Services provided to elders in their homes to enable them to continue living at home for as long as possible. Includes personal care, homemaker, respite, chore, emergency alert response, home health aid.

A center where seniors congregate for a variety of activities. Activities vary from center to center and usually include congregate meals.

Caregiver support services – services that help the caregiver of a frail elder continue as a caregiver. Services include respite care, counseling, caregiver education, support groups, and in-home services.

Information and referral – provides responses to inquiries regarding resources and available services. Contact and follow-up with the resources and with clients are made as needed.

Nutrition education – instruction in the purchase and preparation of nutritionally balanced meals and assistance in the development of special diets.

Medication management screening and education – identification and counseling regarding the medication regime and individual is using, including prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins and home remedies. This service also helps to identify any dietary factors which may interact with the medication regime.

Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Elders: A federally funded program providing free insurance counseling and information about Medicare, Medicaid other health insurance, long-term care planning and prescription assistance. SHINE uses a network of trained volunteer counselors.

Travel provided to and from congregate dining sites, senior centers, medical appointments and other community resources.

Legal assistant/services – provides legal advise and counseling for elders, services are provided by lawyers and paralegal counselors in the home, community and/or in care-providing facilities.

Nutrition counseling – the evaluation of an individual’s nutritional history and dietary intake and development of a plan which ensures that the person’s nutritional needs are met. The evaluation includes a review of the individual’s food habits and preferences, an assessment of his or her feeding skills and eating problems and an analysis of variables such as the person’s height and weight and the fat content of his or her body.

Nutrition education – instruction in the purchase and preparation of nutritionally balanced meals and assistance in the development of special diets.

Home energy assistance – assistance provided in response to an energy crisis. Can include help with paying an electric bill shut off notice or provision of a fan, heater or blankets. May also include weatherization.

Home repair/modification - necessary repairs and changes made to the home to make it easier for the elder remain in the home, includes ramps, installation of grab bars, repairs to floor or ceiling, door widening, etc.

The requirements vary from service to service and in most cases they are generalized for easy qualification.

OAA - Older Americans Act: A federally funded program passed in 1965. These programs are probably the ones that are the most familiar. They provide social activities for seniors, such as meals and recreational activities at senior centers and other congregate sites. Also, through these programs, local agencies deliver in-home services to frail elders -- services such as home delivered meals, personal care, homemaking help and caregiver support. Local agencies also use Older Americans Act money to fund advocacy, health promotion and elderabuse prevention activities that benefit all elders. Eligibility: age 60+; target low income minority elders and those in greatest economic and social need.

CCE - Community Care for the Elderly: A state-funded program that provides community-based services to enable functionally impaired elders to live dignified and reasonably independent lives in their own homes, or in the homes of relatives or caregivers, for as long as possible. The CCE program prevents inappropriate or premature nursing-home placement through the provision of ongoing case management and other services such as adult day care, respite, home-delivered meals, personal care, consumable medical supplies, emergency alert response, light housekeeping, minor home repair and yard clean-up. Eligibility: age 60+ and frail. There is a co-pay on a sliding scale.

HCE - Home Care for the Elderly: A state-funded program that provides subsidy payments to help caregivers maintain low-income elders in their own home, or in the home of a caregiver. The monthly basic subsidy payment is made to the caregiver for support and health maintenance and to assist with specialized health care needs. An eligible HCE participant must be at-risk for nursing home placement. Eligibility: age 60+, frail and 24 hour caregiver.

ADI - Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative: A state-funded program that provides respite services for the special needs of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related memory disorders. Eligibility: Alzheimer’s Disease or a Related Dementia. There is a co-pay on a sliding scale.

MW - Medicaid Waivers Programs: A state/federal program that provide a variety of home and community-based services to elders that are frail, functionally impaired and at risk of nursing home placement. The programs use Medicaid funds to help elders remain in the home or an assisted living facility (ALF). A professional case manager is assigned to each consumer. The case manager drafts a customized care and service plan for each consumer. Under Consumer Directed Care consumers manage their own care. The premise is that consumers or their caregivers are in the best position to make spending decisions about their service dollars. Consumers are given a budgeted cash allowance to purchase services from providers, neighbors and/or family members. Consultant and bookkeeping services are provided to assist consumers with managing their budget and expenditures. Eligibility: age 60+, Medicaid eligible, nursing home appropriate.

