2-1-1 Texas Helps Make Life Easier
Need
a job but don’t have the right skills? Looking for someone to deliver
meals to your elderly parents? Have you, or someone you know, been
diagnosed with cancer? 2-1-1 can help you find the assistance you need.
This service works every day to connect children,
families and neighborhoods with services from 20,000 agencies and many
volunteers.
“The system works through area information
centers that look at the total picture of what a customer needs,” said
Beth Wick, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s state
coordinator for 2-1-1. “Its technology provides access to a tremendous
amount of help — but just as important is the human touch you get from
talking to a live human being who has a real passion for their work.”
So when you’re looking for help, just call 2-1-1 or go to www.211Texas.org and learn about the variety of local and state resources available.
Who calls 2-1-1?
Information
is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the year in more
than 90 languages. Because services offered through 2-1-1 vary from
community to community, the system’s resource specialists have specific
expertise on resources in different areas of the state.
“2-1-1
might be able to help someone get oral health services from a dental
school or medical care on a sliding fee scale from a community health
clinic,” Wick says. “It just depends on what’s available in the
community.”
Here are just a few examples of the many health and human services programs that 2-1-1 helps connect Texans to:
 Basic human needs resources:
Rent assistance, food banks, food stamps, shelters, utility assistance,
clothing closets and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Support for seniors and people with disabilities: Adult day care, home health care, Meals on Wheels, homemaker services and long-term care assistance.
Employment support: Job training, education programs and financial assistance.
Physical and mental health resources:
Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and other public
health programs, crisis intervention services, drug and alcohol
intervention and rehabilitation, support groups, counseling and
maternal health resources.
Child care and education services:
Head Start, after-school programs, child care centers, tutoring,
protective services and financial assistance for child care.
Much like making a telephone call, www.211texas.org
also offers information any time of the day or night for those seeking
help with broader needs such as transportation, financial assistance,
state agency and program information, plus thousands of other benefits
and services provided locally. The information from both the telephone
and website is free, confidential and available anywhere to residents
in Texas.
“My message to all our people is that 2-1-1
already is a great social utility for professionals and the public
alike,” Wick said.
To get assistance with state and
community resources in your area, call 2-1-1 or 877-541-7905
(toll-free). More information is available online at the HHSC “Finding
Help in Texas” website at www.211texas.org.
Related Links:
Elder Abuse Is Everyone’s Business
When
people reach their “golden years,” one of the last things they want to
worry about is whether they can keep a roof over their heads. But after
a couple of Texas-sized gulley washers, that’s exactly the dilemma
Hilda Taylor of Comanche faced.
“We had this incredible rain, it was like the Mississippi River was running through here,” says Taylor, age 71.
Taylor
says one storm created a leak in the roof that rotted out the floor of
a bathroom. Then the sink and toilet sunk into the foundation. Another
deluge created a leak in the main living area causing the ceiling to
cave in. It also left a hole where mice, rats and cats entered the
house.
Taylor, who has been on her own since 2002 when her
husband died of heart problems, does not have the resources to maintain
her house. “I am living on half of the money I had when my husband was
alive,” she says. “But the bills are the same. Home repair and
remodeling costs more, and since I am older there are fewer things that
I can do myself. I have children, but they live in Germany. There are
neighbors who are willing to help, but they don’t always have the time.”
Adult
Protective Services is reminding Texans that stopping elder abuse and
neglect is truly everyone’s responsibility. This marks the third year
of the campaign called, “It’s Everyone’s Business.” This statewide
effort educates Texans about the problem of abuse, neglect and
exploitation of the elderly and adults with disabilities and encourages
citizens to get involved in making a positive difference.
An Adult Abuse Prevention Kit, available in English and Spanish, is
being distributed to hospitals, faith-based organizations, libraries,
home health agencies, senior centers, Area Agencies on Aging and other
partners. This kit and other resources are available online at www.everyonesbusiness.org.
Since
Taylor’s husband was in the armed forces, Taylor first approached the
Veterans Administration about benefits. “When I was younger, I never
thought stuff like this would happen to me. I’d look at people less
fortunate and wonder how they let themselves go like that. Now it’s me.
I didn’t end up this way on purpose.”
