Call 2-1-1 to connect with senior support services

When you need senior support services, it can be sometimes daunting and confusing to find the right number to call. Now thanks to 2-1-1, the one-stop-shop phone number that connects you to the people who can answer your questions, you have efficient access to support services such as food banks, adult day cares, rental and utility assistance, food banks, home maker services and respite care.

2-1-1 is confidential, free to call and available in many languages. It’s an easy-to-remember solution that offers services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It connects callers to organizations and programs that provide specialized health and human services in their local communities. 2-1-1 serviced areas include approximately 234 million people in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The types of assistance offered through 2-1-1 are basic human needs resources, physical and mental health resources, employment assistance, support for older Americans and persons with disabilities, support for children and families and volunteer opportunities.

The specific services available to callers vary between locations, but typically include food banks, Medicaid and Medicare, financial assistance, family resource centers, adult day care, Meals on Wheels and much more. When seniors call 2-1-1, they speak to a trained counselor with a relevant degree who assesses their needs and connects them with the program, organization or person who can help them further.

At first, this may sound no different than 911 or 411.  However, it is quite different and is changing the way we access services.  911 should only be called when the situation requires emergency vehicles and personnel such as police, paramedics and firefighters.  It may not be used for information about Medicare, food banks or any other human and health services.  411, on the other hand, can be used for contact information regarding social services, but cannot offer trained counselors, assistance with deciding which programs to contact and a wealth of knowledge about local human and health services.  2-1-1 is the only number which offers these important benefits to callers.

Operators provide connections to services for families, the homeless, children with special needs, troubled teens, seniors seeking healthcare assistance, uninsured people with chronic illnesses, low-income single mothers, people seeking help for substance abuse and many more.  In addition, many 2-1-1 programs provide services specifically for seniors who would like to age in place but need help to do so.  These include adult day care, activity centers and buddy programs.

Some area 2-1-1 programs offer a daily phone call service.  This is for people 60 and older who want to live at home, but have no one checking to make sure they are taking their medications, eating properly and generally taking adequate care of themselves.  Seniors develop a relationship with these counselors and feel safe and secure knowing that they will have social interaction every day.  Seniors are also provided the added comfort of knowing that if their counselors cannot reach them, they will call the senior’s emergency contacts.  If the emergency contacts are not available, the 2-1-1 counselors will contact the local police for a senior wellness check and if they are especially concerned something is wrong, they may ask for emergency vehicles to be sent to the home.  In areas where natural disasters such as tornadoes and hurricanes are prevalent, the counselors will work with seniors to develop evacuation plans and connect them with programs to help them with any special requirements they may have.

2-1-1 U.S. reports that in 2009 there were 16.2 million answered calls across the nation.  This national initiative is run by United Way Worldwide (UWW) and the Alliance for Information and Referral Systems (AIRS).  United Way is particularly invested in the project because they launched the first 2-1-1 in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1997.

The majority of 2-1-1 funding currently comes from donations by foundations, local businesses and local governments.  Therefore, awareness of the service is essential to ensuring its presence in your community.  To find out if your area is serviced by 2-1-1, visit the National 2-1-1 Collaborative website and look up your city and state or your zip code.  Results will provide you with the telephone number and website of the closest 2-1-1 hub.