Alzheimer’s Association AARP Community Resource Finder (communityresourcefinder.org) is a database of dementia and aging-related resources powered by Carelike®. The online tool makes it easy for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, family caregivers and those involved in making care-related decisions to find local programs and services.

As experienced drivers grow older, changes in vision, attention and physical abilities may cause them to drive less safely than they used to. Sometimes these changes happen so slowly that the drivers are not even aware that their driving safety is at risk.

The documents below provide tips for talking with elderly patients about driving safely.
 

Tips for Safe Driving

How to Help the Older Driver

Getting By Without Driving

Am I a Safe Driver?

Successful Aging Tips

American Automobile Association (AAA) Web site specifically for older drivers.   Site includes a self-assessment tool, education and training, planning tools for transportation after you quit driving, and other resources.

Building Value provides hands-on job training opportunities for individuals with disadvantages and disabilities seeking employment in construction and retail. The enterprise is an extension of Easter Seals WRC's mission to empower individuals with disabilities and disadvantages to achieve a higher quality of life through employment and self-sufficiency.

Building Value LLC is a three-prong business involving light deconstruction services, a reusable building materials center and product reconstruction from recycled materials. The enterprise teaches skills in growing industries; it generates revenue to support other Easter Seals WRC programs; and it provides job-training opportunities for people who need work experience.

Click here for information about the program.

Click here to visit the store's Web site.

The Role of the Bureau of Disability Determination

Once the application for disability benefits, or case is taken at the local office, it is forwarded to the Bureau of Disability Determination to assess whether the medical requirements are met for disability.  Under the rules of Social Security, a person must be found unable to perform any type of work for a period of at least 12 months due to a physical, mental, or combination of impairments.

Under the Social Security Disability Program, an applicant cannot be found "25 percent" disabled as may be the case under the rules for worker`s compensation or Veteran`s benefits.  The Social Security Administration uses a "Listing of Impairments" to guide disability assessment.  This set of criteria is based on common types of medical conditions, such as arthritis, heart disease, and cancer.  While every medical condition is not covered in the Listings, it does provide general guidance to assess them.

When the case is received by the Bureau of Disability Determination, it is assigned to a Disability Claims Adjudicator. This person reviews the application materials and may contact the applicant, or claimant, to clarify issues and obtain further information regarding treatment and limitations due to his or her impairments.  The adjudicator then contacts relevant medical sources in order to obtain documentation regarding the impairments.  At times, it is necessary to schedule consultative exams for claimants.  This examination provides functional information to help determine what limitations may result from an individual`s impairment(s), and is not for purposes of providing treatment.  Once sufficient medical evidence is obtained the adjudicator, using the Listings as a guide, will determine if the individual qualifies for disability.

The Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation is the program that provides individuals with disabilities the services and support necessary to help them attain and maintain employment. Disabilities may include either physical, intellectual, mental health, or sensory disabilities. Vocational rehabilitation (VR) services are customized for each individual through assessments and one-on-one meetings with professional VR counselors.

Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR)
Assists people who have physical, mental, and emotional disabilities by providing vocational rehabilitation and other services.

The Butler County Educational Service Center provides programs and services that promote achievement and improve the quality of life for families and children. 

Butler County Educational Service Center serves as the central educational and service resource for schools, government agencies, families, children and the community.

Programs Include:

• Head Start
• Early Head Start
• Help Me Grow
• Butler County Success
• Kinship Navigator Program
• Public School Preschool Programs
• Special Education Preschool Programs
• Related Service such as Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy
• Family and Children First Council
• Therapeutic Interagency Preschool
• Fairfield Preschool
• Academic portion of the Alternative Education Programs of Union Day School
• Family Child Care Licensure
• Early Intervention

Click here to see a more complete listing of all Services and Programs

A toll-free* call to 2-1-1 or 855-405-7629 connects you to a community resource specialist in your area who can put you in touch with local organizations that provide critical services that can improve and save lives. Services are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is an excellent resource for information and guidance on a variety of health related topics from chronic disease and smoking cessation, to fall prevention and flu shots. 

Here are some particular areas of interest for older adults and caregivers:

Falls Among Older Adults

Elder Maltreatment

Flu

Winter Weather

Smoking and Tobacco Use

Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Diabetes

Older Adult Drivers

Use the site's A-Z Index to easily find the information you are looking for. 

Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) is a private, not-for-profit organization with a long and respected tradition of offering comprehensive services to people who are blind or visually impaired. CABVI services include employment assistance, low vision services, radio reading, rehabilitation training, computer access, orientation and mobility training, talking books, social services, and a speakers bureau.

Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR)
Assists people who have physical, mental, and emotional disabilities by providing vocational rehabilitation and other services.

Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI)
The BSVI division provides vocational rehabilitation and other services to Ohioans who are blind or visually impaired. This office serves Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, and Warren counties

Cincinnati Computer Cooperative is a nonprofit organization that partners with local businesses and individuals to provide refurbished computers to area seniors, schools, nonprofits and others in need. For seniors, refurbished computers are available starting at $75.00.  A free training class is required with the purchase of a computer.  Training classes are offered every Saturday between the hours of 9:00-10:00 a.m. at 49 Novner Dr, Cincinnati OH. The class takes approximately 1 hour.  Discount Internet access is also availab. The nonprofit Cincinnati Computer Cooperative helps you get the computer you need at a price you can afford. The Cooperative accepts donations of gently used computers, refurbishes them, then offers them at below market prices starting at $150.

People over 55 years of age are eligible. So are students, those on any form of public assistance. Also nonprofits and schools. Seniors often buy for younger students in their family.

Prices for laptops and desktops start at just $150 and include free software and a full year’s guarantee. It’s easy: just call 513.771.3262. A helpful, experienced staff member will be happy to guide you through buying your new-to-you computer.

The Clermont County Board of Developmental Disabilities provides support and services to children and adults who have mental or developmental disabilities.

Our mission is to promote independence and foster the highest quality of life for people with visual impairments, including those with additional disabilities.

Clovernook provides comprehensive program services including training and support for independent living, orientation and mobility instruction, vocational training, job placement, counseling, recreation, and youth services.

In addition, our Business Operations provide meaningful employment opportunities for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, while at the same time manufacturing high-quality products for customers across the country.

Clovernook provides services out of offices in Cincinnati, Ohio and Memphis, Tennessee.

Deaconess Hospital no longer offers emergency room or in-patient hospital services.  

The Deaconess Foundation offers programs and services to help older adults remain safe and independent in their homes. These services include:

• Care Coordinator Services

• Nursing Home Visits

• Consistent Caregivers

• Senior-friendly Designed Exam Rooms

• Customized Care Plans

• Senior-sensitive Staff

• Longer Office Visits

Evaluation and Training for Safe, Independent Driving

Persons with disabilities or illnesses are sometimes limited in their ability to drive. Drake Center driver rehabilitation is designed to evaluate these individuals for driving potential and provide specialized training by occupational therapists and other staff members who are licensed driving instructors. Trained staff carefully assess each persons needs and, if appropriate, help him or her develop safe, independent driving skills that meet real-world needs.

At Easter Seals TriState youth and adults with disabilities and disadvantages find the path to live more independent lives through social enterprise, youth, vocational, social and recreational services, autism services, medical rehabilitation, military and veteren services, employment and training. To learn more about their programs visit their website here.

Easter Seals Work Resource Center (WRC) empowers individuals with disabilities and disadvantages to increase their independence through employment. The organization helps people with disabilities and disadvantages gradually transition into the workforce and experience career success. Participants include:

• Individuals with developmental, sensory or physical disabilities 
• People who are chronically unemployed or underemployed, including those moving from welfare-to-work
• Youth at-risk who need a support network to connect to work

Click here for information about programs and services.

EngAging Seniors, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit offers Smartphone Basics for Beginners in-person
classes currently through Cincinnati Public Library. This is a 4-week course
designed for seniors with limited smartphone experience. Participants will learn
smartphone terminology and have hands-on experience with a senior guide (seniors
guiding seniors). Small class sizes and small teacher-to-participant ratios ensure
individualized attention in a non-intimidating environment. All Smartphones accepted

At Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley, they empower people with disabilities and other needs to achieve independence and enhance their lives on a daily basis.

Their vision is to make it possible for all people to live, learn, work and play in their communities.
To learn more about their behavioral health services, employment services, senior services, children and youth services and developmental disabilities visit their website here.

At Graceworks Lutheran Services, everything they do is based on the principles of servant leadership, and building community.  They believe individuals thrive when they live interdependently with others in communities dedicated to upholding personal dignity and fostering wholeness.

They serve people of all faiths through a variety of programs such as assisted living for seniors and persons with disabilities, senior residential communities, companionship services, and community outreach.

