Family, Friend, and Caregiver Resources

These resources are available to help you assist another adult in need. Article 81 Guardianship of an incapacitated adult requires exhausting all other options before pursuing guardianship.

 

Statewide Agencies & Service Directories

• NY Connects: Directory of local programs addressing basic needs and providing support services. Areas include, food, transportation, housing, and health care, insurance, mental health and substance use treatment, benefits and money management, community centers, support groups and government agencies.
• Local directory of NY Connects offices
• Statewide Service Directory (NYS Government)
• Department of Social Services Directory
• Adult Protective Services (APS)
• Local APS Directory
• NYS Office for the Aging (NYSOFA)
• Local Aging Offices (Area Agencies on Aging)
• LGBTQI+ friendly service providers (National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging)
• Office for People with Developmental Disabilities
• Food programs for older adults
• Western NY: Call 211 for help with health and human services in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming, and Allegany counties

Finances

Public Benefits

• List of Public Benefits in New York State (including SNAP, internet, disability, and more)
• MyBenefits: Statewide login for benefits such as HEAP and SNAP
• Access NYC: Apply and check eligibility for benefits in NYC
• Benefits Checklist for Older Adults (Brookdale Center for Health Aging)
• Fair Hearings (Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance [OTDA]) A Fair Hearing gives you the chance to explain to a judge why you believe the decision of a social services agency is wrong.
• Know Your Rights: Public Benefits Fair Hearing (short video series, Legal Services NYC, 2021)
• Guidance on Applying for Benefits(Legal Aid Society, Northeastern New York)

Financial Decisions and Planning

• Family and Friends Helping with Bill Paying (Consumer Finance Protection Bureau)
• Representative Payee for Social Security (Legal Aid Society, Northeastern New York)
• Tools for Financial Security in Later Life (Consumer Finance Protection Bureau)
• Resources for older adults and caretakers who manage finances (Consumer Finance Protection Bureau)
• NYC Aging Bill payer program (NYC only)
• Power of Attorney: The New Power of Attorney (Senior Legal Services), Sample POA form (June 2021)
• Trusts and Estate Planning: A person can put their assets (money or other property) in a trust to give another person or organization control over those assets and how they are used. Some people use special kinds of trusts to help stay eligible for benefits such as Medicaid. You can learn more about trusts by speaking to lawyer or financial advisor.
• Guide to enrolling in a pooled income trust for Medicaid spend-down (NY Health Access)
• Supplemental Needs Trusts Overview (NY Health Access)
• Effect of Trusts on Medicaid (NY Dept. Of Health)

 

Powers of Attorney & Advance Directives (General Info)

• New York Attorney General’s Office page on Advance Directives. There, you will find descriptions of all advance directive options, information on patient rights, and free forms
• Guide with POA, Health Care Proxy, Living Will, Will, Control of remains: Visual guide to advance directives and future planning (NYC, Volunteer of Legal Service)
• Power of Attorney: The New Power of Attorney (Senior Legal Services), Sample POA form (June 2021)

 

Health Care Decisions & Managing Health Care

Making Health Care Decisions

• Appointing a Health Care Proxy (NY Attorney General)
• Living Will (NY Attorney General)
• Family Health Care Decisions Act (FHCDA): Law allows a patient’s family or close friends (and others) to make health care decisions if the patient lacks capacity and did not leave priori instructions or sign a health care proxy. For more information on how the law works and who can make decisions, see Family Health Care Decisions Act (NY Health Access)

Medicaid applications/planning and home care applications

• NYS Department of Health (DOH) Medicaid Information
• Medicaid Eligibility (Federal Government)
• NYC Medicaid
• NYC Health insurance assistance

Medicare: HICAP program to ask questions about Medicare

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Mental Health/Dementia

Mental Health

• NYS Office for Mental Health: There is a Mental Health Program Directory and a Directory to Mental Hygiene Departments in each county.
• Mental health program by group in need
• Assertive Community Treatment (DOH): Service provided by a mobile team offering treatment, rehabilitation, and support services for individuals with serious mental illness

Mental Health (Involuntary Measures)

• Assisted outpatient treatment (AOT): NYS has court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment (AOT). It is for certain people with mental illness who cannot live safely in the community without supervision. It allows a person or institution to petition the court for services where the goal is for them to live safely in the community.
• Court Ordered Involuntary Hospitalization: Mental Hygiene Warrant: There is a process to bring someone to court who may have mental illness and is likely to be a serious harm to themselves or others. A judge may order a hospitalization of up to 72 hours for a person to be assessed for a temporary involuntary hospitalization.

