How to Find and Use Community Resources
The first place to start is with your AAA, known in this instance as the Area Agency on Aging, and not the automobile club. (To avoid confusion, they have changed this to AAoA, but there may still be some references using AAA.) You can locate your local agency by calling the Eldercare Locator or you can look in the white pages of your phone book under “Government Offices.” The website address is
Request information and pamphlets or other publications on as many different services as you can think of for your parent. Then get a file box and organize the literature you receive as you get it. File the information under categories of need such as health care, transportation, respite care, housing options, meals/nutrition, day-care services, long-term care, support groups, legal services, senior centers.
Get organized and stay organized. You may never need this information, but you may encounter someone who does, or if you do need it, it might be an emergency and you don't want to be rummaging through junk drawers, old purses, or your briefcase. If you don't have time or energy to organize things, ask a friend to help you. Friends are always looking for ways to be helpful to friends in crisis. Put one to work.
Keep a small notebook in your purse and one by the phone so information is not lost on scraps of paper, napkins, backs of business cards, and other extraneous sources. If possible, date your notes and be sure to get names.
Use your phone book or the one you brought home from your parents' house. Use sticky notes or flags to highlight pages as you find them and highlighter pens to note the numbers you need. Some of the terms you may want to search under include “elder,” “senior,” and “aging.” You also want to look for “nurses,” “home health,” “medical supplies,” and “hospitals.” There may also be a section (sometimes it's green) that gives you alternative names or words to search under in the phone book.
Find your local United Way and explore what services it offers. Churches and synagogues can be good sources as well. Catholic Charities and Jewish Family Services can provide resources and information even if you don't belong to their religious affiliates. Visit the local senior center and your local library. Usually, they have racks full of brochures, pamphlets, and even bulletin boards that can provide a wealth of information and contacts.
Don't overlook your employer and your spouse's employer. Find out about family leave options. Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), if your employer has more than fifty employees and you have logged greater than 1,250 hours of employment in the past twelve months, you are eligible for up to twelve weeks of leave to care for a family member. This time can be used in a flexible manner such as in a single block or applied to part-time hours. Some states have their own family medical leave programs as well. Also, inquire if your employer offers any support or counseling services for employees who are caring for aging parents. And investigate your health-insurance plan for alternative care such as stress-reduction programs.
Consider the specific needs your parents have and try to anticipate future needs. Make a list of those things and begin your search for community resources with this list. When you contact the AAoA or other sources, request information specific to these needs first.
