BY SANDRA GUY
Chicago is forecast to gain 7 percent more people ages 65 and older in the next five years, to 599,000, so how can you wring out every social service being deployed to ensure that you stay safe, secure and sheltered this winter?
City residents enjoy many resources — so many that it takes time to explore, unearth and find the right ones.
Here’s how to start:
- The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services at 1615 W. Chicago Ave. helps link residents ages 60 and better to more than 70 city, state and federal benefits to which they may be entitled. The benefits include chore services, home-delivered meals and help with living arrangements.
Call the services hotline at 312-744-4016 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays or email Aging@CityofChicago.org
or see
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fss.html
- Volunteer counselors with the Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) offer free, one-on-one insurance counseling at the Support Services department’s Regional Senior Centers. The counselors offer free help with questions about Medicare, including supplementary insurance Medigap coverage, choosing a Medicare Part D prescription drug program, and selecting the best prescription drug discount card.
See
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fss/provdrs/senior/svcs/senior_health_insuranceprogram.html
Chicago city employees run six of the 21 centers — the Regional Senior Centers — for people 60 and older who show valid proof of identification. The other 15 are satellite centers run by not-for-profits and are available to anyone 55 and older.
- The Illinois Department on Aging’s Community Care Program helps financially challenged 60-and-older residents who might otherwise need nursing home care to stay in their homes. To find your local Community Care Program, use the map tool at
https://webapps.illinois.gov/AGE/ProviderProfileSearch
- Senior living online platform Senioridy [https://senioridy.com/] helps you find living options and features articles about topics ranging from hospice to in-home care to memory care, to how to navigate the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Housing Choice Voucher. You can start your search at the Low-Income Senior Living Options webpage at https://senioridy.com/low-income-senior-housing
- Check with local utility companies ComEd and Peoples Gas, as well as your phone, cable TV and internet providers to ensure that you are taking advantage of senior discounts. Do the same with retailers, movie theaters, grocery stores and other places you frequent. Consider joining AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) for benefits available to members. See
https://www.aarp.org/membership/benefits/all-offers-a-z/
- The BenefitsCheckUp website — org — connects people with disabilities with programs that can help with food, medicine, utilities and more. Fill out the online application or call the Illinois Department on Aging at (800) 252-8966 or (TTY) at (888) 206-1327.
- To stay active, consider volunteering. Opportunities abound, from tutoring, to mentoring, to working in a hospice, to advocating for causes, and more. See https://www.volunteermatch.org/search
- Take advantage of the Chicago Fitness Plus Program with free workouts, personal trainer consultations and strength-training classes. For details, call (312) 744-4016 or see
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fss/supp_info/chicago_fitness_pluscommunitylocations.html
- Take advantage of “free” days to visit Chicago’s museums — easily reachable by public transportation. See https://www.choosechicago.com/articles/museums-art/free-museum-days-in-chicago/