Information and Counseling

Information and Assistance Services – Click Here

Department of Senior Citizen Affairs – Click Here
Adult Protective Services – Click Here
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse – Click Here
Consumer – Click Here
Constituent Services – Click Here
Eldercare Locator – Click Here
Health – Click Here
Mental Health – Click Here
Publications - Click Here
Social Services – Click Here
Veterans – Click Here
Other – Click Here

Counseling Services –Click Here

Community-Based Programs – Click Here
Elder Abuse – Click Here
Legal – Click Here
Mental Health – Click Here
Reverse Annuity Mortgage – Click Here
Senior Financial Counseling – Click Here
Tax Counseling – Click Here
Veterans – Click Here
Widow/Widower – Click Here

National Association of Social Workers – Click Here

INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE SERVICES

DEPARTMENT OF SENIOR CITIZEN AFFAIRS
For Help-Line Services Click Here

Information & Assistance Fairs
The Department of Senior Citizen Affairs coordinates Information and Assistance Fairs in communities throughout Nassau County. Representatives from many different agencies are available to answer questions, provide information, and assist with the completion of applications for benefit and entitlement programs. Call: (516) 227-8900

Public Information
MEDIA INFORMATION
For information on current items of interest to seniors covered in print and broadcast media, contact: 
Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs (516) 227-8934

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PUBLICATIONS:

• Directory of Services for Senior Citizens in Nassau County
• Long Term Care for Older Persons in Nassau County

BROCHURES:

• Cold Weather Tips
• Educational Opportunities for Senior Citizens
• Elder Abuse
• Fire Safety
• Foster Grandparent Program
• Good Nutrition for Seniors
• Home Safety Tips
• Keep Your Cool When the Weather is Hot
• Meals on Wheels
• Medicare Preventive Services
• Nassau County Case Management and In-Home Assistance Programs
• RSVP – The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
• Senior Community Service Employment Program
• Stock Up for Emergencies
• Time to Care
• Workshops in Gerontology

BOOKLETS:

• Programs and Services of the Department of Senior Citizen Affairs
• Facts and Figures for Nassau County Senior Citizen Population (Demographics)
• When Considering Nursing Home Care

Printed material is available by contacting:

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ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES
The Department of Social Services Adult Protective Services investigates and provides protective services to adults 18 years of age or older without regard to income. Individuals must meet the following criteria:

• Have a physical or mental impairment, or
• Cannot protect themselves from abuse, neglect, hazardous situations, or financial exploitation, or
• Cannot provide for basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, or medical care, and
• Have no responsible person willing or able to help.

Some of these protective services include crisis intervention, investigation, assessment, money management, homemaker or housekeeper services, referrals for counseling or legal assistance, and assistance in finding alternative living arrangements.

The identities of all individuals who make referrals to Adult Protective Services are confidential. For information or assistance, contact:

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ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE

Call for information and referral on alcoholism and other drug abuse problems for senior citizens and their families.

This program is designed to meet the specific needs of the mature person with alcohol/drug problems. Services are provided by a treatment team of qualified professionals and include individual, group, family therapy, and educational programs.

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CONSUMER INFORMATION/COMPLAINTS

Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Nassau County
Home economics and consumer resources are provided to Nassau County residents through classes, resource listings, publications and the Consumer Helpline. Consumer questions are answered 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. daily. Contact:

CONSUMER COMPLAINTS
To register complaints about merchandise, service, weights and measures, or home improvement work, contact:

To report or obtain information on identity theft, elder abuse, bogus charities, fraudulent home improvement companies or telemarketers, and other scams, contact:

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CONSTITUENT SERVICES
The Nassau County Office of Constituent Affairs assists all residents with problems encountered in the public and private sector.

PATHHS (Providing Access to Health and Human Services)
This web-based tool offers an opportunity to complete a self-screening questionnaire that can identify possible eligibility for many programs and services. It also enables the user to obtain information about programs, schedule an interview to apply for services, and receive information on special programs that can meet immediate needs.
Contact PATHHS: www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/dss/

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ELDERCARE LOCATOR
An information specialist can provide local information about services available to older persons living in other areas of the country. It is important to have the following information ready:

• County and city name or zip code
• Brief description of problem

Call between 9:00 am and 8:00 pm Eastern Time 1-800-677-1116
www.eldercare.gov

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HEALTH
The Information and Referral Service of the Nassau County Department of Health helps residents find suitable answers to, and ways of solving, health problems. This service provides the person who has an unmet health need with a central source of information on available health programs and facilities. Its professional staff is specially trained to offer assistance.