Dementia

• Tips for Successful Communication during all stages of Alzheimer's Disease (Alzheimer’s Association)
• Guide to Understanding Dementia Behaviors (Family Caregiver Alliance)
• CaringKind (NYC organization supporting caretakers and individuals with dementia)
• Financial planning for diminished capacity and illness: Tips on managing finances before someone loses capacity to make financial decisions (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)

Caretaker Support

• Respite Program: Respite care services offer temporary, substitute supports or living arrangements for care recipients in order to provide a brief period of relief or rest for caregivers.
• NYS Caregiving and Respite Coalition
• Family Caregiver Alliance: Information, support, and resources for caregivers
• Caregiver Services in New York

Housing and Communal Living

Housing:

• Housing services List of services including affordable housing, emergency assistance, and foreclosure prevention (NY.gov)
• NYS Housing Search
• Housing for older adults (NYS Office for the Aging)
• NYS Rental Assistance Programs (U.S Dept.of Housing and Urban Development)

Nursing Home/Adult Care Facilities/Assisted Living

• Assisted Living Directory (NYS Dept. of Health)
• Quality and safety information on adult care facilities (NYS Dept. of Health)
• NYS Ombudsman program: Advocate and resource for people living in nursing homes, assisted living, and other licensed adult care homes. Ombudsmen help residents understand and exercise their rights to good care in an environment that promotes and protects their dignity and quality of life
• NYC Long-term care guide

End of Life Care

End of life

• CaringInfo: Information to help make decisions about end of life care
• What is Hospice and Palliative Care? (CaringInfo)
• Palliative Care Directory (getpalliativecare.org)
• Palliative Care in New York State (2017, End of Life Choices New York, Finger Lakes Geriatric Center at the University of Rochester)

Burials/Funerals

• Guide to Arranging a Funeral and Funeral FAQs (NYS Dept. of Health)
• Options for financial assistance for burials and funerals (Volunteers of Legal Service, NYC-only)
• Disposition of Remains Form (NYS Dept of Health) (Appointing another person to make decisions about what to do with a person’s body after death)

Fraud/Scams/Elder Abuse

Elder Abuse

• Elder Abuse information from the NYS Office for the Aging
• Elder Justice Resource Guide

Complaints (Fraud/Scams)

• Filing Complaints (NYS Attorney General, call 800-771-7755)
• Reporting Fraud (NYS Dept. of Investigation)
• United States Postal Inspection Service: Reporting mail, email, or text-based crimes including ID theft, email/text scams, fake sweepstakes and lotteries, and more
• Reporting Consumer Fraud (LawHelp.org)

Fraud/Scams

• Identity Theft (Federal Trade Commission)
• Financial Scams and Fraud (NYS Attorney General’s Office)
• Protecting Older Adults from Fraud and Financial Exploitation (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)
• Better Business Bureau (search scams by area)
• Free Credit Reports (Federal Trade Commission)

Legal Consultations/Assistance (for matters other than guardianship)

• LawHelp Search for Free services: Information about free legal services, forms, legal rights, and more
• Lawyer Referral Service of the NYS Bar Association: Referral services linking the public to private attorneys around the state. You can reach the program by calling 1-800-342-3661, emailing lrs@nysba.org, or using the web form. FAQs on the program are at the bottom of the page. There is a directory to county-specific referral services.
• Legal Assistance of Western New York
• Western NY Law Center
• Legal Aid Society of NE New York
• Legal Services of the Hudson Valley
• The Rural Law Center
• NYC: City Bar Justice Center Elder Law Project 
• NYC: Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS) Senior Law Project
• CourtHelp: Going to Court: Basics on what to expect in court
• CourtHelp Help Centers: Court-based help centers

Helplines

• Guardianship Prevention and Support Helpline (Project Guardianship) Provides information, support, and referral related to Article 81 Guardianship and its alternatives (does not provide legal representation or draft court papers)
• Family Guardian Support Project: (Center for Elder Law and Justice) Helpline for court-appointed family Article 81 guardians living in: Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Allegany, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Wyoming, and Genesee counties
• Senior Legal Advice Helpline for 55+: (Center for Elder Law and Justice) Answers brief legal questions and makes referrals across New York State
• Central NY Legal Helpline Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego and Otsego counties (Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York)
• City Bar Justice Center Legal Hotline (NYC-only)
• LawHelp Hotline directory

Filing Complaints

The Office of the NYS Attorney General can help with complaints relating to healthcare, housing, consumer issues, fraud, and more. File a Complaint with NYS Attorney General's Office.