The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) helps provide access to long-term services and resources for older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, and their families. The ADRC is supported by the Resource & Referral Call Center Specialists. These Call Center Specialists will provide assistance information and referrals to services for individuals who are 60 years of age or older, as well as individuals of any age who are eligible for Medicare.

Assistance Information and Referrals to Services include:

• Activities of Daily Living
• Prescription Assistance Programs
• Individual Rights
• Housing
• Transportation
• Institutional/Facility Care
• Nutrition/Senior Citizens Sites
• Utility Assistance
• Provider Services
• Support Groups
• Volunteer Opportunities

Alamo Service Connection

The Alamo Service Connection (ASC) is an information, referral, and assistance system for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and their families in the 13-county AACOG region. ASC helps them navigate the complex system of services offered by government agencies, nonprofits, and other service providers. With ASC’s extensive website database, a system navigator in the ADRC will assist callers in exploring options and recommend resources for problems related to aging and disability.

Region’s supported by our ADRC through ASC:

Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, McMullen, Medina and Wilson Counties

You can access our assistance & information referral system by contacting an ADRC Call Center Specialist at (855) 937-2372 or (210) 477-3275.

Benefits Counseling

Provides information, counseling and advocacy to qualifying adults and Medicare beneficiaries of any age, on their public benefits and program entitlements.

We want all Texans as well as Medicare-eligible people with disabilities of any age to have ready access to trained and certified benefits counselors.

The Benefits Counseling program provides information, counseling, and advocacy to older adults, and Medicare beneficiaries of any age, on their public benefits, entitlements, and legal rights. Benefits Counselors also provide public education on a variety of topics impacting seniors.

Benefits Counselors consult on topics such as:

• Medicare
• Medicaid
• Supplemental Security Income
• Social Security
• Senior Medicare Fraud/Scams
• Medicare and Medicaid Appeals/Hearings
• Legal Assistance

Assistance to older adults and persons with disabilities in the completion and submission of public assistance applications in the following programs. 

• Medicaid
• State Long Term Care Services
• Medicare Cost Sharing
• Low Income Subsidy (Extra Help)
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

Legal Services to older adults over 60:

• Wills
• Power of Attorney
• Advanced Directives
• Divorce – uncontested
• TODD – Transfer on Death Deed
• Adult Guardianship
• QIT – Qualified Income Trust – for the purpose of Medicaid Eligibility
• **  Adoptions and Custody for children being raised by a relative over the age of 55 **

You can access our services by contacting the Alamo Service Connection at 210-477-3275 or 1-866-231-4922.

Bexar County residents, call the Alamo Service Connection at (210) 477-3275 to speak with a Benefits Counselor. For residents in the 12 rural counties of the AACOG region (Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, McMullen, Medina, and Wilson Counties), call (866) 231-4922. For anywhere in Texas call 1-800-252-9240.

Assessing The Needs Of Adults 60 Years Of Age And Older

Care Coordination is the process of assessing the needs of an individual 60 years of age and older by planning, arranging, and coordinating local resources to support independent living. Priority is given to those who have recently suffered a major illness or health crisis, or those who have recently been hospitalized and need additional attention during the recovery process.

Care Coordination Services Include

• Income Support – assistance with utilities, propane, etc.
• Health Maintenance – eye glasses, dental, incontinence supplies, etc.
• Residential Repairs – minor repair or modification of home
• Homemaker – housekeeping and home management services
• Personal Assistance Service – assistance with activities of daily living
• Emergency Response Services – installation of electronic monitoring systems

The Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) coordinates services for older adults who reside in Bexar and the 12 surrounding, rural counties.

You can access Income Support, Respite Services, Caregiver Education & Training, Home Delivered & Congregate Meals, Wellness Classes, and more by contacting the Alamo Service Connection.

Does someone rely on you for care? If they do, you may be a Caregiver

Do you help an older adult with:

• Personal care?
• Shopping?
• Going to doctor's appointments?
• Managing money or bills?
• Other problems or questions they have?

Caring for a relative or friend may be something you never expected to do.

Regardless of your age, you are a Caregiver if you provide routine assistance to a loved one 60 years of age or older who is frail, disabled, or has a chronic illness.

- 2020 National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP

What we are: Area Agencies on Aging National Family Caregiver Support Program (also called Alamo Caregiver Empowerment – ACE)

Supported by: The Older Americans Act

The Caregiver Support program provides:

• Information about available services
• Assistance in gaining access to services
• Support groups, and training to assist caregiver in making decisions and solving problems.
• Respite care to temporarily relieve caregivers of their caregiving duties and responsibilities
• Limited supplemental services that complement the care provided by caregivers, such as:
  • Health Maintenance
  • Income Support
  • Residential Repair
  • Emergency Response Systems
  • Chore Maintenance
  • Mental Health Counseling

You can access our services by contacting the Alamo Service Connection at 210-477-3275 or 1-866-231-4922.

Health and Wellness Facilitators

Volunteer Facilitators teach older adults evidence-based intervention classes at local senior centers, churches, and community centers. Training, materials, and technical support are provided for those interested in facilitating. Classes offered are focused on falls prevention, healthy eating, and increased mobility for the older adult. Our goal is to teach older adults timely and evidence-based information and skills to ensure a more active, comfortable, and independent lifestyle.