The Greene County Board of Developmental Disabilities provides service and support for clients with differing abilities in the Greene Country Community. Providing services from early childhood, through adulthood and elderly life stages, the Board is committed to assisting eligible individuals in making choices and achieving a life of increasing capabilities so that they may live, work, and play in our community.

The Boards primary target populations are adults who are severely mentally disabled (SMD), children who are severely emotionally disabled (SED) and adults who are dually diagnosed with substance abuse and mental illness (SAMI). \

Access to Services

Mental Health Access Point (MHAP) - 513-558-8888
Centralized mental health system access point connecting customers with the appropriate service provider(s).

Recovery Health Access Center (RHAC) - 513-281-7422
Centralized 24-hour service center providing a full continuum of substance abuse services including information and referrals supporting individuals and families throughout the treatment process.

Probate Process (Hamilton County) - 513-946-3591
Civil probate court assisting provider community and families in obtaining inpatient care.

Telephone Support

Consumer WARMLINE - 513-931-WARM
Call-in peer support service for existing consumers.

Mental Health Hotline - 513-281-CARE
24-hour telephone support services, specializing in suicide prevention, crisis situations, and family violence.

Drug & Poison Information Center (DPIC) - 513-636-5111
24-hour hotline providing crisis intervention, education, and information.

Consumer-Driven Services

Recovery Center of Hamilton County - 513-241-1411
Consumer-operated services providing social support and learning opportunities to adults in Hamilton County with severe mental illness working toward full integration into the community.

Mighty Vine Wellness Club - 513-241-9355
Consumer-operated, readily accessible and affordable exercise and wellness activities fostering emotional support and understanding for mental health consumers.

WARMLINE - 513-931-WARM
Consumer-operated service that provides peer support to consumers via telephone.  The WARMLINE operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Emergency Crisis Care

Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) - 513-584-8577
Hospital setting 24-hour emergency care.

Mental Health Access Point (MHAP) - 513-558-8888
Access to mental health crisis care.

MHAP Youth & Adult Mobile Crisis - 513-558-8888
On-call mobile and in-home crisis care.

Recovery Health Access Center (RHAC) - 513-281-7422
Access to alcohol and substance abuse crisis care.

HomeCare.com does not employ or recommend any care provider. HomeCare.com provides technology and tools to help families and Caregivers connect with each other. Each individual is solely responsible for selecting a care provider or care seeker, whichever applies, and complying with local and federal laws in connection with a business relationship they create.There are a number of ways to help pay for in-home care. Some options include: Medicaid, PACE, Long-Term Care insurance (LTCi), life insurance, Veteran’s benefits, a home equity loan, or a reverse mortgage. We will briefly address each of these.

Find A Care Giver, Home Care Resources, Paying For Care, Care Giver Resources, Elder Services, Chronic Conditions.

Hope House Rescue Mission serves the homeless population of Butler and Warren Counties and the surrounding areas. It is one of the few missions that accepts children into the facility. Hope House Mission operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round. To learn more about the services they offer click here.

The purpose of JVS is to empower individuals to enrich their lives. JVS does this in several ways:

• By providing training, work and related services to people with developmental disabilities;
• By providing recreation, socialization and other activities to older adults with developmental disabilities;
• By advising clients of our Cincinnati Career Network how to advance their professional lives.

JVS is a provider of the Hamilton County Elderly Services Program.

Keeping Seniors Safe on the Roads.

The mission of the Montgomery Board of DDS is to serve children and adults with mental retardation and other significant developmental disabilities, most of whom require comprehensive life-long services. The Board provides supports for individuals to live, learn, work and participate in their community.

The Board also provides supports for families on their efforts to care for their family member with a disability.

The mission of the Montgomery Job and Family Services Department is: Protecting children and the elderly, strengthening families and individuals, and providing opportunities through coordinated services for the residents of Montgomery County.

Older road users include drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. NHTSA`s mission with respect to older road users is to keep them safely mobile through programs directed toward reducing traffic-related injuries and fatalities among older people. Through research and outreach activities, NHTSAs programs help aging individuals recognize their changing abilities and adapt their transportation practices appropriately. Whether driving, walking or cycling, if unsafe choices are made, family, friends, physicians, other health-care providers, and licensing officials can be pivotal in providing older persons with options for maintaining safe mobility. These individuals can also identify drivers with functional limitations that impair driving performance and direct older drivers to safer transportation alternatives

Please refer to the website for additional resources.

Information about how your body changes as you age and how those changes may affect your life.

