Whether you’re an older adult, a family member, or a caregiver, our member agencies offer programs and resources to help you and the people you care for live their best lives in their community of choice for as long as possible.
Information & Referral
Navigating all of the programs and services offered by the ASAPs and AAAs in Massachusetts can be overwhelming. We recommend that you begin by using our member lookup tool to contact your local agency and speak with an Information & Referral specialist. These specialists will provide you with all of the information needed to make the right decision.
Explore some of the key programs available throughout Massachusetts
The Mass Aging Access network agencies offer the following core programs and services. Please contact your local agency for more information about these services and supports.
This statewide program enables qualifying MassHealth members age 16 and older with a disability, or 60 and older without a disability, to receive support at home from a paid caregiver. The program provides personal care assistance, case management, and nursing supervision, among other services.
Programs offer support with grief, depression, loss, hoarding, and other behavioral health challenges. They connect older adults and their caregivers with case management and a variety of programs, including Behavioral Health Outreach for Aging Populations (BHOAP), Advocacy & Navigating Care in the Home with Ongoing Risks (ANCHOR), Clutter Reduction Support Program (CRSP), and Buried in Treasures Group Support.
Case management services ensure that as your needs change, your care plan changes with you, providing you with the specific programs and services you want or need to support your independence. Case management includes developing person-centered care plans for programs such as Home Care, Senior Care Options, and One Care.
Clinical assessments can determine eligibility for programs offering long-term care services and supports, including many of the programs and services listed here.
CTLP staff assist adults age 22 or older who are living in a nursing home but wish to return to a community setting. They connect the individual with state and local programs and services to support their independence and help facilitate their transition from the nursing facility back to the community.
Being a caregiver for a loved one can be rewarding but can also be challenging. Through outreach, educational programs, support groups, respite care, and Memory Cafés, family caregivers are provided with the foundation and ongoing support to be successful.
Understanding Medicare and other health insurance options can be overwhelming, but the ASAP network is there to help! SHINE (Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone) counseling is a free service for those who have Medicare or are about to enroll in the program. Counselors provide unbiased professional information on available Medicare options and the costs and benefits of various plans. Specialists can also help you learn about Medicare Savings Programs which may cover some of your health-related costs and put money back into your pocket, and may also be able to provide information on other insurance options such as Senior Care Options (SCO) and One Care.
Older adults and their caregivers can receive information and assistance with a range of housing options including senior affordable housing, assisted living, rest homes, congregate housing, supportive housing, and other older adult housing options. Many of these programs offer onsite service coordination, health and wellness education, and engaging activities to enable aging in place and foster independence for as long as possible.
A wide range of supports, including homemaker services, transportation, personal care assistance, companion services, and more, may be available, all of which are overseen by a case manager to ensure that the consumer’s needs and preferences are met.
Trained volunteers are available to assist older adults manage their finances by developing a budget, and helping them to pay bills and balance their checkbooks.
Congregate dining programs and home-delivered meals (commonly known as “Meals on Wheels”) provide nutritional support to address food insecurity and malnourishment, alleviate social isolation, and provide a vital daily wellness check. The menus are planned by a Registered Dietician to ensure they’re nutritionally appropriate, with medically tailored meals available for those with specific health concerns such as diabetes or cardiac issues. Many providers also offer culturally appropriate meals including Vietnamese, Caribbean, Kosher, Latino, and Haitian menus, along with many other options.
Trained volunteers regularly visit long-term care facilities such as nursing homes and rest homes to address and mediate any concerns that the residents may have with staff or services at the facility.
Whether you want to know your options now, or are simply planning for the future, Options Counselors can answer questions and provide information on housing, community supports, long-term care, and more. Their person-centered approach focuses on each consumer’s wants and needs, to best enable them to maintain independence and remain in their community of choice.
Our members receive and investigate allegations of elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. To report a case of known or suspected abuse anywhere in Massachusetts, call the Massachusetts Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-922-2275
Additional programs and services are available. Please contact your local agency to learn about all of the options available near you!
“It’s like a family that came behind and helped. Having everybody there, and knowing you have a team behind you, and you can go through that person or individual… it helps to know that I’m not in this on my own.”
– Testimonial from a consumer of Boston Senior Home Care