Your husband had a stroke, and caring for him at home is wearing you out. Your family is begging you to get help. You ask, “What else is there? What does it cost?”

You go to the pharmacy to pick up your prescriptions and find out that your new Medicare Part D plan won't cover the cost of your medicine. You ask “What do I do now? Who do I call?”

You receive several different insurance letters and applications in the mail. You are having difficulty sorting through them and filling them out because of your disability. You have no family to help you. You ask “Where can I find help?”

Your family member who lives alone is having an increasingly difficult time preparing meals and managing other household tasks. They cannot easily get out of the house. You are concerned that they are not eating properly, are socially isolated and fear that they wouldn't be able to contact anyone in an emergency. You ask “What services would help make it easier for them?”

The Cayuga County Office for the Aging can help with these scenarios and the inevitable more that arise when dealing with aging issues. The Office for the Aging and its network of local subcontractors provide a wide range of community-based services for seniors age 60+ and their families in Cayuga County. These services are designed to assist older persons in maintaining their independence, autonomy, dignity and well-being so that they can remain living in their own home for as long as possible.

One of the biggest areas of concern for seniors is dealing with living expenses, especially medical expenses. Our office can assist with information and referral in the areas of Social Security, Medicare/ Medicare Supplements, EPIC, Medicaid, long-term care insurance, HEAP, senior nutrition program, food stamps, emergency assistance, weatherization and home repair, property tax reductions, senior transportation services, reduced bus fares and other senior discounts, senior employment, subsidized housing and adult care facilities. We also provide limited legal services to people 60 and over through a contract with a local attorney.

Another huge area of concern is when medical issues and increasingly disabling conditions make it difficult to maintain activities of daily living and other responsibilities at home. Our office can help families decide what help is needed and arrange for services that may include non-medical personal care services, respite and other ancillary services such as a personal emergency response system or home delivered meals. Information and assistance is provided in the areas of support groups, caregiver training, support for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's Disease or related dementia, adult day programs, long-term care facilities and hospice services.

Your awareness of these programs will be your best insurance for dealing with your concerns - both great and small. Current information about these programs can be accessed on our Web site at www.co.cayuga.ny.us/ aging.

Changes that affect our services as well as updates on aging issues are published quarterly in our “Senior News and Views” newsletter.

For assistance in finding the services you need or to receive our newsletter by mail, contact the Cayuga County Office for the Aging at 160 Genesee St., Auburn, NY 13021 or call 253-1226.

Janet Taylor is an aging services specialist for the Cayuga County Office for the Aging