For after hours or weekend emergency service, contact: (516) 742-6154
Emergency Night Services Unit

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MENTAL HEALTH
Most older persons live independently and are able to manage the stresses of later life. However, some older people are unable to cope effectively as problems multiply, such as inadequate income and inflationary costs, deteriorating health, or loss of spouse and friends. Some mental and emotional impairments with observable changes in behavior, such as “depression,” “agitation,” and “talkativeness,” are treatable and reversible. Many times emotional problems manifest themselves as physical ailments, such as headaches, back pain, or constipation. Reaching out and receiving help from the right professionals at the right time can make the difference.

There are many agencies and private practitioners providing mental health services and psychological treatment. Unfortunately, many factors prevent older people from readily seeking or accepting help:

• the American ethic of being independent and being a “private” person able to solve all one’s problems;
• the assumption that nothing can be done to prevent, delay, or reverse the mental and physical deterioration of the older person;
• limitations of Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement for mental health services.

Programs combine early detection of problems with treatment by trained, sensitive professionals to prevent, delay, or reverse mental health problems. The following agencies offer assistance, referrals to local community services, and a variety of counseling or therapy programs to meet the needs of individuals and families.

This agency has responsibility for all programs for the mentally disabled in Nassau County. Through contracts, it provides preventive, rehabilitative, and treatment services to the psychiatrically disabled, the mentally retarded, and the developmentally disabled. Contracted services include outpatient clinics, inpatient psychiatric treatment facilities, partial hospitalization, community support programs, and emergency psychiatric services as well as sheltered workshops, day treatment, and residential opportunities for the psychiatrically disabled and mentally retarded.

The Senior Network Program provides discussion groups, crafts, current events, management of daily living and wellness activities for CSS (Community Support Services) eligible elderly in Nassau County. Participants must be 60 or over (55 for residents in Family Care Homes and foster homes). Individuals must be able to care for their own needs, be physically stable, ambulatory or use a wheelchair independently. Lunch is included and transportation is available.

This agency is staffed by professional social workers and provides mental health information and referral services through its Helpline. Call 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., seven days a week for information on the mental health clinics and agencies serving local communities.

On site psychiatric assessment is available seven days a week, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. for Nassau County residents age 18 or older. Call for further information.

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SOCIAL SERVICES
The Nassau County Department of Social Services offers information and referral for social services to Nassau County residents without regard to income. These services and programs includehomemaking and personal care, Adult Protective Services, Preventive Services, Family-Type Homes for Adults, AIDS referral services, Adult Services, Financial Management, Post-Institutional Program Services, Emergency Services for theHomeless, Home Energy Assistance, Medicaid, Food Stamps and Temporary Financial Assistance.

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VETERANS’ SERVICES
There are special veterans’ benefits available to people 65 and older who either served 90 days or more of honorable active wartime service or served less time but were discharged because of disabilities related to their service. Widows and widowers of such veterans may also be eligible for benefits regardless of their age. The Veterans Service Agency handles the processing of claims for compensation, pension benefits, educational entitlements, property tax exemptions, and burial benefits, and assists with the appeals process. In addition, it coordinates a volunteer transportation program for veterans to the VA Hospital in Northport and the VA Clinic in Plainview.

Transportation to Northport VA Hospital or Plainview Clinic is available by appointment.
Call: (516) 572-8456

VETERANS RESOURCE CENTER
Veterans in need of individual and family counseling, drug and alcohol counseling, post traumatic stress disorder counseling, or assistance with entitlements can contact the Veterans Resource Center. All services are free to eligible veterans. Significant others are also able to receive some services. Day and evening hours are available.

