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The COPE-D Project, a program of the Over 60 Program at UCSF, offers free social services for seniors aged 60+ who are feeling down, lonely or stressed; having trouble coping with medical issues or pain; or want someone to talk with for emotional support. The COPE-D team consists of social workers, psychologists, family therapists and psychiatrists who offer assessment, individual counseling, education and referrals to resources in the community. Services are provided at preferred locations for individuals who cannot make it to UCSF. Call the Over 60 Program at (415) 476-7439 or page them at
(415) 719-5312.
Asian/Pacific Islander (API) Legal Outreach sponsors the Senior Law Project, which offers assistance with long-term care planning, taxes, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, conservatorships, elder abuse and consumer fraud. Services are provided in Can-tonese, Mandarin, Chiu Chow, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog and Ilocano. Assistance is free to those receiving public benefits or who are low-income. Sliding-scale fee ar-rangements are available. API Legal Outreach services are available in Alameda, San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. Call (415) 567-6255 for San Francisco or San Mateo Counties, or (510) 251-2846 for Alameda County.
The City of Pleasanton Paratransit Service offers transportation services to residents of Pleasanton or Sunol who are age 60+ and/or ADA certified. The service provides door-to-door transport to medical appointments, employment, lunch programs, food shopping and recreational activities. Regular or wheelchair- accessible vans are available. Reservations are required, except for medical emergencies. For more information, call (925) 931-5376.
The Latino Senior Support Group holds monthly meetings in Spanish to assist in the well-being and independence of Latino seniors and their caregivers. The group meets at the Bay Point Family Health Center. Every meeting includes lunch, a presentation, enjoyable activities and time to socialize. The group and lunch are free of charge. For more information, call Carlos Torres (925) 518-4259.
The UC Berkeley Psychology Clinic is now offering couple and group counseling designed to help couples coping with dementia improve their relationships while continuing to develop skills for managing these new difficulties. Fees are set on an income-based sliding scale. Call the UC Berkeley Psychology Clinic, (510) 642-2055.
If you are having problems communicating with your loved one or are experiencing a disagreement with someone you know, the Conflict Resolution Panel (CRP) may help you settle the dispute. In a CRP hearing, certified Conflict Resolution Panel volunteers act as a neutral third party in mediating a meeting between disputing parties. Parties communicate their points of view and work towards creating a resolution to the problem. CRP is a low cost and confidential service available to everyone in the Bay Area. For more information, call (925) 798-6132.
Assistance in Management (AIM) offers free bill payer and representative payee services to low income seniors over age 60 in East Contra Costa County. Depending on the senior’s needs, assistance is given for balancing check books, check writing, budgeting and keeping track of expenses. Services are provided by volunteers screened and trained through AARP. For further information, please contact AIM at (925) 946-0178. For low income seniors over age 60 in Antioch, call the Contra Costa County Ombudsmen office at (925) 685-2070 for information on the Antioch Representative Payee and Bill Payer Program.
If you are under 65 years of age, disabled and on Medicare you have ninety days beginning January 1, 2004 to purchase one of five Medigap policies. Under new legislation, SB 1531, put forth by Senator Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough), you have the opportunity to purchase a Medigap policy regardless of your health condition, with the exception of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Medigap policies provide supplemental insurance to your Medicare plan. For more information, visit www.insurance.ca.gov and click the “Medigap Guide,”or contact the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) at (800) 434-0222.
Attorney General Bill Lockyer’s office has released an updated handbook called Legal Rights of Persons with Disabilities outlining all state and federal laws protecting the rights of California residents with disabilities. For a copy , write to: Attorney General’s Public Inquiry Unit, PO Box 944255, Sacramento, CA 94244-2550. To view it online, visit http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/pdf/disabled.pdf
Avenidas Senior Center will present Essentials for the Caregiver: A One-Day Conference from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., April 24, at Avenidas in Palo Alto. Keynote speaker Margaret Deanesly, M.D., will open the program, followed by sessions with experts offering information on legal planning, tools for coping, how to find services, understanding memory loss, when to choose alternative living and all about paid caregivers. For information or to register call (650) 326-5362, ext. 19.
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