Ohio veterans of all eras have earned a number of federal and state benefits. Veterans may qualify for a number of other benefits ranging from health care, compensation for injuries and illness, home loans and education to direct financial assistance, special license plates and the Ohio Veterans Homes. Please visit your county veteran`s service office and find out what you`re eligible for. For more information, call 1-877-OHIO VET (1-877-644-6838), or visit www.dvs.ohio.gov.

Veterans can receive various levels of nursing home benefits, depending on the nature of disability or illness.

• Those with service-connected disabilities or illnesses get first priority and the care is free. Care can be received in a Veterans Affairs (VA) facility or a private nursing home at VA expense.
• Veterans with disabilities or illnesses which are not connected to armed service can receive care in a VA facility if space and resources permit. Those with a specific income level must pay a deductible and a co-payment.

Veterans` health benefits are subject to change. For more information contact your local VA office or medical center by calling 800-827-1000.

Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission

RSC is the state agency that partners with Ohioans with disabilities to achieve quality employment, independence and Social Security disability determination outcomes through its Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR), Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI) and Bureau of Disability Determination (BDD). By working with partners across business, government, educational and non-profit sectors, RSC vocational rehabilitation team guides youths with disabilities regarding career preparation; works with people who acquire disabilities mid-career; and advises companies about disability management and workplace solutions, which allows them to recruit talented professionals and retain valuable employees. BDD adjudicates claims for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Provides vocational rehabilitation services to people of working age who are physically, mentally, psychologically, or socially disabled and vocationally handicapped.

Medical equipment rental (deposit) may be available.

The OhioMeansJobs Warren County, located at 300 East Silver Street in Lebanon, Ohio is a partnership of workforce development, educational and social service agencies that provide services to job seekers and employers.

The free services that are available for employment seeking purposes include:
•A Resource Room that has computers linked to the internet
•Customer Advocates who will assist the job seeker with his/her employment, training and/or supportive service needs
•Availability of job posting information
•Labor market information
•Education and training information
•Use of resource materials, copier, laser printers and fax machine
•Classes in employability skills, computer skills and credit counseling
•Career aptitude and Work Keys testing.

They are open Monday thru Friday, except holidays, from 8AM to 5PM. For more information, please call 513-695-1130. The Resource Room is open to the public from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Please stop and visit OhioMeansJobs Warren County!

The mission of Opportunities for Ohians with Disabilities is to provide individuals with disabilities opportunities to achieve quality employment, independence, and disability determination outcomes. They do this through the many programs they offer.

The vast majority of working-age Ohioans with a disability would like to work. Moreover, Ohioans with a disability bring many key success factors to the workplace.

 If you want to work but are having trouble because of your disability, you may qualify for services from Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities through its Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI).

 BSVI provides direct, personalized services to help individuals with disabilities obtain or retain employment. The BSVI counselor works with you one-on-one to plan an individualized program leading to gainful employment.

The “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program was created in 2008 by Matt Gurwell, a retired Ohio State Trooper. Matt’s passion has been to continue reducing preventable traffic crashes involving older drivers that may have a diminishment in cognitive and/or physical driving abilities. The program provides practical, real-life solutions to older drivers and their concerned families. The “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program is designed to save lives while simultaneously helping to ease the burden of the family as they find themselves faced with this very challenging issue.

TriHealth provides a wide range of clinical, educational, preventive and social programs. TriHealth`s non-hospital services include physician practice management, fitness centers and fitness center management, occupational health centers, home health and hospice care.

TriHealth Physician Telephone Referral Line
513-569-5400

TriHealth Senior Programs

TriHealth Seniority
Free hospital-based program helps members age 50 and older maintain healthier, more active lives through special events, exclusive classes and valuable discounts. Includes:

• Expert health education and information
• Special courtesies from Bethesda North and Good Samaritan hospitals
• Assistance with insurance paperwork and billing issues
• Educational programs, lectures and classes
• Social outings and entertainment events
• Travel opportunities to local, national and international destinations
• Discounts on health-related products and services
• No-cost discount prescription card
• TriHealth Seniority Insider, our timely newsletter and calendar with dates and descriptions of all our upcoming events.

Bethesda North Hospital
Email or call (513) 865-1700

Good Samaritan Hospital
Email or call (513) 862-3633

TriHealth Driver Rehabilitation Program
For disabled drivers of all ages, TriHealth offers an objective evaluation of the skills necessary for driving. You must have a physician prescription to participate in this test. TriHealth can perform the in-clinic evaluation at Good Samaritan Hospital or the TriHealth Fitness & Health Pavilion.

