TYPES OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES - POGOe



TYPES OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES

TO MEET NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS

Information and referral services

• provides people with current information on and links them to opportunities and services available within their communities

• because the Older Americans Act mandates I&R services, area agencies on aging are likely sources of information—but other organizations and entities may sponsor them as well

Volunteer and intergenerational programs

• uses and develops the volunteer capacity of the older adult to provide services to age peers

• examples of volunteer programs: Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), Senior Companion Program; Foster Grandparent Program; Senior Corps of Retired Executives; Shepherd Centers

• intergenerational programs bring together agencies or organizations that serve different client populations (for example, children and older adults)

Senior centers

• community facilities that provide broad spectrum of services, including health and mental health services; social, nutritional, and educational services; and facilities for recreational activities

Employment programs

• programs that help with displaced older workers (federal; private sector)

• may help reorient employers to using older workers

Income support programs

• help older people know where to turn when living in financially precarious situations

• some focus especially on people who fall through the cracks of other programs

Nutrition programs

• federally sponsored programs (through the Older Americans Act) aim to provide nutritionally sound meals in strategically located centers; to promote better health through improved nutrition; to reduce social isolation; and to provide opportunities to live out remaining years in dignity

• other programs: meals for homeless; food banks; brown bag programs; shopping assistance; adult daycare meals; home delivered meals

Health promotion programs

• health education and related interventions that facilitate behavioral and environmental changes which prevent, delay the occurrence, or minimize the impact of disease or disability while promoting independence and well-being of older adults

• examples of health promotion activities: health risk assessments; screenings; programs relating to management of chronic conditions; fitness programs; programs relating to alcohol and substance abuse, smoking cessation, weight loss, etc.; home injury control (e.g., preventing falls); mental health; medication management; counseling

Legal services programs and assistance

• Common legal problems for older adults: divorce; grandparent visitation; estate planning; issues of “spending down” assets to qualify for Medicaid; advance directives for health care; consumer fraud; substitute decision making; elder abuse

• Legal assistance programs include: hotlines; bar association services; dispute resolution programs; money management programs

Transportation programs

• includes public systems along with programs provided by nonprofit organizations, human service agencies, caregivers, and communities of faith

• federal sources of transportation support through Department of Health and Human Services (Title III; Title VI; Community Services Block Grant; Title XX Social Services Block Grant; Medicaid)

Housing programs

• includes programs that help people stay in their own homes (home equity conversion; home repair; home sharing); federal housing programs that assist people with low incomes; planned and naturally occurring retirement communities

• supportive living environments include: ECHO housing; congregate housing; continuing care retirement communities; assisted living; personal care boarding homes; long-term care facilities

Case management programs

• case managers serve as navigators who guide older person in their pursuit of services that will foster their independence

• case management involves “coordinating services that helps frail elders and others with functional impairments and their families identify and secure cost effectively administered services appropriate to the consumers’ needs” (National Advisory Committee of Long-Term Care Case Management)

• involves intake and prescreening, comprehensive client assessment, development of a care plan, acquisition and implementation of services, monitoring of services, and ongoing reassessment of the care plan

Home care services

• continuum of comprehensive care, providing individuals services that allow for maximum health, comfort, function, and independence in a home setting

• includes: home health agencies; hospice

Respite services

• refers to temporary, short-term supervisory, personal, and nursing care to older adults with physical and mental impairments

• services can be provided in the home or at a specific site in the community

• examples: in-home respite; institutional; adult day care

Some useful web sites on community services

aging

Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City houses the Department of Aging (the area agency on aging for 5 counties) which contracts for a variety of aging services in the community.



ElderWeb provides lots of useful information on aging and includes a search function.

dss.state.mo.us/da/da.htm

Missouri Division of Aging, Missouri’s state unit on aging that administers programs of the Older Americans Act and oversees area agencies on aging throughout the state.

aoa.

U.S. Administration on Aging: the most comprehensive web site on aging information and programs. Has links to many other sites.

aoa.elderpage/locator.html

The Eldercare Locator: A Way to Find Community Assistance for Seniors. Part of the Administration on Aging site that will allow you to locate services anywhere in the U.S.



Community Connection: a Missouri statewide database of community resources and consumer information. It provides a central source for information about a wide variety of resources available to Missourians



Center on Aging Studies without Walls: sponsored by the UMKC Center on Aging Studies and University of Missouri Outreach & Extension. This site provides extensive content on care giving and successful aging. Includes links to many resources.

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