Senior Resource Directory Senior Resource Directory

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY 

Senior Resource 

Directory 

2005-2007

AAA provides a wide variety of 

supportive, nutrition and health 

promotion services through 

funding from the Older 

Americans and Older 

Californians Act. 

• Home delivered meals 

• Senior lunches 

• In home support services 

Homemaker services 

Visiting services 

• Respite for caregivers 

• Health Promotion 

• Long Term Care Ombudsman 

• Information and Assistance 

• Transportation services 

• Legal Assistance 

• Senior day care services 

• Home repair 

• Elder Abuse prevention 

services 

• Caregiver Training 

• Alzheimers Day Care Resource 

Center 

• Brown Bag services 

• Mental Health Services 

• Family Caregiver Support 

Services 

528 South Broadway 

Santa Maria, CA 93454 

925-9554 

965-3288 

800-510-2020 

Thanks for 

Your Support! 

The Area Agency on Aging is pleased to present this 2005/2007 

edition of the Senior Resource Directory to the Santa Barbara 

County Community. 

Since 1975, the Central Coast Commission for Senior Citizens 

has served Santa Barbara County as the Area Agency on Aging. 

Hundreds of persons have worked together as members of the 

AAA Advisory Council, Board and many committees to improve 

our community’s response to the needs of older persons and adults 

with functional impairments. 

Each year we ask for new volunteers to work on these important 

efforts. 

Volunteers can serve the community through work with the 

Area Agency on Aging Board of Directors, Advisory Council, 

Legislation/ Advocacy task force and many other committees. 

Our vision is a community where its residents are assured a 

quality of life through services that are available, 

accessible and affordable. 

Please consider joining us in achieving this mission. 

Please Please Call Call Area Area Agency Agency on Aging Aging at 

800-510-2020 

800-510-2020 

For more information contact us: 

