living (e.g., shopping, housekeeping, cooking), who want to remain at home and are not eligible for Medicaid. The program's case managers help elders and their families decide what help is needed and arrange for services that may include non-medical in-home services, non-institutional respite services for caregivers, ancillary services and other services available in the community. EISEP supports and supplements care provided by families and friends. Participants whose incomes are above 150% of poverty share in the cost of the services, according to a sliding scale. For more information call your local office for the aging.
Eldercare Locator
This is a nationwide directory assistance service designed to help elders and caregivers find local support resources for America's elders. Call their toll-free service which links callers with information and services in their own communities and in other states at 1-800-677-1116.
Home Care Services
Local providers offer services in the homes of people with temporary or chronic needs who cannot perform day-to-day tasks. Services may range from nursing care to assistance in shopping, meal preparation and other household functions, as well as bathing, grooming and feeding. For more information, contact your local office for the aging.
Hospice Services
Hospice care provides all the reasonable and necessary medical and support services for the management of a terminal illness. Under Medicare, hospice is primarily a comprehensive program of care delivered in a person's home. To determine whether Medicare-approved hospice is available in your area contact the National Hospice Association at 1-800- 658-8898 or the Hospice and Paliative Care Association of New York State at 1-518-446-1483 or 1-800-431-8988.
Long-Distance Caregiving
If you are providing care to someone in another state, please know that At Home, in Your Community - Local Support Services the state in which your care receiver resides will have caregiver services of its own. Log onto the U.S. Administration on Aging's website to find services that your care receiver may be eligible for: http://www.aoa.gov/
Respite Services
Respite services provide infrequent and temporary substitute care or supervision of frail or disabled adults. Respite care gives the caregiver a break from caring for their loved one, providing the caregiver with temporary relief from the stresses or responsibility of caregiving, enabling them to maintain their loved one at home for as long as possible. Respite can be provided on a planned or emergency basis, on a regular schedule or one time. Contact your local office for the aging.
Senior Centers
Senior centers throughout New York State offer recreational, social, wellness and health promotion and nutritional services. To find the senior center closest to you, contact your local office for the aging.
Social Adult Day Services
Social adult day services are structured programs that provide older people with stimulation and assistance in a protective setting during part of a day but for less than a 24-hour period. They include assistance with personal care, nutrition, socialization, supervision and monitoring, and may include enhancement of daily living skills, transportation, caregiver assistance, and other services. They help the participants remain in the community and provide family caregivers with relief. For adult day services programs in your community, call your local office for the aging.
Supportive Services
Supportive services include transportation, information and referral, outreach, in-home services, adult day care and legal services, as well as other services. These are offered through local offices for the aging.
Telephone Reassurance and Friendly Visiting
For seniors who live alone, telephone contact assures well-being and good health. Friendly visiting provides person-to-person social contact which helps prevent isolation. Contact your local office for the aging.