Translation Assistance- tokens, city ride, emergency scripts, metro bus pass, taxi vouchers

Translation Assistance is offered for everything from document reading and writing to non-legal client advocacy over the phone to a biller or in-person for government services.

Counseling Seniors and their Family Caregivers

Social work case managers assist seniors and disabled-adults and where appropriate, their caregivers to gain a better understanding of the issues they are facing, to work collaboratively with the social work case manager to create a care plan which connects the senior or disabled-adult to the resources she/he needs and follows that care plan with the client/s over the necessary time

Where it would be beneficial, the social work case manager will connect the senior, the disabled-adult and or the caregiver’s with a mental health counselor whom the client can see at St. Barnabas or a home visit can be arranged

Home Delivered Meals

Nutritious food can be brought to the senior or disabled-adult’s home in two ways: for qualified senior: our Meals-on-Wheels program brings a warm-nutritious meal to the home for lunch at a nominal cost and a cold sack-meal can also be ordered for dinner.

Secondly, St Barnabas’ Grocery Shopping Program can shop for the senior or disabled-adult at Vons Grocery Store for the items the client has called in (yes, we shop for the best coupon buys!) and then deliver and put all items away all for the cost of the food and a nominal recommended donation to contribute towards the cost of the program. The client can access BOTH programs to complement their nutritional and personal needs

Legal Assitance

Once a month, Bet Tzedek (House of Justice) Legal Services, a non-profit legal aid organization comes to St. Barnabas to assist seniors by appointment with their legal issues:

1. Landlord-Tenant Issues
2. Unlawful Debt Collection
3. Nursing Home Problems
4. Long-Term Care Issues
5. Holocaust Reparations
6. Caregiver Issues
7. Power of Attorney for Health Care & Finances
8. Benefits Overpayments
9. Kinship Care Issues: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
10. Patients' Rights/Quality of Care
11. SSI/Disability Benefits Appeals
12. In-Home Supportive Services
13. Consumer Fraud
14. Conservatorships/Guardianships
15. Veteran's Benefits
16. Wage Claims
17. Home Equity Fraud/Home Improvement Fraud
18. Elder Abuse & Neglect
19. Substandard Housing Conditions
20. Social Security, Medi-Cal & Medicare
21. Alzheimer's Issues

Bet Tzedek does not handle criminal defense, immigration, divorce, or cases private attorneys would accept on contingency. Legal assistance includes counseling and representation at trials, administrative hearings and appeals.

Money Management- Rep Payee If there is inadequate and or untimely money management oversight by seniors they are at risk of prematurely losing their independence due to being the victim of financial abuse, or late payment of their rent or remaining in an apartment they can no longer afford. This can have a serious effect upon their overall well-being. Therefore, social work case managers are ready to perform a spectrum of money management assistance: Informal Money Management Reviewing with a senior a bill the senior has received to explain, often with translation, why the senior has received this bill and when appropriate, calling the biller to advocate for the senior. Helping a senior to create a budget and assisting them in how to live within it. Helping seniors to consider setting up a bank account in lieu of using expensive cashing centers. Helping a senior to know how to write checks for the first time because of being newly widowed And many other instances. Formal money management Representative Payee. When a senior is no longer capable of managing their own money, a social work case manager can, with the senior’s permission, become their Representative Payee. This is set up through and is monitored by the Social Security Administration. The social work case manager would be added as a signer to the client’s bank accounts. All bills would be sent to St. Barnabas and paid by the social work case manager from the client’s bank account/s and a monthly allowance would be given to the senior by the social work case manager

Finding Medical and In-Home Services-personal care, heavy chore For qualified low-income seniors and disabled-adults, a home-chore provider can be assigned at no cost to the senior or disabled-adult to come to the home to perform light-housekeeping, laundry and when needed, personal care; to assist with bathing, dressings and grooming. Social work case managers can assist in connecting the senior or disabled-adult to receive county In Home Supportive Services (IHSS). IMPORTANT. Due to the current state budget crisis, it is likely that the decision will be made to fund IHSS assistance ONLY for those who have been assessed as being qualified to enter a nursing home but can remain safely in their homes if they receive IHSS assistance. For qualified low-income seniors and disabled-adults, a professional cleaning company can come out to the home at no cost to the senior or disabled-adult to perform heavy cleaning: rug shampooing, window and oven cleaning as well as major apartment cleaning to prepare for final inspection when the senior or disabled-adult is planning to move.

Government Benefits Review -SSI, SSA, Medi-care, Medi-cal Social work case managers can assist seniors and disabled-adults to review as well as appeal in writing, on the phone or in person their Social Security (SSA), Supplemental Social Security (SSI), Medi-care or their Medi-cal benefit payments.