Parish Nurses
In 1998, Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation, with a grant from what is today called the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, hired two nurses to cover eight schools. Their work in the schools complements that of 10 parish nurses based at churches in Over-the-Rhine, North Fairmount, Bond Hill, Winton Terrace/Winton Hills, Clifton/Mt. Auburn and Walnut Hills.

Parish nurses strive to be advocates for people who have little access to health care resources. For more information about the Parish Nurse program and how you can help, call (513) 569-6138.

TriHealth Senior Behavioral Health Program
513-872-4100
Serves older adults in an inpatient mental health setting.

The Centers for Interactive Geriatric Assessment (CIGA)
513-699-1852
Executive Park
4050 Executive Park Drive, Suite 240
Cincinnati, OH 45241

TriHealth Fitness and Health Pavilion
513-985-0900
6200 Pfeiffer Road
Cincinnati, OH 45242

Bethesda Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program.
The highly-regarded program, established in 1978, is the longest-running of its kind in Greater Cincinnati. It provides a path to recovery for those at risk of losing their families, careers and health to chemical dependency.

The Bethesda Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program continues to incorporate treatment advances into an already well-established program, which uses traditional tried-and-true approaches including family involvement, extended continuing care and self-help group support.

We offer our intensive outpatient program at two facilities in Greater Cincinnati.

619 Oak Street
4th Floor West
Cincinnati, OH 45206
Phone 513 569 6116 

11305 Reed Hartman Hwy.
Suite 106
Cincinnati, OH 45241
Phone 513 489 6011 

The mission of United Rehabilitation Services is enhancing the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities or other special needs.

United Rehabilitation Services provides specialized programs that enhance the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities or other special needs. Their services will promote independence, community inclusion, and support for families.

Their dedicated and skilled team of professionals, in partnership with family members and caregivers, provide individualized services to improve the quality of life for each client. Their programs offer high quality services that are nationally and locally accredited and as a member of the Better Business Bureau, adhere to the most rigorous “Charitable Giving Standards”.

**Temporary warming shelters available by contacting 2-1-1 for Butler, Clermont, Clinton, and Warren counties**

2-1-1 can be accessed by phone or computer. A toll-free call to 2-1-1 connects you to a community resource specialist in your area who can put you in touch with local organizations that provide critical services that can improve—and save—lives. You’ll find information about:

• supplemental food and nutrition programs
• shelter and housing options and utilities assistance
• emergency information and disaster relief
• employment and education opportunities
• services for veterans
• health care, vaccination and health epidemic information
• addiction prevention and rehabilitation programs
• reentry help for ex-offenders
• support groups for individuals with mental illnesses or special needs
• a safe, confidential path out of physical and/or emotional domestic abuse

Whether in times of natural disaster or personal crisis, 2-1-1 is committed to being the first, most essential resource to anyone who needs help.

United Way of Clinton County strives to improve lives and advance the common good of our community. This is
accomplished through participation in collaborative groups, partnering with social service agencies, assessment of the
needs of our citizens and cooperation with other community focused agencies, organizations and companies.

Connects callers to health and human services, community resources and government assistance they need. Available 24/7. Calls are free and confidential. Multi-lingual/TTY/TTD. Certified Call Specialists make appropriate referrals and monitor outcomes to ensure services are provided.

Our services and solutions focus on quality education, health and basic needs, which are the building blocks to financial sustainability and economic mobility. Like the challenges people face, we view these areas as unique and interconnected, with no one single solution. Dial 211 or 513-721-7900 to speak to a trained professional who can connect you to essential community services from 8 am to 5 pm.

Find help online: View United Way's database of service providers in the United Way of Greater Cincinnati service area at www.referweb.net/uwgc.

University of Arkansas Grantham provides online college courses to seniors and people of all ages looking to earn their degree online. We also offer scholarships for veterans. Visit https://www.grantham.edu/ to see the full list of programs available or scholarships available to apply for.

We are your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers. We are a collaboration of volunteers, donors and organizations UNITED around a shared purpose – to fight for the health, education, financial and workplace stability of every person in our community. The work we do goes far beyond temporary fixes to the issues we face. By bringing together people and organizations toward common goals and innovative solutions, we can have a lasting, positive impact on the community we serve.

For information and referral, call 1-888-775-1260.