There are a number of senior services available through the Houston-Galveston Area Agency on Aging. These services are specifically designed to increase and encourage the independent living of older people.
Our service providers will be able to give you detailed information on a particular service and its availability in your county. For contact information regarding community, healthcare, financial, or nursing home services, see our services directory.
While many people are already being served, the Area Agency on Aging is constantly seeking to increase services to the elderly in our region. The following services are presently available or planned for within the area.
Care Coordination
Provided by qualified caseworkers on an ongoing basis, case coordination includes the following:
- individual assessment
- individual service plan development
- arranging of the necessary care and services
- follow-up
- ongoing monitoring of the client's status and the delivered service
- periodic revision of the overall service plan
Caregiver Respite Care Services
The Respite Care service outcome is to render temporary relief to primary caregivers of impaired elderly family members. The target group for this service is a person who is taking care of an older person who is functionally impaired in their ability to perform regular activities of daily living, however does not need institutionalization. Services are provided in the client's home or in an adult day care facility on a short-term, temporary basis while the primary caregiver is unavailable or needs relief.
Caregiver Information Services
This service includes developing informational resources, developing and/or facilitating support groups, seminars and focus groups, facilitating individual or group counseling, and providing educational services to groups or individuals.
Congregate Meals
Congregate meals are hot or other appropriate meals that are served to an eligible person and meet Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) as established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. These meals are served in a congregate setting.
Emergency Response System
ERS is provided to the homebound, frail elderly using an automatic monitoring system to link them to emergency medical services when their life or safety are in jeopardy. These ERS services include the installation of the individual monitoring unit, training associated with the use of the system, periodic checking to ensure that the unit is functioning properly, equipment maintenance calls, response to an emergency call by a medical professional, paraprofessional or volunteer, and follow-up with the client.
Health Maintenance
Health maintenance is the provision of services, drugs and/or equipment which will prevent, alleviate and/or cure the onset of acute and/or chronic illness, increase awareness of special health needs and/or improve the emotional well-being of an older individual. This includes the provision of services by a health professional other than "health screening/monitoring" or "mental health" servcies, for example: dental treatment, health education, home health services (nursing; physical, speech or occupational therapy), or the provision of medications, glasses, dentures or hearing aides.
Health Screening / Monitoring
A medical or health professional runs specific tests to determine the need for a health service. This service should include appropriate referrals and follow-up when warranted. Routine testing includes
- blood pressure
- hearing
- vision
- diabetes
- anemia
- periodic checking/monitoring of a known condition (such as monthly blood pressure checks for hypertension or hematocrit tests for anemia)
Health Promotion
Health promotion programs encourage healthy behaviors, reduce the risk for chronic and preventable disease, and maintain or improve the functioning of older adults. Health Maintenance is the provision of services, prescription medication, and/or assistive devices, which will prevent, alleviate, and/or cure the onset of acute or chronic illness; increase awareness of special health needs, and/or improve the emotional well-being of an older individual.
Home-delivered Meals
Home-delivered meals are hot, cold, frozen, dried, canned, or supplemental (with a satisfactory storage life) and provide a minimum Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) allowances as established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. These meals are delivered to an eligible person in his or her place of residence.
Homemaker
Trained and supervised homemakers provide housekeeping/home management, meal preparation and/or escort tasks to older adults who need such assistance in their own homes. Other duties may include the following: shopping, tidying, dusting, cleaning, washing dishes and utensils, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, laundering, ironing, emptying garbage, making beds, changing sheets, performing on reading and writing tasks, organizing household routines, assisting in planning menus, preparing meals, storing and service food, arranging transportation, and accompanying the client on trips.
Information, Referral, and Assistance
There are two aspects to this service. 'Information' encompasses the provision of concrete information to a provider, an older person or their advocate(s) about public and voluntary services and resources (including name, address and telephone number of the resource) and/or linkage with appropriate community resources. 'Referral' must include contact and follow-up with the provider, the older person and/or the advocate(s) and may accompany advocacy. This does not include newsletter mailings, public service announcements, presentations, or public information activities.
Legal Assistance
Legal services are provided through an attorney, paralegal and/or non-lawyer advocate who assists in matters related to legal rights, benefits, and entitlements by furnishing legal advice, counseling, intervention, assistance and representation. We have a contact list for free or low cost legal assistance in the 12 county region.
Ombudsman
Ombudsman services consist of advocating for quality care and the rights of nursing home residents. Visit our Ombudsman page for more details on this valuable service.
Outreach
This service encompasses a variety of interventions, initiated by a provider to identify older persons, with particular attention to low income minority and minority elderly persons, to inform older individuals of eligibility requirements and to encourage the use of existing services and benefits.
Personal Assistance
Trained home health aides provide personal assistance services under the direction and supervision of a registered professional nurse and, if appropriate, a physical, speech or occupational therapist. The home health aide service is provided to functionally impaired older persons who can be cared for in their own homes. To help prevent or postpone institutionalization, home health aides may also perform other household services:
- bathing
- grooming
- feeding
- ambulation
- exercise
- oral hygiene
- assistance with self-administered medications
- taking and charting vital signs
- essential household services that maintain a safe environment for the patient
Physical Fitness
This activity sustains and/or improves physical and mental health, and may include exercises to increase endurance (cardiovascular and muscular), strength, flexibility, balance and/or coordination/agility.
Recreation
Recreation includes provider-facilitated activities such as sports, performing arts, games and crafts in which elderly persons participate as spectators or performers.
Residential Repair
Residential Repair assists older persons remain independent and safe in their homes through upgrading the conditions of their residence.
Respite Care
This service is provided to dependent older persons who need supervision. Services are provided in the client's home environment on a short-term, temporary basis while the primary caregiver is unavailable or needs relief. In addition to supervision, services may include meal preparation, housekeeping, assistance with personal care and/or social and recreational activities.
Telephone Reassurance
Telephone reassurance is telephoning an older person in order to provide regular contact and companionship or to initiate necessary actions in the event the person cannot be reached by telephone.
Transportation
Transportation service is taking an older person from one location to another. This does not include any other activity. We have a contact list for transportation services in the 12 county region.
Visiting
This service includes going to see an older person in order to provide regular contact and companionship or initiating necessary actions to determine if assistance is needed if the person does not respond.