Staff at the
Veteran’s Administration contacted Adult Protective Services, and the
case was assigned to Shauna Wells, a caseworker in Brownwood. Wells
worked with a local roofer and used an emergency fund to supplement
money from Taylor’s insurance company. Wells also helped Taylor apply
for a rural development loan from the United States Department of
Agriculture to fix the rest of the house.
“Shauna is a guardian
angel,” says Taylor. “I never met any official who was as warm and
helpful. I thought that was a friend helping me. I didn’t pay any
attention that it was someone working for the government.”
If
you believe an elderly person is being abused, neglected or exploited,
report it by calling the Texas Abuse Hotline at (800) 252-5400 or
visiting www.txabusehotline.org.
Related Links:
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Adult Protective Services
Everyone’s Business
Facts About Abuse
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/everyonesbusiness/facts.asp
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Adult Protective Services Program
Campaign Overview
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/everyonesbusiness/Overview.asp
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Abuse Hotline
1-800-252-5400
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us
Texas Attorney General
Consumer Protection
1-800-621-0508
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/index.shtml
Texas Department of Health and Human Services Commission
Medicaid Hotline
1-800-252-8263
http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us
Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services
1-800-252-9240 (general information)
1-800-458-9858 (Nursing Facility Hotline)
http://www.dads.state.tx.us
AARP
1-888-687-2277
http://www.aarp.org
American Society on Aging
1-800-537-9728
http://www.asaging.org
Arthritis Foundation
1-800-283-7800
http://www.arthritis.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1-800-311-3435
http://www.cdc.gov
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
1-877-267-2323
http://www.cms.hhs.gov
Medicare Hotline
1-800-633-4227
http://www.medicare.gov
U.S. Administration on Aging
Eldercare Locator
1-800-677-1116
http://www.eldercare.gov
U.S. Administration on Aging
(202) 619-0724
http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov
National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (NCPEA)
(202) 682-4140
http://www.preventelderabuse.org
National Council on the Aging
1-800-424-9046
http://www.ncoa.org
Early Childhood Intervention Services
One
of the joys of parenthood is eagerly watching as your baby achieves
important developmental milestones — rolling over, sitting up, taking
the first bite of solid food. Children with developmental delays or
disabilities may need extra help to achieve those milestones, and the
journey can be stressful and lonely for their parents.
Early Childhood Intervention services from the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) is there to help.
Early
Childhood Intervention is a statewide program for families with
children, birth to 36 months, with developmental delays or
disabilities. The program’s professionals have expertise in working
with babies, toddlers and their families, providing services that
support families as they help their children reach their potential.
In 2007, Early Childhood Invention provided services to more than 49,000 children and their families statewide.
Benefits of the program include:
Services are convenient for families, and they are provided in
surroundings comfortable and familiar to the child, such as home or a
child-care center.
Children learn new skills through everyday activities. Families and
professionals from a variety of backgrounds work as a team to find
learning opportunities within the family’s normal routine such as time
for baths, meals or playing. These activities are based on the unique
needs of the child and their
family.
Services are coordinated with others in the community. Early Childhood
Invention works with doctors, child care, the Women, Infants and
Children Program (WIC), social services and schools to help improve the
lives of children and families.
There is no income limit, and no family is turned away because of their
inability to pay. Furthermore, assessments and evaluations to
determine eligibility for services are free.
Early
Childhood Intervention services helped Rachel Logan, a first-time
mother of triplets. On Oct. 20, 2002, Rachel gave birth to three boys:
Cal, Luke and Seth. Born more than two months premature, Cal and Luke
were released and sent home from the hospital when they were eight
weeks old. Seth, who was on a feeding tube because of feeding problems,
had a longer stay in the hospital to have surgery for reflux, a
condition that caused improper digestion of his mother’s milk.
In
February 2003, Early Childhood Intervention began occupational therapy
with Seth and his parents to address his eating problems. “I was
unfamiliar with feeding therapy and how to help him,” Rachel said. “The
therapist gave me a real comfort level with the feeding tube by
teaching me how to burp him differently. It was all very overwhelming.”