Texercise Select

Originally developed by the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS), this program focuses on interactive educational discussions and physical activities.  It is designed to help individuals increase their knowledge about the value of physical activity and healthy eating; increase their ability to engage in healthy behaviors, physical activity and good diet; and to improve their mobility to make sitting, standing and walking easier.  This program meets twice per week for 10 weeks. Source:  https://hhs.texas.gov/services/health/food-fitness/texercise

A Matte​r of Balance

 A class designed to reduce the fear of falling, stop the fear of falling cycle, and improve activity levels among community-dwelling older adults. The program includes eight 2-hour classes where participants learn to view falls and fear of falling as controllable; to set realistic goals for increasing activity; to change their environment to reduce fall risk factors; and to promote exercise to increase strength and balance. Participants find they have a significant level of improvement regarding management and control of falls and an increase in their level of exercise and social activities. Source: http://www.mainehealth.org/PFHA

Bingocize

Bingocize is an evidence-based 10-week program that combines a bingo-like game with exercise and health education.  Participants play Bingocize for one hour 2 times per week. Because the game is fun, familiar, and done in a group setting the unique addition of bingo addresses many of the barriers to older adults’ participation in physical activity.  The program has been shown to increase older adults’ functional fitness, health knowledge, and social engagement in a variety of settings. https://www.wku.edu/bingocize/

Long-Term Care Ombudsman

Responsibilities

A Long-Term Care Ombudsman means "being an advocate for residents."  A Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman listens to and addresses the concerns of nursing home and assisted living residents.  At all times, residents decide on the LTC Ombudsman's level of involvement. They can be counted on to respect residents' privacy and confidentiality. Some of the ways in which LTC Ombudsman serve residents include telling residents about their rights and empowering and supporting residents and their families to discuss concerns with staff.   An LTC Ombudsman completes State-supported training and is certified by the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.  

Services

An LTC Ombudsman: 

• Advocates for quality of life and quality care
• Explains Resident Rights
• Supports resident directed care
• Helps to ensure residents are treated with dignity
• Identifies and resolves concerns that affect residents

Volunteers

If you have a passion for helping others, a caring spirit and a willingness to learn, we need you! Become an LTC Ombudsman and help improve the quality of life and care for residents in a facility near you. We provide training, tools and ongoing support. People who live in nursing homes and assisted living communities may have little or no contact with the outside world. Many feel they lack control over their lives. A volunteer LTC Ombudsman who visits regularly can be the highlight of a resident's day and ensure residents get good care. Volunteer with us today! (Download fillable application; print and mail or scan/email to the respective program.)

For more information in Bexar County:
Call: 210-362-5236
Email: Bexar.Ombudsman@aacog.com

For more information in the Alamo Region:
Call: 210-362-5209
Email: Alamo.Ombudsman@aacog.com

This program provides a nutritionally balanced noontime meal, delivered to an individual 60 years and older who is assessed to be home-bound. A home visit to determine eligibility must be conducted by the area nutrition provider contracted by Area Agency on Aging.

Home Delivered Meals provide an opportunity for a home-bound individual to have face-to-face contact with a caring individual, such as the delivery driver, who can also provide a valuable assessment of the individuals health and well being.

A Congregate Meal is a nutritionally balanced meal that is served in a specific location, such as a senior or community center near home. Congregate meal service is provided to adults 60 years and older, who are mobile.

The setting allows for older adults to meet and socialize with others and participate in scheduled activities prior to the meal.

In order to qualify for the program, individuals must be 60 years and older and must complete an enrollment form.

Senior Companion Program

The Senior Companion Program helps make independence a reality by helping older adults age in place. The program provides companionship to anyone 60 or older. The volunteers are able to assist the older adult with sorting mail, playing games, running errands, walking together, small chores around the house and making phone calls to name a few. To volunteer you must be 55 and older and meet the income eligibility for the program. As a volunteer, you can receive a stipend and mileage reimbursement, training, paid personal leave, paid Holidays and make lifelong friends!

Please contact: Celina Wilt at 210-362-5200.

Additional Aging Volunteer Opportunities

Additional volunteer positions are available from time to time, as needed, in Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, McMullen, Medina, and Wilson Counties.

Showing our Community We Care About Their Safety

The Warm Hearts, Warm Homes program is a locally-funded project that delivers a free space heater to older adults or veterans who have no safe source of heat inside their homes.

Thanks to the continued generosity and contributions from our fellow citizens - since 2009, the Warm Hearts program has been able to support over 100 homes, every year, across our 13-County service area. 

Donations

Every $50 donation will buy a safe, affordable heater for a home in need. Because all program costs come from locally-raised funds, we welcome support to safely warm homes this winter season, and help reduce the number of home-fires and casualties caused by using open flame heating sources.

Please consider making a donation to:
AADC - "Warm Hearts, Warm Homes"
Attn: Alamo Service Connection
2700 NE Loop 410, Suite 101
San Antonio, Texas 78217

Donations are tax-deductible. Acknowledgment letters will be provided.

Eligibility

To qualify, persons must be 60 years of age or older and a resident of one of the 13 counties in the AACOG Region. The recipient must also have no current, safe means of heating in their home, or the existing heating source is not working. A stove or oven is not considered a safe and adequate source of heating a home, as this regularly leads to numerous fires and casualties in our community.

For more information, or to request a heater, call the Alamo Service Connection at (210) 477-3275 (or toll free at 866-231-4922) or email for details. To make a monetary contribution to the Warm Hearts, Warm Homes program, please contact (210) 362-5315. 

The Alamo Service Connection (ASC), part of the AACOG Area Agency on Aging, is the community clearing house for assistance, information, and referrals for older adults, persons with disabilities, and veterans around the AACOG Region.