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OTHER SERVICES
Community Resource Database of Long Island
The Middle Country Library has a web-based listing of programs and services that are available to persons of all ages.
www.crdli.com

Gay and Lesbian Switchboard of Long Island
Volunteers provide peer counseling and information on services that are available to persons engaged in alternative lifestyles. Call weekdays from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm.
1-631-665-3700
www.glsbli.com

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COUNSELING SERVICES

In addition to counseling services available to frail older persons through the Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs Case Management Programs (call 227-8900), the following agencies provide social work and/or therapeutic counseling for senior citizens and their families:

COMMUNITY-BASED AGENCIES

The geriatric psychiatric services provide intensive psychiatric care designed to prevent the need for hospitalization.

This program provides counseling, information and assistance, advocacy and group programs to Holocaust survivors.

This Center is open 6 days per week and offers individual, marital, group and family therapy for older adults who are chemically ill. Also offered are psychiatric consultation for medication management, short term and problem focused counseling and a free bereavement group.

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ELDER ABUSE COUNSELING
Elder abuse is the mistreatment or neglect of an older person. Most instances of elder abuse are committed by a relative or other caregiver. The abuse may include physical injury or pain, emotional anguish, neglect, violation of an elderly person’s rights, non-consensual sexual contact, and/or financial exploitation. To report instances of abuse, contact:

Nassau County’s Task Force on Family Violence
This Task Force is comprised of representatives from more than thirty public and private agencies. Its mission is to reduce instances of domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse by promoting public awareness, providing training, and developing resource materials.
Call the Nassau HELP-LINE for information. (516) 227-8900

Elder Abuse Resource Center
The Resource Center is funded by the Bar Association of Nassau County and contains books and videos on the subject of elder abuse and its prevention.

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LEGAL SERVICES/COUNSELING
Senior Citizen Law Project
The NASSAU COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SENIOR CITIZEN AFFAIRS funds the Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee, Inc. to provide free legal services – civil matters only – to residents aged 60 and over who are unable to pay for the service of a private attorney. This project concentrates on legal problems that specifically concern senior citizen benefits and entitlements. For further information, contact:

Lawyer Referral Service
Individuals who are not eligible for the above program and who do not have their own lawyer, may request a lawyer referral. A nominal fee is charged for the client’s consultation with a panel lawyer. Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.; 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Personal Affairs Management
The following is basic information to familiarize seniors and family members with terminology used in estate and health care planning. Where appropriate, seniors should seek legal advice from attorneys knowledgeable in this subject area.

WILLS/ESTATE PLANNING
Wills allow seniors to leave real and personal property to people or causes of their own choosing. Planning is necessary to ensure the estate is protected and passes to the intended beneficiaries. The objectives of any estate plan, which can be implemented by a will, should include:

• Protecting and conserving financial resources;
• Transferring property or money;
• Minimizing taxes, charges and court costs.

In cases where there is no will, New York’s Law of Intestacy will determine the disposition of the estate.

TRUSTS
A trust is the relationship formed between two or more persons with respect to some property, where one person, a trustee, has a duty to act for the benefit of another, the beneficiary The advantage of a trust is that it provides flexibility in estate planning. The trustee can be given discretionary powers regarding the distribution of income and/or principal. Since the needs of family members are subject to change, a trust can be written to meet and adapt to these changing needs.

POWER OF ATTORNEY
A Power of Attorney is a legal document that is signed by the Principal. It gives another person, the Agent, broad powers to take care of certain business or financial matters on the Principal’s behalf. A person does not need to become incapacitated for the power to become effective. That authority ceases, however, upon death or revocation of the power.

There are three types of Powers of Attorney.
A “Nondurable” Power of Attorney takes effect immediately, and remains in effect until the Principal revokes it, becomes mentally incompetent, or dies. It is often used for a specific transaction, such as the sale of a house, or the handling of financial affairs while the Principal is traveling outside of the country.

A “Durable” Power of Attorney may be used immediately and remains in effect until the Principal revokes it or dies. It enables the Agent to act for the Principal even if the Principal becomes mentally incompetent or is physically unable to make decisions.

A “Springing” Power of Attorney becomes effective at a future time, and remains in effect until the Principal’s death, or until revoked by a court. It usually begins at the start of a specific event that the Principal has identified, such as an illness, disability, or incapacity, and is often initiated when the personal physician declares that the Principal is not competent to manage his/her own affairs.

