If you want to stay in your own home or apartment but need help with some basic tasks, home and community services can assist with personal activities or daily living chores, provide health care, or make social opportunities more readily available. Family members coping with a relative’s chronic illness or disability also may benefit from these services, particularly caregivers who work outside the home or have other major demands on their time.

Some services can be brought to your own home while others are available at different settings in your community, usually during the day. In addition, some programs can help make modifications to your home for your greater ease and safety. You can check with your local Area Agency on Aging for more information on these.

Though many different home and community services exist for older people, not all are available in every community.