If you are elderly or have a disability, an extensive network of services may be available to you. Depending on where you live and what you need, you might have access to home\u2013delivered meals, home repair, transportation,\u00a0 financial consulting, legal assistance, and numerous other services.<\/p>\n
Whatever you think you might need, it\u2019s worth asking if there might be a service to help you.<\/p>\n
There are two places to ask: your local senior citizen center, and the state Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), a bureau of the New Mexico Aging and Long\u2013term Services Department (ALTSD).<\/p>\n
The ADRC can be reached at 1\u2013800\u2013432\u20132080.\u00a0 Save this phone number.\u00a0 The email address is nm.adrc@state.nm.us<\/a>.\u00a0 There is an online resource directory at www.nmresourcedirectory.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n I discovered the ADRC at the annual state Conference on Aging.\u00a0 Several agencies were represented, hoping to increase the public\u2019s awareness of what they do. The ADRC is a link to all of them.<\/p>\n Services to the elderly in New Mexico are provided through a bureaucratic tangle of state and federal agencies and local nonprofits.\u00a0 Some programs for seniors are intertwined with programs for people with disabilities.\u00a0 Some involve other government programs, such as Medicaid and the Veterans Administration. Some are only for low-income clients; others have no income restrictions.<\/p>\n If you need something, you should be able to ignore all that bureaucracy and get connected to a service that can help you.<\/p>\n A few programs worth noting:<\/p>\n For active seniors, the department\u2019s website lists more than 200 senior citizen centers. \u00a0A detailed list can be found at: \u00a0\u00a0www.nmaging.state.nm.us\/senior-services.aspx<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a senior who would like to help other seniors, you could volunteer for the senior companion program, providing companionship for a \u00a0homebound senior; or the ombudsman program to maintain supportive contact with elders in long-term care facilities.<\/p>\n Adult Protective Services is the division that responds to reports of abuse against adults, whether by family members or others. It is for any persons over age 18 who cannot protect themselves, not just elders.\u00a0 The phone number is 1-866-654-3219, with 24-hour access.<\/p>\n The Governor\u2019s Commission on Disability (a separate department) serves individuals with any kind of disability. \u00a0It can help with assistive technology and has low-interest loans to purchase adaptive devices or make home modifications. \u00a0Another loan program helps individuals to purchase equipment to expand or create a home-based business. Call the Technology Assistance Program, NMTAP: 505-841-6646 in Albuquerque; www.tap.gcd.state.nm.us<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Brain Injury Advisory Council, part of the Commission on Disability, provides services for individuals with brain injuries and distributes bicycle helmets to children: 1-877-696-1470.<\/p>\n The Securities Division of the Regulation and Licensing Department has an investor education program for community groups, to help elders avoid being victimized by fraud:\u00a0 1-800-704-5533 or redflagsnm.com<\/u>.<\/p>\n Legal Resources for the Elderly is a joint program of ALTSD and the State Bar. Anyone age 55-plus may consult with an attorney on the phone free of charge.\u00a0 Referrals can sometimes be given to other volunteer attorneys who help at no cost with estate planning and other matters: 1-800-876-6657.<\/p>\n The Alzheimer\u2019s Association helps families affected by Alzheimer\u2019s and dementia.\u00a0 Reach the 24-hour statewide helpline at 1-800-272-3900 or www.alz.org\/newmexico.<\/p>\n Despite all this, it shouldn\u2019t surprise anyone that resources are limited and funding doesn\u2019t always get where it\u2019s needed.<\/p>\n Attached to ALTSD is an eleven-member volunteer Policy Advisory Committee. At the recent conference, the committee held a \u201clistening session,\u201d to hear concerns from elders and service providers. The most common concerns were about elders living alone in rural areas. Some of these elders are virtually abandoned, with no family, no transportation and no assistance.<\/p>\n These problems are tough to solve institutionally. If you know someone in such circumstances, you might help by being a concerned neighbor and making a phone call to one of the services listed above.<\/p>\n Triple Spaced Again, \u00a9 New Mexico News Services 2016<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you are elderly or have a disability, an extensive network of services may be available to you. Depending on where you live and what you need, you might have access to home\u2013delivered meals, home repair, transportation,\u00a0 financial consulting, legal … Continue reading