In Home Services

Finding agencies, supplies and individuals to assist your loved one can be challenging.  Perhaps you need to locate Adult Daily Living Centers or find supplies and equipment.  This section provides a list of resources for the assistance you and your loved one need.  

Personal Care and Assistance Agencies and Home Care Agencies - These agencies provide the day to day hands on assist with bathing, dressing and grooming, also perform light housework, prepare meals, etc.

Centers for Independent Living provide peer support for people with disabilities of all ages. They also provide training to empower people with disabilities to advocate on their own behalf.

Home Health Agencies – Home Health Agencies provide nurses, therapists and aides. Services range from health assessments, medication set up and wound care to physical, occupational and speech therapies. Home health aides assist with bathing, dressing and grooming, may monitor blood pressure and blood sugar, and perform dressing changes under supervision of a nurse.

Meals - Information on obtaining assistance with meals, either through a home-delivered meal program or meals served at a senior or community center can be found by clicking here

Medical Equipment and Supplies – Having the right equipment and supplies, such as a bath transfer bench or ventilator equipment to adult size cleansing wipes and incontinence supplies is essential to provide adequate support and service at home. The link to ABLEDATA, a project of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the US Department of Education, provides a detailed description of various types of supplies and equipment as well as a link to the manufacturer for further information.

Assistive Technology - Assistive technology can be any device that is used to improve or enhance the ability of an individual with disabilities. Assistive technology devices range from the simple walker, grabber or wheelchair to stairway seat lifts, seat lift chairs, outside lifts (when ramping is impractical) and vehicle lifts. Sometimes overlooked technology can be in the form of low vision aids or amplified telephones to toilet safety frames. The following websites offer helpful advice and guidance when you are considering assistive technology. PATF (Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation) offers low cost loans to assist older Pennsylvanians and people with disabilities with purchasing the devices; PIAT (Pennsylvania Institute on Assistive Technology). The mission of PIAT is to enhance the quality of life of individuals with disabilities through access to or acquisition of assistive technology. PIAT has extensive lending libraries of the devices that will enable you to determine if the technology is right for you.

Transportation - A concern for many people, both the care/support-receiver and the care/support-giver is transportation. There are several transportation programs available in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Information on transportation options for older adults can be obtained from your local Area Agency on Aging or by clicking here. In addition, there is a Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP) that provides transportation to medical services for Medical Assistance consumers of any age who do not have other transportation available to them. Learn More.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation also has several programs that serve individuals of all ages.

There are other avenues to explore when your loved one requires assistance with transportation. You may be able to obtain transportation through a local charity or community service group. Local private ambulance services usually have wheelchair accessible vans as well as vehicles that can carry a litter. Costs of these services will vary by county; some may charge a flat rate, others a set charge plus mileage. You can locate services in your area by clicking here or look in the yellow pages of the local telephone book to obtain names and numbers of local ambulance providers.

Services to help you manage and advocate for your loved one in your absence are available through Certified Elder Care Managers or Geriatric Care managers. They will provide assessment, care planning and coordination of services for your loved one. While this site focuses on geriatric care managers, the professional geriatric care manager is also trained to provide information and services to people with disabilities and others. Learn More.

The Pennsylvania Council of Independent Living can educate you how people with disabilities can advocate on their own behalf, enabling them to remain independent in the community.provide you with information. Centers for Independent Living provide peer support for people with disabilities of all ages. They also provide training to empower people with disabilities to advocate on their own behalf.