at our web site: www.centralcoastseniors.org 

E-mail: seniors@kcbx.net

4 Acknowledgments 

5 Introduction 

7 Reference Guide 

8 Emergency Services 

24- hour Crisis intervention, Victims of violence, 

Im me di ate needs 

11 Alcohol/Drug/Medication Abuse 

Out-Patient, In-Patient or residential treatment, 

Coun sel ing, Taking Medications 

14 Animals/Pets 

15 Civic, Community and Con sum er 

Voter registration, Elected offi cials, Libraries, 

Senior organizations, Ethnic/minority or ga ni za 

tions, Con sum er complaints & in for ma tion 

22 Death Related Services 

Benefi ts,Burial and Cremation,Organ Donation 

24 Education 

Elderhostel, Adult Education, Adult Literacy, 

Ed u ca tion programs 

26 Elder Abuse 

Defi nitions, Prevention, Adult Protective Services 

28 Employment 

Social Security, Training and Placement, Referral, 

CalJOBS, Discrimination 

30 Financial Matters 

Social Security, SSI, Food Stamps, General Relief, 

Veteran’s Benefi ts, HICAP, Planning for LTC 

Needs, Credit Coun sel ing, Money Management/ 

Bill Paying, Financial Planning, Taxes/ Ho me - 

own er’s & Renter’s Assistance 

37 Food and Nutrition Services 

Meals, Home Delivered meals, Supplemental 

Food, Nutrition information 

39 Frail Elderly & Brain-Impaired 

Assessment, Financial Issues, Legal, Com mu ni ty 

resources, Diagnosing/treatment 

42 Health Services 

Adaptive Aids, Hospitals, Clinics, Phy si cian 

Referral, Rehabilitation, Therapeutic Rec re ation, 

Blood Bank, Screening, Cancer Information 

Center, Dental, As sess ments, Hearing, Telephone 

Access, Tu ber cu lo sis, Urinary In con ti nence, Tobacco 

Prevention, Vision. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

50 Home & Nursing Care 

Home evaluation, Case Management, Home care, 

Home Health care, Homemaker and Personal 

Care, Hospice, Respite, Adult Day Care Centers, 

Emer gen cy Response Systems, Companions/ 

Friendly Visitors, Telephone Reassurance, Out of 

Home Respite, Safe Return 

59 Housing 

Low Cost Rentals, Waiting list tips, Financial 

As sis tance, Home equity conversions, Retirement 

res i denc es, Residential Care Facilities, Shared 

Housing, Tenant/Landlord Assistance, Dis crim ina 

tion, Tenant/Landlord Mediation, Housing 

repair, Utilities 

67 Legal 

Finding an Attorney, Low/No Cost Legal services, 

Wills, Control over your affairs, Advance 

Health Care directive, Asset Management, Planning 

for Public Benefi ts, Im mi gra tion 

74 Mental Health/Counseling 

Depression, Grief, Support, Emergency Psychiatric 

Services, In Home Assessment, Gero/Psychiatric 

Hospitals, Out-Patient Coun sel ing, Support Programs, 

Peer Coun sel ing, Inservice Training. 

78 Paying for Health Care 

Medicare, HMO’s, Medi-gap, Medicare fraud, 

Medi-Cal, Regional Health Authority, Veterans 

Health Benefi ts, QMB, SLMB, Financial help, 

Prescription Drugs 

84 Recreation 

Travel, Leisure, Other activities, Special needs 

86 Senior Centers 

87 Support Groups 

Gay & Lesbian, Alcohol, Alzheimer’s Disease, 

Amputees, Arthritis, Be reave ment, Blindness, 

Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Fatigue, Diabetes, 

Domestic Violence, Epilepsy, Gambling, Hearing, 

Huntingtons Disease, Language Disorders, Lung 

Disease, Mental Disorders, Muscular Dystrophy, 

Ostomy, Parkinson’s, Stroke, Weight Control 

92 Transportation Services 

Fixed Route, Door-to-Door, Long Distance, 

Handicap License Plate, Mature Driving Course 

95 Volunteer 

96 Response Survey & Index 

2005-2007 SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SENIOR RESOURCE DIRECTORY 3

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

The Central Coast Commission for Senior Citizens-Area 

Agency on Aging (AAA), the sponsor of the Santa Barbara 

County Se nior Resource Di rec to ry, is a non-profi t 

or ga ni za tion re spon si ble for al lo cat ing federal and state dol lars 

to local agen cies to ensure that supportive, health pro mo tion and 

nu tri tion ser vic es to older adults and caregivers in Santa Bar bara 

Coun ty are avail able. 

Services provided are funded by the Older Americans and Older 

Cal i for nians Act. These Acts are designed to strength en our commu 

ni ty’s ability to address the needs of its older per sons. The Area 

Agency on Aging is the local organization des ig nat ed to uti lize the 

limited state and fed er al funds to address local needs. 

The AAA is committed to the development of a home and com mu ni ty 

based system of care that will: 

1. Secure and maintain maximum independence and dignity in 

a home environment for older persons capable of self care and 

appropriate supportive services; 

2. Remove individual and social barriers to economic and person 

al independence for older persons; 

3. Develop a continuum of care for the vulnerable eld er ly. 

The AAA expands the services of the Older Americans and Older 

Cal i for nians Act through the development of local part ner ships. 

These partnerships create and/ or en hance projects that would not 

otherwise be possible. The Santa Barbara Coun ty Senior Resource 

Directory is one such project. 

