Franklin County Home Care Corporation helping elders and caregivers live better lives

What's New?

• Donate to help frail elders have a hot noontime meal.
• Consumer's Home Repair Guide
• Senior Dining Center Menus
• Calendar of Events
• Thanks to Donors
• Advocate! Contact Legislators
• Silverline Directory
• Outreach Help for Elders & Caregivers in Orange
• Job Openings at FCHCC
• Home Repair Counselors Wanted
• Farmer's Market Coupons

The SHINE (Serving Health Information Needs of Elders) program has graduated eight new counselors: (Seated L to R): Chris Crane, Doris Martin, Dianne Ryan and Linda Comstock. (Standing L to R) Eli Kwartler, Tyll Van Geel and Richard Bauman. SHINE help is always FREE! Read more about SHINE and find counselors near you by going to the pink menu at top left and pulling out "In The Community".

Resources & Links

Jump to:

• National Resources
• Massachusetts State Resources
• Local Western Massachusetts Resources
• Caregiver Resources
• Emergency Preparedness
• Energy & Heating
• Estate Planning and Retirement
• Food
• Información en Español
• LGBT Resources
• Older Drivers
• Retirement
• Scams
• SHINE Flash!
• Veterans' Resources
• Embrace Your Future—Long Term Care Planning
• Other Resources

 

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National Resources

• US Administration on Aging
• Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116
• Medicare
• National Association of Area Agencies on Aging: 1-202-872-0888
• Alzheimer's Association
• National Association of Elder Law Attorneys
• National Resource Center on Nutrition
• National Council on Aging

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Massachusetts State Resources

• Massachusetts Assisted Living
• MassHomeCare: 1-781-272-7177
• 1-800-AGE-INFO: Resources for Massachusetts Elders
• MA Elder Affairs Office: 1-800-AGE-INFO
• Prescription Advantage
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• Attorney General's Office
• Food Stamps (72K PDF)
• MA Bar Elder Law Booklet
• State Energy and Food Support - Updated October 2009
• New England Index (NEI) for persons with disabilities

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Local Western Massachusetts Resources

• Transportation Resources: Local Numbers
• Your Council on Aging/Senior Center
• Food Pantries
• Free Hot Home-Delivered Weekend Meals
• For Caregivers
• Help with Local Housing (116K PDF)

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Caregiver Resources

• For Caregivers
• Solving the Caregiver Puzzle
• Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery (2.3 MB PDF)
• Lotsa Helping Hands - private online calendar system for caregivers of people affected by Alzheimer's disease.
• What is Elder Abuse? (Word document)
• How to Answer Tough Questions about Elder Abuse (Word document)
• Caring for AD Patients at home - A guide for people who care for family members or others with Alzheimer's disease (AD) at home
• The Calm Before the Storm: Family Conversations about Disaster Planning, Caregiving, Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia (PDF)
• At the Crossroads: Family Conversations about Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia & Driving (PDF)
• We need to talk....Family Conversations with Older Drivers (PDF)
• AARP Caregiver Survey 2009 (PDF)
• The Caregivers Library website has a great array of good resources.  In case you are not familiar with it, you can check it out. The following page has a variety of excellent checklists for various resources.

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Emergency Preparedness

• 911 Disability Indicator Forms
• Notice of Life Sustaining Equipment
• Personal Emergency Action Planner (PDF)
• Power Outage Toolkit (PDF)
• It Could Happen to Me: Family Conversations about Disaster Planning (PDF)
• The Calm Before the Storm: Family Conversations about Disaster Planning, Caregiving, Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia (PDF)
• Fire Sense: A Smart Way to Prevent, Detect and Escape Home Fires (PDF)

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Energy & Heating

• 45 Ways to Use Energy Wisely
• State Energy and Food Support 2008
• Four Money Saving Home Modifications (164K PDF)
• Energy Efficiency and Fuel Assistance - Updated November 2009

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Estate Planning and Retirement

• 5 Books to Retire By
• Retirement and Estate Planning
• MA Bar Elder Law Booklet
• Estate Planning and Retirement DVD
• Estate Planning for Same Sex Couples (232K PDF)
• Life Estate Deeds to Protect Your Home (196K PDF)
• Long Term Care Insurance (200K PDF)
• Planned Giving and Estate Planning (188K PDF)
• Supplemental Needs Trusts (192K PDF)
• The Advantage of Thinking Ahead (240K PDF)
• Trusts & Special Needs Trusts (232K PDF)

