Short Term Options
Home Health (HH): Consider initiating Home Health Nursing for medication management and a home safety assessment, Physical Therapy for conditioning if clinically appropriate, and Social Work services to help identify more resources.
Pill Packing: Request patient’s pharmacy to pack pills for home delivery.
Center for Volunteer Caregiving: 919-460-0567. This agency has free phone-based services to help seniors deal with social isolation. One service is a short, daily call (<5 minutes) to check in on seniors and ensure safety, remind about meds, etc. The second service is a more social call (about 20-30 minutes) a couple times a week to address loneliness and provide emotional support. Post-Covid may also provide some in-home services.
Personal Care Services (PCS): Medicaid allows for in-home aides for up to 81 hours a month (about 2-3 hours per day) to help with ADL’s, IADL’s, light housework, and, in some cases, help with medication adherence. You must complete pages 1-2 of the form below and fax to Liberty Healthcare (fax # on the form). Liberty performs an evaluation and determines how many hours the patient is eligible for.
DMA-3051 form (PDF)
Advance Care Planning (ACP): Start ACP conversations early. The form does need to be notarized. Most local banks will notarize for no fee for existing customers.
Advance Directive for a Natural Death form (PDF)
Long Term Options
Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE): Allows patients to stay in their home for as long as possible with daily support, visits to their PACE center, transportation, and other services. The admissions team can help patients apply for long-term Medicaid, which would fully cover the cost of the program. PACE would take over care completely and act as the PCP, similar to someone entering into a long-term care facility.
seniorcommunitycarenc.org
Care Patrol: Support for placement in independent or assisted living facilities. In Wake County, call 919-302-4429.
https://www.carepatrol.com/
Facility-Based Care: such as an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) or a long-term Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF). Medicaid is optimal for this option; the facility will help with application. Complete an FL2 form (below) and send to the facility of their choice.
FL2 form (PDF)
Resource Directories
Area Agency on Aging.
Service partner directory for the Central Pines Regional Council, serving central NC. Call 800-310-9777.
NC Care 360
Directory of statewide resources and call center powered by NC 211.
NC DHHS Aging and Adult Services
Directory of services such as nutrition, senior centers, Area Agencies on Aging, Elder Housing locator, Transportation, Caregiver Support, and in-home aides.
Resources for Seniors
Directory of home and community-based Wake County resources. Call 919-872-7933 or visit resourcesforseniors.org.
Wake County Human Services
Senior & Adult Services. Information about senior services in Wake County.
Wake Network of Care
Directory of services, organizations, and support in Wake County.
General Resources
Combating Loneliness in Older Adults
Articles, research, and resources.
HopeLine
North Carolinians living with social isolation receive phones calls through the no-cost Reassurance Program. 919-231-4525.
Fall Prevention
CDCs Home Fall Prevention Checklist
Fitness
National Institute on Aging’s guide to fitness.
Home Safety
National Council on Aging’s home safety guide.
Seniors Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP)
Counselors answer Medicare questions.