The Older Americans Act (OAA) network coordinates and provides community-based care for older Americans. The network includes federal, state, tribal, and local organizations dedicated to aging issues, as well as local providers of elderly services. Community-based services provide support services for older Americans to enable them to stay in their homes rather than living in long-term residential care. They include resources directly related to housing and those designed to support the decision to stay at home.
In many elderly support programs, volunteers are essential. Volunteers might help repair an elderly American's home, for example, or they might help prepare the home for winter.
However, not all resources are available in all areas. Local Area Agencies on Aging can provide more information about the specific services available in specific areas.
One of the foremost resources available to help seniors stay in their homes is adult day care. Ideal for the elderly who do not need nursing care, the services at day care centers is diverse, including nursing, social services and activities, medical and health monitoring, and therapy, as well as necessary support services, such as meals and transportation. Many other services are often available to help seniors stay in their own homes, including state-sponsored energy assistance programs, landlord-tenant dispute resolution, home equity conversion, maintenance and repair services, and low-cost weatherization materials.
Community resources play a critical role in helping seniors who are staying in their own homes or in the homes of loved ones. For example, support groups are often available to allow seniors to network with one another and to support one another. Respite care is sometimes available for family members tending to the needs of a senior, either in an adult day care or another format.
Community senior centers serve as hubs for elderly activities and services, including serving meals, screening for health problems, providing recreational opportunities, and coordinating volunteer services. Nutrition and education programs are sometimes offered through senior centers, as well, or through other community resources.
Adult protective services are always available to investigate and take action when a senior is being abused, either by a caretaker or in a residential care environment. In addition to investigating reports of abuse, social workers help counsel abused seniors and link them to community resources for support. On a related note, some communities provide victim assistance programs to help the elderly recognize crime and fraud and to help reduce the vulnerability of the elderly population to those types of crime. Legal clinics sometimes provide legal services in areas such as health care, public benefits, guardianship, and probate.
Copyright 2012 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.