We would like to thank the following organizations and busi ness es 

for their generous contributions. This Di rec to ry would not be possi 

ble without their sup port: 

AARP 

Home Instead 

Addus HealthCare 

In Home Care Network 

Alzheimer’s Association 

LivHOME 

Amdal 

Maravilla Senior Living 

Arbor View 

Marian HospitalHome Care 

Retirement Community Marian Medical Center 

At Home Senior Services 

Marian Residence 

Atria Maria del Sol 

ResponseLINK 

BestCare Cental Coast 

Senior Connection 

Home Health Agency 

California As so ci a tion of 

Homes and Services 

for the Aging 

Coast Caregiver 

Resource Center 

Coastal Properties 

Heritage House 

HICAP 

Home Care-Givers 

Senior Living Consultants 

Senior Planning Services 

David Turpin, 

Attorney at Law 

Urban Group 

Villa Alamar 

Visiting Nurse & 

Hospice Care 

Roberta Weissglass, 

Personal & Financial Services 

In addition to the com mu ni ty’s fi nancial gen er os i ty many in di - 

vid u als reviewed and updated the text of the Di rec to ry. This task 

can be quite la bo ri ous and I would like to extend a special thanks 

to the fol low ing peo ple for tak ing the time to help make the in for - 

ma tion as ac cu rate as pos si ble: 

Jeff Bass, Coast Caregiver 

Resource Center 

Brian Carroll, 

Adult & Aging Network 

Arlene Diaz, 

Public Admini strator, 

County of Santa Barbara 

Carol Gardner, WTP Senior 

Employment 

Barbara D. Guerena, Attorney 

at Law 

Patricia Hanna, 

Mental Health Services, 

County of Santa Barbara 

Katy Hardman, 


Dan Hertzog, Friendship 

Manor 

Mac Johnson, Home Instead 

Additionally, the information from the Senior Resource 

Directory is available on the AAA home page (www.centralcoastseni 

ors.org). This will permit you to secure up dates from the home page 

and provide us with another com mu ni ca tion tool. 

Please let me know your suggestions to improve this Directory. A 

sur vey is enclosed for this purpose or just contact me. 

The Santa Barbara County Senior Resource Directory is a com mu ni ty 

project with many people sharing their expertise and re sourc es to help 

professionals, family members and older adults acquaint themselves 

with the many resources available within our community. Your gen er - 

os i ty is greatly ap pre ci at ed. 

4 2005-2007 SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SENIOR RESOURCE DIRECTORY 

Petra Lowen, Independent 

Living Resource Center 

Shirley Miller, Senior Connection 

Volunteer 

Neil Ohlenkamp, Social 

Security Administration 

Craig Park, Cottage Hospital 

Brad Parks, 

Social Services,County of 

Santa Barbara 

Mary Lou Parks, Private Conservator 

Bill Pate, 

Health Insurance Counsel 

ing and Ad vo ca cy 

Program 

Lois Pierce, AAA Volunteer 

Harry Watson, SMOOTH 

Jeanne M. West, Maravilla 

Senior Living Community 

joyce ellen lippman 

Area Agency on Aging

The Central Coast Commission for Senior Citizens, 

Area Agency on Aging is delighted to present 

the 2005/07 Santa Barbara County Senior 

Resource Di rec to ry. 

Residents in Santa Barbara County have a variety of 

com mu ni ty services available. It is not necessarily easy 

to determine what services you or a loved one may 

need. Equally diffi cult may be the task of locating the 

ap pro pri ate social service agency. We wish we could 

give you the Santa Barbara Senior Resource Directory 

and know it would answer all of your questions. 

We know it cannot. It is our hope the Directory will 

simplify your search, expand your base of information, 

and ultimately ease the challenge you or a loved one is 

enduring. 

The Directory provides you with a listing of nonprofi t 

and gov ern men tal agencies that provide services to senior 

citizens. Descriptions of services and explanations 

of benefi ts have also been in clud ed to better acquaint 

you with the social service network. While the Directory 

listings represent only nonprofi t and governmental 

agencies, the advertising includes for-profi t enterprises 

as well. Inclusion of a listing or display ad does not 

imply an endorsement. 

How do you know the right questions to ask? Who can 

help you evaluate if a specifi c service will meet your 

needs? And fi nally, can you expect all services to be 

available when you need them? 