EHEAP - Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program: A federally funded program that provides vendor payments to assist low-income households. At least one person in the residence must be age 60 or older, and experiencing a home energy emergency, such as difficulty keeping on his or her utilities. The energy emergency could be the receipt of a pending shut off notice, lack of fuel or wood or an unusually high utility bill resulting from a severely hot summer or harsh winter. Eligibility: age 60+ living in the home, low income.

RELIEF - Respite for Elders Living in Everyday Families: A state-funded program that provides in-home respite for homebound elders. Respite services allow the caregiver to leave the premises of homebound elders for a brief period of time. Respite services are provided by carefully selected, screened and trained volunteers.

SC - Senior Companion: A national service peer volunteer program that provides services to elders at risk of institutionalization due to chronic illnesses, disabilities or isolation. Senior Companion volunteers provide:

• Companionship and advocacy;
• Respite to caregivers of frail elders;
• Transportation to medical appointments, and
• Shopping assistance and meal preparation.


SHINE - Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Elders: A federally funded program providing free insurance counseling and information about Medicare, Medicaid other health insurance, long-term care planning and prescription assistance. SHINE uses a network of trained volunteer counselors.

SFS - Sunshine for Seniors: Sunshine for Seniors counselors inform elder consumers of program eligibility criteria established by pharmaceutical companies and the drugs covered by those programs. This service enables Florida's senior citizens to make informed choices about free or discount programs that best suit their prescription needs. In addition, Sunshine for Seniors counselors assist with program enrollment, information and application forms, if necessary.

Adult day care – provides social, recreational and rehabilition services to frail elders in a central location (center). Centers operate at least five days a week with various programs and activities designed to stimulate, educate and support elders in maintaining and/or improving their level of functioning.

Adult day health care – an organized program of therapeutic, social and health activities and services provided to functionally impaired adults for the purpose of restoring or maintaining optional capacity for self care.

Case management – client centered series of activities for an eligible client which includes assessment of need planning, arrangement for, and coordination of appropriate community based services and follow-up to ensure receipt of services.

Chore services – assistance with heavy household and/or yard tasks such as seasonal cleaning, yard work, lifting and moving furniture and simple household repairs.

Congregate meals – hot, nutritionally balanced meal provided in a group setting at community sites, e.g. senior center churches, synagogues, etc.

Emergency alert/response – an electronic monitoring system which can transmit a coded signal through electronic digital equipment to a central station when emergency assistance is needed by an elder.

Gerontological counseling – counseling by a licensed practitioner who provides emotional support, information and guidance through a variety of modalities, including mutual support groups for elders who are having mental, emotional or social adjustment problems that have arisen as a result of the process of aging.

Home-delivered meals – hot, nutritionally balanced meals that are delivered at home to individuals who are unable to prepare their own meals.

Home health aide – provides health or medically oriented care in an elder’s home under the supervision of a health professional.

Homemaker – a service that provides housekeeping, grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation and laundry assistance.

Mental health screening – a diagnostic and treatment planning service for elders who are experiencing acute or chronic mental or emotional problems. Includes a continuum of assessment services ranging from a comprehensive psychiatric or psychological evaluation to the administration of one or a combination of psychological tests to examine a particular personality variable.

Personal care – a service that provides assistance with bathing, dressing, grooming, feeding and other activities of daily living.

Recreation – activities at a senior center, ranging from exercise to educational classes.

Respite care – supervision, companionship and/or personal care activity provided to a frail elder for the purpose of relieving a primary caregiver for a specified period of time. May be provided in the home or in a day care setting.

Telephone reassurance – travel provided to and from congregate dining sites, senior centers, medical appointments and other community resources.