Rachel
and the therapists worked together to help Seth learn how to eat. They
also experimented with different mixtures of milk and cereal along with
selecting the best baby bottles to use. Entire days revolved around new
techniques to help Seth eat, Rachel explained. Early Childhood
Intervention provided Rachel with nutritional information and feeding
strategies for Seth, while evaluating his swallowing and tongue
coordination.
Today, Seth is a very happy child who is
active, agile and coordinated. “The therapists helped us monitor his
progress and were always so encouraging,” Rachel said.
Seth is one of the many success stories from this program. Throughout,
Early Childhood Intervention services, parents and professionals work
together as a team to plan appropriate strategies and interventions
based on the unique needs of the child and family.
Families who can afford to do so share in the cost of services, but no
children and their families are turned away because they cannot pay.
Payments are determined using a sliding scale based on the family’s
size and income. Some services are free of charge.
For
more information about the DARS Early Childhood Intervention services
or to refer a child to the program, please call the DARS Inquiries Line
at 800-628-5115. More information is also available online at www.dars.state.tx.us/ecis.
Related Links:
Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services
What is ECI?
http://www.dars.state.tx.us/ecis/index.shtml
Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services
ECI Care Line
http://www.dars.state.tx.us/ecis/careline.shtml
Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services
Division of Early Childhood Intervention Services (ECI)
Family Cost Care
http://www.dars.state.tx.us/ecis/familycostshare.shtml
How to Choose a Long-Term Care Facility
It
can be one of the most difficult decisions you will make involving a
family member. Selecting a nursing facility can seem like an
overwhelming task and responsibility.
There are many
factors to consider when selecting a nursing facility. Nursing
facilities provide a wide range of services based on the resident’s
level of need. Most nursing facility residents require care 24 hours a
day and they are under the care of a physician. Residents need
assistance with their daily living activities such as dressing,
grooming, eating, going to the bathroom, bathing and eating.
According
to the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS), the
first step in selecting a nursing facility is to discuss the issue with
your family member who will be living in the nursing home. Talk about
other options that are available such as home health services.
Carefully explain to your family member why there is a need for the
care that will be provided in a nursing facility.
Other
family members should also participate in the discussion because they
will be involved in the transition. You may also want to talk with a
doctor, nurse, social worker, clergy or other health professional about
the family member’s new living arrangement.
The next step
is to tour nursing homes with your loved one, if he or she is able to
go with you. Meet with nursing home employees, residents and family
members of residents. You can also review the nursing home’s latest
state inspection report at anytime by making a request at the nursing
facility.
Take notes during your tour and think about the following questions:
Does the nursing facility have the necessary services?
Is the nursing facility clean and pleasant?
Does the nursing facility have a variety of activities?
Do residents look happy, engaged and well cared for?
Is there an active residents and family council?
Is the nursing facility easy to visit for family and friends?
Another
important consideration is the cost of nursing home care. Nursing home
costs vary depending on where the facility is located and the type of
care offered.
There are a few ways to pay for care,
including your or your family member’s own money, long-term care
insurance or with Medicaid. Medicare covers some skilled nursing and
rehabilitative care including home health care, but it generally does
not cover custodial care (help with activities of daily living, like
bathing, dressing, and using the bathroom). On average, Medicare
benefits cover only 23 days of care in nursing homes.
Resources
and organizations are available to provide information to help you make
informed decisions. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging by calling
800-252-9240, or go to www.dads.state.tx.us/contact/aaa to see a list of Area Agencies on Aging.
To
locate and compare nursing homes, obtain specific information about a
particular long-term care provider or compare providers in a particular
area, go to the DADS website (www.dads.state.tx.us) and click on “Find and Compare Long-Term Care Providers” on the left side of the page.
Finally,
although it may be a difficult decision to admit a family member into a
nursing facility, it is important to remember that your involvement
does not end at that point. If you have concerns about the care your
loved receives in a long-term care facility, there’s help at both the
state and local level.
The Texas Ombudsman Program
advocates for quality of life and care for residents in nursing homes
and assisted living facilities. Each local Area Agency on Aging has a
long-term care ombudsman to resolve any problems or differences with
the facility staff by defining concerns, explaining rights and
identifying possible courses of action. Learn more about resident
rights, what families can do to help ensure quality of care and when
you should call an ombudsman on the DADS website at www.dads.state.tx.us/news_info/ombudsman.
