Home and Community-based Care and Serivces
Services include but are not limited to the following:
Adult Day Care:
Offers socialization, supervision, recreation, health services and meals in a single community setting for older adults and adults with disabilities such as moderate physical or cognitive disabilities.
Programs are typically open Monday through Friday during business hours and some may have transportation as well.
Care/case management:
Offers a single point of entry to the service network. They assess consumers' needs, develop service plans, coordinate and monitor services.
Chore Service:
Provides assistance with chores such as minor home repair, heavy cleaning or clutter removal.
Friendly Visitor/Senior Companions:
Programs in which volunteers regularly visit homebound or institutionalized older adults to provide socialization, run errands, and generally "check-in" with the older adult. Senior Companions receive a modest stipend for their time from the sponsoring agency.
Home Health/Personal Care Services:
Includes a wide range of health- related services. They range from help with basic needs: bathing, dressing, mobility, meal preparation and light housekeeping to medically related needs such as simple wound care and medication reminders to name a few.
Home sharing/Shared housing Programs:
Usually involve unrelated individuals sharing a home and the chores and expenses include in home ownership. Typically each person has their own room but share common areas such as the living room or kitchen. The house itself may be owned by the residents or by an organization.
Homemaker Services:
Offers help with meal preparation, shopping, light housekeeping and laundry.
Hospice:
Services for the terminally ill provided in the home, hospitals or institutions. It includes home-health services, volunteer support, grief counseling and pain management.
Mental Health Services:
Includes a variety of services such as counseling, therapy, psychiatric evaluation, crisis intervention and support groups. Issues addressed include depression, grief, anxiety, stress and more.
Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS/lifelines):
An emergency call button usually worn by the older adult, that can be pushed to get help from family, friends, or emergency assistance in the event of an emergency. Systems can be purchased or rented. Some units have additional options such as fire/smoke alarm or medication reminder dispensers.
Adult Protective Services:
A service often provided through local departments of human services in the counties which seeks to protect the rights of the frail older adult and investigate cases of neglect or abuse.
Respite Care:
Short-term assistance for persons caring for older adults, aka caregivers. Trained professionals or volunteers care for the older adult for short periods to allow the caregiver to go out. The amount of care ranges from several hours to several days.
Senior Centers:
Provide a variety of on-site programs for older adults including recreation, socialization, congregate meals and some health services. They are often a good source for information about programs and services locally.
Telephone Reassurance:
Program in which volunteers call homebound older adults on a regular basis to provide contact, support and companionship.
Transportation Services:
Provides transportation for older adults to services and appointments and medical appointments. Transportation Service may use a bus, taxi, volunteer drivers, or van services that allow for wheelchairs and persons with special needs.
Nutrition Services include:
Home Delivered Meals (also called Meals on Wheels):
Hot, nutritious meals are delivered to homebound older adults on weekdays, with the option of a box lunch (cold meal) for the weekends. Special diets may be available.
Congregate Meals:
Hot, nutritious lunches served to older adults in a group setting such as churches, senior centers, schools, synagogues, etc. Donations are requested though not required.
