Aging Programs and Services

COMMUNITY AND CAREGIVER SERVICES

Aide Service
We contract with Lifetime Care to provide personal care and homemaker services. The cost of service is based on income and many individuals receive service at no cost. The goal of the program is to help seniors continue to live safely and independently in their own homes or apartments.

Caregiver Support
The monthly support group for caregivers provides a place to discuss issues and to share ideas about caring for loved-ones. The group meets at 2:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every month at Newark-Wayne Community Hospital and is open to anyone providing care to a friend or family member.

Case Management
Caseworkers are available to meet with seniors and their family members to assess the need for a variety of community-based services and to assist with organizing and setting up these services. The goal of case management is to assist seniors in preserving or increasing their independence and to stay safely in their own homes and apartments as long as possible. There is no cost for case management.

Personal Emergency Response System
Personal emergency response units are available to people who are generally alone for at least eight hours a day and who have health conditions that may require immediate help. The Department’s 150 units are monitored 24 hours a day by Wayne County’s E-911 center. Units are assigned based on need. Units are available at no cost, but donations to offset program expenses are appreciated.

Transportation
Whether you choose not to drive or prefer the convenience of door-to-door transportation, the Department of Aging and Youth can help you get to where you need to go. Service is available to Wayne County residents age 60 and older. Rides are scheduled on a first-come first-served basis. Please check our schedule of destinations before making your reservations.

Ombudsman
The mission of the ombudsman program is to protect the health, safety, welfare, human, and civil rights of residents of nursing homes and adult care facilities. Ombudsman volunteers are committed to advocating for these individuals and ensuring that residents' rights, unmet needs and complaints are handled and resolved effectively.