You need time and energy to research what services 

may meet your needs. The most diffi cult time to try to 

assess a need and investigate community re sourc es is 

during a crisis. Although it is impossible to predict the 

future, the Directory is an opportunity to familiarize 

yourself with the com mu ni ty resource network before 

a crisis hits. 

Although all services are within arms reach, various 

factors play a role in determining whether or not a 

service is accessible. Five important factors are: 

1. Determining what the need is. 

2. Ability to fi nd the service that you need. 

3. Eligibility requirements. 

4. Waiting lists. 

5. Costs. 

INTRODUCTION 

Determining your need 

• A problem exists and you cannot easily resolve the 

problem alone, 

• It may be helpful for you to talk with someone 

who is experienced in identifying specifi c problems 

and de ter min ing what problems could be relieved 

by the use of com mu ni ty services. Most nonprofi t 

agencies provide Information and Referral. In 

most cases this is done on an informal basis. In addi 

tion a few agencies offer assessment services and 

a list of this is found in the Frail eld er ly section. 

If there is more than one problem, it is important to 

defi ne each problem individually. No one agency provides 

the complete scope of services you may need. You 

may secure different services from various agencies. 

Finding an agency to assist you 

This Directory can help you narrow down your possible 

choices. If you call an agency you think may be able 

to help and for one reason or another they cannot, ask 

them for suggestions. 


A specialized senior information and assistance service 

of the Area Agency on Aging. This service will assist 

with in for ma tion, referral, follow up, and education. 

Its services are available through 800-510-2020, 

965-3288 or 928-2552. 

With the referrals you receive, call and explain your situ 

a tion as best you can. If they can help, great! If they 

cannot, either because they have a waiting list, they do 

not provide the service you need, or because you do 

not meet the agency’s eligibility re quire ments, ask for 

another referral. Also, call back to Senior Connection 

for additional referrals. 

There are also other information and referral agen cies. 

Some serve all populations, some serve spe cial ized 

areas of concern. Be sure to contact the one addressing 

your needs and concerns. 

Eligibility Requirements 

Each agency has different eligibility requirements. The 

most common are age and income. ASK! 

Some agencies provide services to people not on an enti 

tle ment program. Others may require only that your 

income not be above a certain level. And others may 

not have any income requirements at all. Eligibility require 

ments may be specifi ed at the state or federal level 

or the funding source. They may be the agency’s effort 

to provide services to a very specifi c population. 

If you are assisting someone, it is important to fi nd 


INTRODUCTION 

out from the agency exactly what income and asset 

in for ma tion is required and what kind of doc u men ta 

tion must be provided. 

You may need to have the individual you are help ing 

write a short letter authorizing you to act on their behalf. 

There are other legal documents that can be very 

helpful in allowing an individual to act for another 

person. “Durable Powers of Attorney” and “General 

Powers of Attorney” are examples. Both documents 

can be used only for specifi c reasons and when an 

agent can act on another’s s behalf is defi ned by law. 

In ves ti gate before you proceed. 

Waiting Lists/Denials 

If you determine that you are eligible for a par tic u lar 

service and it is the service that will best meet your 

needs, then the next question is when can the service 

begin. 

Our best advice is, if there is a waiting list, get on it. 

You may have to settle for another service that either 

may cost more than you can afford or does not quite 

meet your needs. If you don’t need the service when 

your name comes up on the list, they will go to the 

next person. Don’t think that you can wait until the 

agency no longer has a waiting list. It may not happen. 

Additionally, access to services is being restricted. If 

your health plan or an agency denies services you will 

want to ask them about your right to appeal the decision. 

If the denial regards a Medicare service, contact 

Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program 

(HICAP) at 800- 434-0222 or 928-5663. 

Cost 

Finally, cost will determine if you can afford the services. 

Some agencies have a set cost, no matter what 

your income; others determine cost based on income; 

some services are free, and still others—AAA federally 

funded programs (the Nutrition-program is one 

example)—ask only for a do na tion. ASK! 

