Community Resources
Here are some resources that may help you continue to live at home:
Friendly Visitors
Sometimes having a regular visitor can brighten your day, decrease isolation, and bring a new friendship into your life! Here are some local places older adults may be able to find friendly visitors:
Geriatric Care Managers
A Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) is a social worker, nurse, counselor, or other professional who can help seniors and their families navigate options to age successfully.
- CJE-Senior Life
- Creative Case Management
- National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers
- North Shore Senior Center
Help to Manage Your Home
Some membership organizations help seniors manage their homes to facilitate aging in place. Depending on where you live in the Chicago area, one of these may be available to you:
Home Adaptation and Maintenance
Need someone to install grab bars? Fix that loose banister? Help you rearrange your furniture?
- Handyman Services—City of Evanston
- Leslie Markman-Stern (Home Safety and Accessibility Assessment Service)
- Handyman or Chore Services—NSSC
Housing
If you’re interested in home sharing or moving into a senior building in your community, these agencies or your municipality may be able to help.
Legal Assistance
Though SASI does not offer legal assistance, these agencies do:
- Illinois Legal Aid
- Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
- Metropolitan Family Services
- North Shore Senior Center
Licensing
Home services agencies, home nursing agencies, home health agencies, and residential and skilled care facilities are all required to be licensed by the state of Illinois. Learn about the licensure or find a home nursing or home health agency that is licensed in Illinois.
Meals and Groceries
Getting groceries and making meals can be a challenge. Here are some resources that may help:
Grocery Delivery Services
Home Delivered Meals
- CJE-Senior Life
- North Shore Senior Center/Evanston Skokie Valley Senior Services
- Meals at Home
- Meals on Wheels
- Village of Skokie
Medical Conditions
If you have been diagnosed with a chronic illness or medical condition, there may be an organization to help you navigate the diagnosis and treatment. Organizations offer individualized services, support groups, and/or information.
- Alzheimer’s Association
- American Cancer Society
- American Diabetes Association
- American Heart Association
- American Lung Association
- Guild for the Blind
- Les Turner ALS Foundation
- MS Society
- National Kidney Foundation
- Parkinson’s Disease Foundation
Medical Supplies
Medical supplies and adaptive equipment for seniors and other adults are expensive and not always needed permanently. There are local lending closets for this type of equipment in the area, and medical supply companies where you can purchase items for long term use.
- Northbrook Nurses' Lending Closet
- Village of Morton Grove Lending Closet
- Village of Skokie Lending Closet
- Walgreens Medical Supply (contact your local Walgreens for contact information)
Mental Health Services
Many of these agencies provide both mental health and substance abuse services.
- Catholic Charities
- The Josselyn Center
- Metropolitan Family Services
- New Foundation Center
- PEER Services
- Thresholds
- Trilogy
- Turning Point
Municipalities and Government
When in doubt, your municipality is a good place to start. Often, municipalities have a human services division that can make recommendations to seniors on where to go for services. Townships and state departments can also be very helpful.
- City of Chicago Department on Aging
- City of Evanston
- Illinois Department of Employment Security
- Illinois Department of Public Health
- Maine Township
- New Trier Township
- Niles Township
- State of Illinois Secretary of State
- Suburban Cook County Area Agency on Aging
- Village of Glenview
- Village of Lincolnwood
- Village of Morton Grove
- Village of Niles
- Village of Skokie
- Village of Wilmette
- Village of Winnetka
Senior Centers and Day Programs
Staying active can be a challenge—senior centers and day programs can help plan your day. Maybe you’ll end up with a new hobby and new friends!
Senior Centers
- Highland Park Senior Center
- North Shore Senior Center
- Levy Center
- Glenview Senior Center
- Mallinckrodt/Meskill Center
- Niles Senior Center
- Skokie Senior Programs
- Morton Grove Senior Center
Day Programs
Social Service Agencies
Social service agencies can help seniors and their families obtain assistance or direct them to the resources that may be available.
- Catholic Charities
- CJE-Senior Life
- Evanston Skokie Valley Senior Services
- Metropolitan Family Services
- North Shore Senior Center
Transportation
Did you recently give up driving? Need a ride to an appointment? There are transportation options available in the area. There may also be taxi voucher programs for seniors and other adults in your municipality.
- Center of Concern
- City of Chicago Senior Transportation Programs
- CJE-Senior Life
- Faith in Action
- Illinois Secretary of State Services for Seniors
- North Shore Senior Center
- PACE Paratransit Transportation Services
- Skokie Senior Transit for Area Residents (STAR)
- Village of Niles Free Bus
