Serving 18 Counties in Northwest Kansas
Northwest
Kansas
Area Agency on Aging
CARE (Client Assessment & Referral Evaluation)
Senior Health Insurance/ Prescription Drug Program
Disease Prevention/ Health Promotion
Site Index
Last Modified 08/02/06
Advocacy "...to plead the cause of another..."
The role of the Area Agency on Aging in this network is
to plan, coordinate, and advocate for the development of a comprehensive
service-delivery system to meet the short and long-term needs of older
persons in a specific geographic area. This is accomplished by working
with federal, state, and local officials; elderly constituents; service
providers; and the private voluntary sector to coordinate existing
services and to stimulate new services.
Information &
Assistance
The
Information & Assistance program is designed to provide individuals
with confidential help. They will listen to questions, provide them with
information on available service and refer to the appropriate agencies.
Trained
Information & Assistance staff are available Monday thru Friday, 8
a.m. – 5 p.m., to answer any questions or concerns you have. Please call at 1-800-432-7422.
HOMESTEAD Nutrition Project
The HOMESTEAD Nutrition Project has 29 meal sites located in Northwest Kansas and delivers meals to an additional 10 towns. The HOMESTEAD Nutrition Project is funded through participant contributions, federal, state and county funds. The meals served meet USDA guidelines and provide a minimum of 1/3 the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C and Vitamin A.
Link to:
Congregate Meals Program
The Congregate Meals program is designed to bring people age 60 and over together to share a hot nutritious meal, fun & friendship. Our purpose is to enrich the lives of seniors by providing nutrition education, promoting better health through a daily well-balanced meal and better mental health by providing a place for fellowship with other senior citizens. To make a reservation please call your local meal site by noon the day before. The requested contribution for those over 60 is $2.50. Those under 60 may also purchase a meal, but must pay the full meal cost of $4.50.
Home Delivered Meals Program
The Home Delivered Meals program is designed to provide meals to those who are unable to shop or prepare meals for themselves. The meals are delivered by volunteers. Our goal is to enable seniors to remain in their own homes and improve their health through proper diet and good nutrition information. A participant must be 60 or over or an eligible participant and unable to attend a mealsite. For information on eligibility or how to receive a home delivered meal, please call 1-800-432-7422. The requested contribution for those over 60 is $2.50. Those under 60 may also purchase a meal, but must pay the full meal cost of $4.75.
Client
Assessment, Referral and Evaluation (C.A.R.E.) Program
The purpose of the CARE program is to help individuals find the appropriate long-term care services. Visiting with a CARE assessor will give an individual a chance to discuss their options. They will provide information needed about services in their community to make an informed decision regarding what services will meet their long–term care needs. Everyone entering a nursing facility must have a CARE assessment done prior to admission. The assessment takes approximately an hour and is designed to evaluate your health and ability to perform daily activities such as shopping, dressing and laundry. There is no cost for the assessment.
Senior Citizen Law Project
The NWKAAA contracts with Kansas Legal Services to help provide legal services to those age 60 and over. The Senior Citizen Law Project is aware of all the problems seniors face and is designed to help inform, advise and solve these problems so that elderly citizens can obtain the rights and benefits to which they are entitled. Kansas Legal Services can help with division of assets, durable power of attorney, wills, living wills, income maintenance, Medicare & Medicaid insurance claims, and consumer cases. They are not permitted to handle cases where a private attorney could reasonably expect to earn a fee. However, the project attorney can counsel someone about problems and possible solutions including whether or not a private attorney should be contacted. Every effort will be made to make visits to homes, nursing homes, or hospital rooms if the client’s health or lack of transportation does not permit him/her to come to the legal office. For legal assistance please call Kansas Legal Services at 785-625-4514 or the NWKAAA at 1-800-432-7422.
Senior
Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) & Prescription Drug
Program (PDP)
SHICK offers older individuals an opportunity to ask an unbiased member of their own community questions about health insurance. Trained volunteer counselors provide counseling, assistance and advocacy relating to Medicare, private health insurance and related health coverage plans. To find a SHICK volunteer in your area please call 1-800-432-7422
If you have trouble paying your bills and buying your pills, ask a SHICK volunteer how they can help you work with your doctor to receive your medication thru drug companies.
Agency on Aging News
A newsletter is sent twice a year to
seniors upon their request. It contains articles on services, benefits,
programs and current issues of interest to seniors.
IIID
Grants
·
Exercise
program –
Fort Hays State University travels to the mealsites in Northwest Kansas
demonstrating exercises appropriate for seniors. They also set up exercise programs for those wishing to
participate.
· Medication Management – If you are 60 or older, and live in the 18 Northwest Kansas counties, please call us at 1-800-432-7422 to receive a free pill box.
·
Stroke
Rehabilitation –The NWKAAA has provided Fort Hays State’s Stroke Research &
Rehabilitation Center with a grant that has allowed them to purchase a
NuStep. This is a special piece of equipment that allows stroke patients
to exercise both their healthy side and the affected side by strapping the
feet to the foot pedal and tying the hands to the arm poles with a wrap.
Exercising helps to reduce the risk of clots, which in turn reduces the
risk of another stroke. A
session consists of monitoring heart rates, oxygen levels and blood
pressure. The NWKAAA has provided funding to FHSU to help provide this
service to those who are unable to afford it. The center is open 5 days a
week, for more information please call 785-628-5549.
Caregiver Program
Becoming
a caregiver may be one of the most important roles you will undertake in
your lifetime. It is neither a role in which most of us are prepared, nor
is it an easy role. This Caregiver Program is designed to help the
caregivers. A caregiver is anyone who is an unpaid care provider for an
older adult. The caregiver program provides assistance with information,
support groups, respite care and supplemental services. The caregiver
program is also designed to assist grandparents raising their
grandchildren. Please call 1-800-432-7422, for more information on
eligibility and services.
In-Home Services