Forms Completion Assistance is offered in filling out a wide array of applications from transportation passes to housing. At this time, St. Barnabas does not do income tax assistance but does help the senior connect to free or reasonably priced assistance in this area.

Renter's Assistance This annual State of California government low-income rental housing rebate assistance program has been suspended due to the state’s budget crisis. When this program is active, St. Barnabas staff assists seniors in applying for this annual rebate program that occurs from July-October.

Reassurance Calls In between office and home visits, reassurance or “check-in” calls are made to “touch-base” with the senior to convey first and foremost that they are not forgotten. We would then ask if they need any assistance informing them of resources that are available to assist them in remaining happily, healthfully and safely in their home.

Power of Attorney Social Work Case Managers can, at the request of the senior or disabled-adult be named as their Power of Attorney to handle their affairs in the event that they are no longer able to do so.

Transportation Assistance Assistance is offered to connect senior and disabled-adult clients to the transportation assistance they qualify for: tokens, City Ride, City Ride Emergency Script, and Discount Metro Monthly Bus pass coupons as well as Taxi Vouchers for the most frail seniors

St. Barnabas Transportation. In addition, assistance is offered to connect seniors 65 years or older who need transportation to appointments or to shop to make a reservation for one three professional St. Barnabas van drivers to pick them up at their homes, take them to their appointment and return them to their homes all for a nominal cost.

Transition to a higher level of care

Adult Day Care is an important and vital option to assist seniors and disabled-adults to continue, when appropriate, to live independently when they need medical, therapeutic, social service and socialization assistance during the day. Social work case managers are ready to assist seniors and their families to make that transition to our exceptional Adult Day Care.

When living independently is no longer a safe or appropriate option, social work case managers are ready to assist seniors to transition to safe, financially appropriate next level of care: Assisted Living, Board and Care as well as a Nursing Home Facility.

Home Chore/ In Home Supportive

For qualified low-income seniors and disabled-adults, a home-chore provider can be assigned at no cost to the senior or disabled-adult to come to the home to perform light-housekeeping, laundry and when needed, personal care; to assist with bathing, dressings and grooming.

Social work case managers can assist in connecting the senior or disabled-adult to receive county In Home Supportive Services (IHSS). IMPORTANT. Due to the current state budget crisis, it is likely that the decision will be made to fund IHSS assistance ONLY for those who have been assessed as being qualified to enter a nursing home but can remain safely in their homes if they receive IHSS assistance.

For qualified low-income seniors and disabled-adults, a professional cleaning company can come out to the home at no cost to the senior or disabled-adult to perform heavy cleaning: rug shampooing, window and oven cleaning as well as major apartment cleaning to prepare for final inspection when the senior or disabled-adult is planning to move.

Emergency Supportive Assistance

Philips Lifeline Emergency Alert System (EARS) – this home emergency alert system is monitored 24/7 by a live operator to send medical assistance to the home in the event of a personal medical emergency. For qualified low-income seniors, this emergency response system is free. However, at this time the program budget is not taking any new qualified clients in the near future, but it’s hoped that the openings will be available before the end of 2009. That said, seniors can elect to subscribe as a “private pay” subscriber at a negotiated rate of installation and per month.

Another no-cost alternative – Secure the Call Free 911 cell phone. The non-profit organization, Secure the Call is making cell phones that are programmed to only call 911 and that are not for general communication, available to seniors who would like them. Unlike a regular cell phone, there is no monthly subscriber cost or cost for calling 911. The only need is to be sure that the cell phone is fully charged. Any St. Barnabas social work case manager can assist seniors with obtaining a phone.

Home Secure and Handy Worker Programs

The Home Secure Program- Supported and funded by the Los Angeles Department on Aging and managed by the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) provides safety device installation services to qualifying low-income seniors residing throughout the City of Los Angeles. This service will provide safety device installation in homes or apartments at no charge. Items installed include Handrails, Peep Holes, Dead Bolts, Fire Detectors, among other devices. A social work case manager can assist any qualified senior residing in our service area to apply for assistance from this high-quality program.

Handy Worker Program - Supported and funded by the Los Angeles Housing Department, the MAOF Handy worker program provides non-permit requiring minor home repairs services to qualifying seniors and the disabled. Work completed may include interior and exterior painting, new flooring, fences, doors, fire and carbon monoxide detectors, handrails, minor plumbing, electrical and carpentry work (this list is not all inclusive.) Services are provided free of charge to those who qualify. A social work case manager can assist any qualified senior residing in our service area to apply for assistance from this high-quality program.