Important websites and phone numbers for                     the 50 +                

Information Please

• Education

Experience Works, Inc. (formerly Green Thumb, Inc.,N.E.) 800-562-2776 www.experienceworks.org

Community Healthlink 508-860-1000  www.communityhealthlink.com

Mass. Board of Higher Education 617-994-6950  www.mass.edu  Income-eligible seniors may attend any state, regional or community college without paying tuition.

University of Massachusetts Boston Gerontology Institute 617-287-7300 www.geront.umb.edu

Worcester City Managers Office of Employment and Training 10 Mechanic St. Suite 103 Worcester 01608 508-799-1590

• Financial Assistance

AARP- Offers information and worksheets to assist with financial planning issues.  www.aarp.org/money/financial_planning/

Massachusetts Dept. of Transitional Assistance 800-249-2007   Local Office: 25 Birch Street, Milford 01757  508-634-7100

Massachusetts Dept. of Revenue 508-792-7300  www.mass.gov

The Pension Action Center, University of Massachusetts / Boston www.pensionaction.org/

The New England Pension Assistance Project  888-425-6067 Helps individuals to understand their pension plan, their rights under federal law and the benefits to which they are entitled.  Services are FREE of charge to all New England residents.

The National Pension Lawyer's Network 617-287-7324  A no-cost referral service that connects workers and retirees with more than 600 attorneys from across 50 states and the District of Columbia who can help individuals understand and enforce their pension rights.  Lawyers represent workers, retirees and their families in pension matters on a regular-fee, reduced-fee, and / or pro bono basis.

• Fuel Assistance/ Energy Assistance

Mass. Dept. of Housing & Community Development 617-727-7765 or 800-632-8175  www.state.ma.us/dhcd  Administers the Weatherization Assistance, Heating Energy Assistance, Retrofit Task Weatherization Assistance and Low-Income Home energy assistance programs.

• Health Care Education and Support

Alzheimer's Association 800-272-3900  www.alz.org

American Academy of Family Physicians 800-274-2237  www.aafp.org Provides national lists of family doctors.

American Cancer Society 866-228-4327  www.cancer.org

American Diabetes Association 800-342-2383 www.diabetes.org

American Geriatrics Society  www.americangeriatrics.org

The Eldercare Locator  800-677-1116  www.aoa.gov/caregivers/default.htm for long-distance caregivers it finds services for a senior in his or her locality.

Healthfinder   www.healthfinder.gov                                               Provides a clearinghouse for consumer health and human services: online publications, databases, websites, support and self-help groups, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations that produce information for the public.

National Health Information Center  301-565-4167  or  800-336-4797  www.nhic-nt.health.org 

Web.md     www.webmd.com                                                           Provides services that help physicians, consumers, providers and health plans navigate the complexity of the healthcare systems.

• Home Care

National Association for Home Care 202-547-7424  www.nahc.org Publishes "How to Choose a Home Care Provider."  Trade association representing the interests and concerns of home care agencies, hospices, home care aide organizations, and medical equipment suppliers.

• Hospice

National Hospice and Pallative Care Organization  703-837-1500  Publishes a nationwide directory of hospices.

• Housing Alternatives

American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging www.aahsa.org  Offers resources and information about non-profit nursing homes, continuing care retirement communities, assisted living and senior housing facilities, and home and community-based service providers.

Assisted Living Federation of America  www.Alfa.org An association exclusively dedicated to the assisted living industry and the population it serves.  Offers a directory of providers, a checklist of things to look for when looking for assisted living, definition of this type of housing and other information and guidance.

• Legal Assistance

National Senior Citizens Law Center 202-289-6976  www.nscic.org Provides information on issues and links to elder law issues.

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys 520-881-4005  www.naela.com provides an attorney locator.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) 202-663-4900 or 800-669-4000  www.eeoc.gov Handles age-discrimination employment complaints.