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Food

• Food Pantries
• Franklin County Community Meals
• Free Hot Home Delivered Weekend Meals
• Free Meals 2009 (7K PDF)
• The Food Bank Brown Bag Eligibility Guidelines (215K PDF)
• The Food Bank Brown Bag Registration Form (308K Microsoft Publisher file)
• State Energy and Food Support 2008
• HHS and USDA Unveil New Food Safety Consumer Web Site at www.foodsafety.gov - New site features the latest food safety and recall information from across the government

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Información en Español

• Hombres: Sigan sanos despues de los 50 (116K PDF)
• Mujeres: Sigan sanas despues de los 50 (116K PDF)
• Su guia para el tratamiento con Coumadin/Warfarina (372K PDF)
• Health Info in Many Languages

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LGBT Resources

• Lifelines: Documents to Protect You and Your Family (PDF)
• Outing Age: Public Policy Issues Affecting Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders (PDF)
• Planning With Purpose: Legal Basics for LGBT Elders (PDF)
• Estate Planning for Same Sex Couples (232K PDF)

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Older Drivers

• It's Time to Change the Older Driver Conversation: New Research from MIT AgeLab and The Hartford Helps Drivers Keep the Keys As They Age (Word document)
• Your Road Ahead: A Guide to Comprehensive Driving Evaluations (PDF)
• RMV Reminder Service
• At the Crossroads: Family Conversations about Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia & Driving (PDF)
• We need to talk....Family Conversations with Older Drivers (PDF)
• Local Resources for Older Driver Evaluations

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Retirement

• Materials from Social Security and the SHINE program are on the way. Watch this space for resources in coming weeks.

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Scams

• Scam alert: Paying the Debts of a Deceased Relative (Word document)
• Scams: Video public service announcements are available at the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General.

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SHINE Flash!

• November 2009 Newsletter (0.5 MB PDF)
• August 2009 Newsletter (0.5 MB PDF)

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Veterans' Resources

• Resources for Veterans and their Widow(er)s and Dependents
• Newly Passed Veterans Benefits Bill
• Federal Benefits for Veterans (PDF)
• Veterans Resource & Referral Center in Greenfield
• MA Veterans Laws & Benefits - Updated March 2010
• Veterans Patient Guide

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Embrace Your Future—Long Term Care Planning

• Embrace Your Future Planning Guide (1.2MB PDF)
• Embrace Your Future Resources (PDF)
• Embrace Your Future Trifold Brochure (PDF)
• Long Term Care Fact Sheet (DOC)
• Long Term Care Planning Quiz (DOC)

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Other Resources

• Celebrating Our Youth (5 MB PDF)
• Homestead Forms - Updated October 2009
• Free Library Services/Delivery for the Homebound - Updated October 2009
• Funeral Resources: The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts, PO Box 994, Greenfield, MA 01301-0994, 413-774-2320. www.funeralconsumerswmass.org. Info on consumers rights and options, funeral home price survey, support and advocacy.
• Health Info in Many Languages
• Eventide Hospice Choir. Read more at www.eventidesingers.com
• Using Home Oxygen Safely (PDF)
• Hoarding Resources
• Knit for Our Troops
• Credit Card Reform
• Administration on Aging Newsletter. Free! Many great topics for elders, caregivers and persons with disabilities.
• Managing Your Medications (PDF)
• Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit
• Exercise & Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide, from the National Institute on Aging (PDF)
• Alzheimer's Resources Online
• Hear Now: Assistance for those without resources who are in need of hearing aids 
• Discharge Checklist/Russian Language
• Leaving the Hospital
• Elder Abuse Awareness Quiz
• Heat Stress in Elders 2010
• July 2010 Restraints
• Decision Tree for Clients in bed with rails
• July 2010 Guide to Bed Safety
• Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
• Emergency Preparedness - Let's Make A Plan
• Hurricane Safety & Resources
• Hearing Resource: A great 48 page guide to resources for financial assistance to purchase hearing aids/cochlear implants
• Extreme Heat 2010
• Hospice of Franklin County
• Highland Valley Elder Services
• Quilt Exhibit
• Franklin Regional Council of Governments for Franklin County, MA
• Stavros Center for Independent Living/Disabilities Advocacy

Cable TV

• Athol-Orange Community Television

North Quabbin Help & Support

• North Quabbin Community Coalition

Legal Help for Elders

• Western MA Legal Services

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