No Title 1426
Supplement to “Help for Aging Adults”
Resources and services for aging adults are plentiful, if you know where to look. Checking with the area agency on aging for your county is one of the best ways to discover what services are available. The services may differ from agency to agency.
For instance, the Barren River agency offers congregate meals, home-delivered meals, transportation, nutrition education, health promotion, information and assistance, legal and benefits counseling, and homemaker assistance, including grocery shopping and laundry help. The Lake Cumberland agency also offers visiting/telephone reassurance, disease prevention, and personal care, as well as the same services offered by the Barren River agency.
You can find all the Kentucky area agencies on aging at this Web link: www.mfaaa.org/AreaAgency.aspx?state=Kentucky.
To locate by phone your area agency on aging, senior help lines, and state offices on aging, contact the national Eldercare Locator at (800) 677-1116, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. (Eastern Time). Their Web site is www.eldercare.gov.
Additional agencies that may be of interest to older adults and caregivers:
The National Institute on Aging offers several publications, many of them free. Topics include Healthy Aging, Caregiving, Spanish Language Materials, Your Medical Care, Science and Research, Medications and Supplements, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, and more. Call (800) 222-2225 for more information or go on the Web to www.n4a.org.
KyCARES, http://kycares.ky.gov/, is an online services/information directory and guide for federal, state, and community providers, which can help you connect with providers that offer basic services like housing, food, transportation, benefits information, and much more. Call (888) 567-1373.
Kentucky Talking Book Library provides hours of entertainment and education to anyone who has difficulty reading standard print material or who is unable to hold a book and turn the pages. The condition can be temporary or permanent, as long as a competent authority endorses the application (learning disabilities must be certified by an M.D.). Some examples of qualifying conditions are visual conditions from blindness, cataracts, diabetes complications, eye surgery, and macular degeneration. Physical conditions include loss or paralysis of hand or arms, crippling arthritis, multiple sclerosis, print or paper allergy, and stroke. Call (800) 372-2968.
Family Caregiver Alliance offers several services and publications that address caregiver needs. Programs and workshops are available at the local, state, and national levels. Call (800) 445-8106 or go online to www.caregiver.org for more information.
To read the Kentucky Living October 2006 feature that goes along with this supplement, click here: Help for Aging Adults