GUARDIANSHIPS
A guardian is a person appointed by the court to take care of and oversee the personal needs and/or property of an individual who is unable, due to incapacity, to provide for himself or for others dependent upon him for support. Guardianships are reviewed annually to determine if there is a need to continue or discontinue the appointment.

ADVANCE DIRECTIVES
New York law permits each person to determine in advance of a medical emergency, the degree of medical care s/he would want and to designate a person or persons to act on his/her behalf. The law also requires that there be evidence of the individual’s desires when a health care decision is being made for him/her. It is important that the person communicate his/ her wishes and concerns about health care with family members, a religious advisor, friends, physicians, and others, so that as many people as possible understand his/her feelings. In addition, the person can use the following documents to express these wishes in writing and to delegate authority to trusted friends or loved ones to make these decisions or to administer necessary business or financial matters:

1. Health Care Proxy
All competent adults can appoint a health care agent, usually a trusted family member or a close friend, to make medical treatment decisions once the person loses the ability to make these decisions for him/herself. In this document, the person may include specific instructions about types of medical treatment(s) that s/he may or may not want to receive. Plan in advance as the form must be signed and witnessed. To obtain a form, write and enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:
New York State Department of Health - Health Care Proxy
P.O. Box 2000
Albany, NY 12220

2. Living Will
A living will is a written document that specifies what types of medical treatment are desired should the individual become incapacitated. Most individuals wish to receive or refuse specific treatments under certain circumstances, the most common being terminal illness and permanent disability. A living will should be clear, specific, and unequivocal, and follow instructions that have been verbally given to family and friends. Individuals should consult with an attorney in order to assure that their wishes are documented in the most effective manner possible.

3. Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Orders
A Do Not Resuscitate Order instructs health care professionals not to attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the event a person suffers cardiac or respiratory arrest. An adult patient may consent to a DNR order orally by informing a physician in the presence of two witnesses, or in writing, such as a living will. In addition, the Health Care Proxy Law allows an individual to appoint a trusted person who can make decisions about CPR and other treatments on his/her behalf. Once informed of the individual’s wishes, the physician must include the DNR order in the person’s medical chart. DNR orders may be written for patients in a hospital, nursing home, other health care facility, or at home. However, it is important to understand that an order written in the hospital or nursing home will not be followed if the person is transferred home. A change of location requires that a new DNR order be written.

4. Power of Attorney (See above)

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MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING
For information on facilities providing mental health counseling, call:

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REVERSE ANNUITY MORTGAGE COUNSELING
Reverse annuity mortgages (RAMs) provide an opportunity for Nassau County residents age 62 or older, who are “house rich and cash poor,” to utilize the equity in their homes to pay for essential items. RAMs provide a monthly payment to the homeowner that is recouped after a specified period of time or when the homeowner leaves the home. Counseling is essential to ensure that all parties understand the legal and financial obligations involved. For counseling and information, contact:

National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association
Contact this organization for a free consumer’s guide. Leave name, address and telephone number.
www.reversemortgage.org
1-866-264-4466

New York State Banking Department
This agency provides information on issues of concern to consumers and enables them to make inquiries and/or file complaints related to banking or mortgage concerns. Call: 1-800-522-3330

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SENIOR FINANCIAL COUNSELING
This program is available to persons age 60 and over who require special help with budgeting, debt management, income tax filing, property tax abatement, and other problems of financial management and record keeping. Pension options, tax rebates, and estate issues are reviewed, as are health insurance and long term care insurance plans. Program is funded by the NASSAU COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SENIOR CITIZEN AFFAIRS. For further information, call:

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TAX COUNSELING PROGRAM
The AARP/IRS Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program co-sponsors a free tax counseling program for senior citizens. Professionally trained and supervised volunteers provide assistance with Federal and New York State returns at senior centers and libraries throughout Nassau County. The program runs for ten weeks during the tax season. For information, contact:
NASSAU COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SENIOR CITIZEN AFFAIRS (516) 227-8900

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VETERANS COUNSELING

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WIDOW/WIDOWER COUNSELING
Group and individual support programs for the widowed are led by professional social workers. Call:

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS (NASW) NASW-NYS

Call for information regarding private professional Social Workers in Nassau County.

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