Related Links:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Medicare
Long-Term Care
http://www.medicare.gov/LongTermCare/Static/Home.asp
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
1-800-MEDICARE
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/
National Long-Term Care Ombudsman
(202) 332-2275
http://www.ltcombudsman.org
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration on Aging
(202) 619-0724
http://www.aoa.gov
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Information about health care providers
http://www.healthfinder.gov
National Council on Aging
(202) 479-1200
http://www.ncoa.org
AARP
1-888-687-2277
http://www.aarp.org
American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
(202) 783-2242
http://www.aahsa.org
America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)
(202) 778-3200
http://www.ahip.org
American Health Care Association
1-800-628-8140
http://www.ahcancal.org
Elder Care Locator
1-800-677-1116
http://www.eldercare.gov/Eldercare/Public/Home.asp
U.S. Social Security Administration
1-800-772-1213
http://www.ssa.gov
Poison Center Experts Available Around the Clock
What types of poisonous spiders live in the Rio Grande Valley? How
do you get rid of hazardous household products? Are those blackberries
in your backyard safe to eat? The Texas Poison Center Network answers
these types of questions and responds to poison-related emergencies
through the more than 1,000 calls it receives each day.
The
network provides a 24-hour, 365-days-a-year emergency telephone number
for Texans. It’s operated by the Texas Department of State Health
Services (DSHS). By calling 800-222-1222, residents have access to a
poison center hotline staffed by trained physicians, pharmacists and
nurses.
“We have a system where all calls roll over to the
next available call center,” says Judy Whitfield of DSHS, noting that
no one ever gets a busy signal. “There is always someone there to help
you.”
Poison Center Network experts provide immediate
assistance. Most of the time, the caller can take care of the poison
exposure problem with the information and advice provided over the
phone. If hands-on medical treatment is necessary, the expert will
call an ambulance, stay on the phone until the ambulance arrives and
give treatment advice to emergency care providers.
Call
centers also answer nonemergency calls. These poison experts will
answer poison-related questions about medicines, household products and
other potentially dangerous substances.
“Our experts have
access to databases that have treatment and drug information, plus they
monitor new drugs and products on the market,” Whitfield said. “If
necessary, staff may refer callers to the nearest hospital and assist
in the person’s initial treatment and follow-up care.”
Follow these tips to help prevent poisonings:
Do not use food containers to store household and chemical products.
Never mix household and chemical products together. A poisonous gas may be created when mixing chemicals.
Store food and household and chemical products in separate areas. A
case of mistaken identity could cause a serious poisoning.
Turn on fans and open windows when using household and chemical products.
Never share prescription medicines. Medicines should be taken by the
person listed on the prescription and for the reason prescribed.
Some medicines are dangerous when mixed with alcohol. Consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Be
aware of potential drug interactions. Some medicines interact
dangerously with food or with other medicines. Your doctor should be
made aware of all prescription or over-the-counter medicines you are
currently taking.
Never take medicines in the dark.
The
Texas Poison Center Network provides public education activities for
teachers, students and citizens as well as professional educational
opportunities for Texas health-care providers. Poison centers are
located in Amarillo, Dallas, El Paso, Galveston, San Antonio and Temple.
In
a poison emergency, call 800-222-1222. To learn how to protect your
family from the dangers of poison, visit the Texas Poison Center
Network at www.poisoncontrol.org.
Related Links:
Texas Poison Control Network
1-800-222-1222
http://www.poisoncontrol.org
National Capital Poison Center
1-800-222-1222
http://www.poison.org/
American Association of Poison Control Centers
1-800-222-1222
http://www.aapcc.org
Texas Department of State Health Services
Epidemiology & Disease Surveillance Unit
(512) 458-7268
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/epidemiology/epipoison.shtm
Poison Prevention Week Council
(301) 504-7058
http://www.poisonprevention.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Injury, Violence, and Safety
1-800-CDC-INFO
1-888-232-6348 (TTY)
http://www.cdc.gov/InjuryViolenceSafety/
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Kids Page
http://www.epa.gov/kidshometour
Safe Kids USA
Injury Facts, Poisoning
(202) 662-0600
http://www.usa.safekids.org/tier3_cd.cfm?folder_id=540&content_item_id=1152
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