Eldercare Locator offers help for seniors

Officials for the U.S. Administration on Aging are urging everyone to get more closely acquainted with any seniors in their life.

Officials are hoping that family members will get "IN TOUCH" with their elderly loved ones. The IN TOUCH plan has been developed to collect information that would be helpful for seniors in the event of an emergency.

IN TOUCH stands for:

Identify potential emergency situations
Note community resources
Talk about individual circumstances
Outline your plan in writing
Update as situations change
Communicate regularly and test
Have peace of mind

A key way to collect information on resources for seniors is the Eldercare Locator, a nation-wide toll-free information and referral service created in 1991 by the Administration on Aging.

The Eldercare Locator will provide information on the availability of homemaker support, personal care, home health care, telephone reassurance, transportation and home-delivered meals. This is not a counseling service and the representative on the line does not recommend or rank services, it simply provides all available information to help families of seniors make informed decisions.

Pam Ritchie, Hilton East Assisted Living Community assistant administrator, said it is important that families take a proactive role in planning for their seniors. By planning in advance, families will be better educated on what is available and what questions seniors should ask.

"Families should definitely start thinking about what to do," Ritchie said. "The problem with waiting is that it limits choices."