Finding Official U.S. Elder Care Resources

When a family starts looking for help, the first search results are often ads, lead-generation sites, and paid directories. Some are useful; many are designed to collect your phone number. Public programs exist to point people to local services at no cost, and knowing their names saves a lot of time.

Zeitlos is not a government agency and is not affiliated with any of the programs below. This guide describes what each one is and how to reach it. Questions about eligibility, benefits, or coverage belong with the program itself.

Start with the Eldercare Locator

The Eldercare Locator (opens in a new tab) is a public service of the U.S. Administration for Community Living. It connects older adults and their families with local aging services, such as meals, transportation, home care, caregiver support, and more.

There are two ways to use it:

• Online: Go to eldercare.acl.gov and search by your relative's ZIP code, or by city and state. The results list local offices and organizations with their phone numbers.
• By phone: Call 1-800-677-1116, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time. A specialist can talk through what you are looking for and give you local contacts.

Search or ask by your relative's location, not yours. If your mother lives in Ohio and you live in Texas, use her ZIP code. The site used to be at a different address, so update any old bookmarks to eldercare.acl.gov.

Area Agencies on Aging

The Locator often points families to an Area Agency on Aging (opens in a new tab), sometimes shortened to AAA. Each state designates these public or nonprofit agencies to serve older adults in a region, which may be a city, a single county, or several counties. Local names vary; yours might be called a council on aging, an office for the aging, or something else.

Area Agencies on Aging help older adults stay in their homes through services that may include home-delivered meals and homemaker help, and they can tell you what else operates locally. What is offered, and who can receive it, differs by area. Ask the agency directly about any program and whether your relative can use it.

SHIP: free Medicare counseling

Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP. SHIPs offer free, unbiased counseling about Medicare. Counselors do not sell insurance. In some states the program has a different name, such as HICAP or SHINE.

To find your relative's local SHIP, use the SHIP Locator at shiphelp.org (opens in a new tab) or call 877-839-2675 and say "Medicare" when prompted. The fall Open Enrollment period is usually the busiest time of year for SHIPs, so calling early may help.

Zeitlos does not give Medicare advice or compare plans. A SHIP counselor or Medicare itself is the right place for those questions.

Official federal websites

Three federal sites come up again and again. Bookmark the real addresses so you do not have to search for them each time.

• Medicare.gov (opens in a new tab) is the official Medicare website, run by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It has official Medicare forms, free publications, and account sign-in.
• SSA.gov (opens in a new tab) is the official site of the Social Security Administration, which also handles signing up for Medicare.
• USA.gov (opens in a new tab) is the federal government's guide to services and benefits. If you are not sure which agency handles something, start here. You can also call USAGov at 1-844-USAGOV1 (1-844-872-4681).

How to spot an official site

A web address ending in .gov belongs to an official U.S. government organization. Federal sites usually also show a small banner at the very top that reads "An official website of the United States government."

A few things to keep in mind:

• Look at the address, not the logo. Copycat sites can use an eagle, a flag, and a name that sounds official. The address bar tells you who runs the site.
• Watch for look-alikes. An address like "medicare-help-center.com" is not Medicare.gov.
• Be careful with search ads. The first results may be paid listings. Type the address yourself or use a bookmark.
• Some real programs are not .gov. Some state, local, and nonprofit partners use other endings. For example, shiphelp.org is run with federal support. If in doubt, reach the program through the Eldercare Locator or USA.gov rather than a search result.

Avoiding scams

Scammers often pretend to be from Medicare, Social Security, or even the Eldercare Locator. The Federal Trade Commission's guide on avoiding government impersonation scams (opens in a new tab) covers the warning signs. Some key points:

• Government agencies will not call, text, or email you to demand money or ask for personal information out of the blue.
• No real agency asks for payment by gift card, wire transfer, payment app, or cryptocurrency.
• Caller ID can be faked. If someone calls claiming to be an agency, hang up and call back using a number you already know is correct.
• Do not click links in unexpected messages. Type the agency's address yourself.
• Do not pay a website to download or fill out a government form. Official forms come from the agency's own site.
• Medicare sends Medicare cards for free. Anyone charging for a "new card" is not Medicare.
• Talk it over with someone you trust before acting on any call that feels urgent.

If you think you or your relative has been targeted, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (opens in a new tab).

What to prepare before calling

A little preparation makes the call shorter and more useful. Ask your relative for permission before calling about them, and if possible, have them on the line or nearby. Some offices will need to speak with them directly.

• Your relative's city, county, and ZIP code.
• A short description of what you are looking for, such as "rides to the grocery store" or "meals delivered at home."
• A list of questions written down ahead of time.
• A pen and paper, or the household contact sheet, to record names and numbers.
• Your relative's preferred phone number and the best times to reach them.
• Your calendar, in case you are offered an appointment or callback.

Do not give out Social Security, Medicare, or bank numbers to anyone who calls you. If you placed the call to an official number and a program needs that information, it will explain why.

For more free printables and planning pages, see the Free Checklists & Resources hub.