Long-distance Caregiving 

Most communities have a range of services avail able 

for older persons, but fi nding them is often a challenge 

for families and professionals alike. This can be especially 

diffi cult if the elder lives in dif fer ent community 

from the caregiver. 

A toll-free telephone service, known as the Eldercare 

Locator, will make it easy to locate specifi c resources 

for senior citizens. This service is a collaborative project 

of the US Administration on Aging. National Association 

of Area Agencies on Aging and the National 

Association of State Units on Aging. 

The Eldercare Locator’s toll-free number, 800-677-1116 

is currently available weekdays, from 9:00 am - 8:00 

p.m. (EST) for callers in the United States. Callers have 

access to more than 4,800 state and local resources, 

as well as special purpose numbers for such services 

as Alzheimer’s hotlines, legal assistance and nursing 

home information. Most of these services are provided 

by public or nonprofi t or ga ni za tions, which receive 

funding through the Older Amer i cans Act to provide 

information and assistance to older persons. 

Additionally, the California Department of Aging has 

es tab lished a single Senior Information Line, 800-510- 

2020. When this number is called from anywhere in 

California, it connects the caller with the local senior 

citizen information and as sis tance service. 

On Line 

The content of this Senior Resource Directory is available 

on the home page for the Central Coast Commis 

sion for Senior Citizens. This is done to improve 

access to the information. We will en deav or to keep 

the on line in for ma tion updated. And, as we develop 

the home page, we will en deav or to create linkages to 

other information resources. 

In Conclusion 

Every effort has been taken to verify the accuracy of 

the in for ma tion included within these pages. Should 

you become aware of a dis crep an cy, please let us know. 

In addition, check our website www.centralcoastsenior 

s.org for updates. 

Your suggestions for improving the Directory, or any 

in for ma tion revealing new and not listed information 

as well as your opinions, are welcome. Your comments 

would be greatly appreciated. Send your comments to: 

Senior Resource Directory 

Area Agency on Aging 

528 South Broadway 


6 2005-2007 SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SENIOR RESOURCE DIRECTORY

Overwhelmed with unanswered questions about aging 

and services for the elderly? 

Needing help with heavy household maintenance, 

washing windows, mowing the lawn, home repair? 

Needing help with daily household maintenance - 

laun dry, house clean ing, shopping and errands? 

Needing help with eating a nutritionally well balanced 

diet daily or able to prepare meals daily? 

Unable to drive or use public transportation? 

Concerned about legal matters, unresolved fi nancial 

affairs or estate plans? 

Confused by health insurance options and payment issues? 

Unable to be left alone during the day without care? 

Unable to pay for the health or supportive care needed 

Unable to afford my present housing? Is it safe and 

providing adequate support? 

Needing special services or equipment for physical 

lim i ta tions or impairments? 

Needing a physician or other health care provider? 

Facing a life threatening or terminal illness? 

Feeling depressed, angry, or suspicious much of the time? 

Lonely, bored or isolated? 

Grieving the death of a loved one? 

THE FIRST STEP in Finding Answers is Asking Questions 

Am I Or Is My Relative Or Friend: If so, see: 

Being mistreated by a caregiver - physically, emo tion - 

al ly or fi nancially? 

Introduction 

Home & Nursing Care 


REFERENCE GUIDE 

Food and Nutrition, Home & Nursing Care 

Transportation, In Home Care Solutions 

Legal 

Paying for Health Care 


Financial Services, Paying for Health Care 

Housing, Health Services 

Health Services 

Health Services 

Home & Nursing Care/Hospice 

Mental Health/Counseling and Support Groups 

Recreation & Volunteer Op por tu ni ties; Senior Centers 

Death Related Services; Mental Health, Coun sel ing 

and Support Groups 

Elder Abuse 


EMERGENCY SERVICES 

24-Hour Crisis 

Intervention Agencies 

DIAL 9-1-1 (V/TDD) in Santa Barbara 

County to contact Police, Fire, 

Highway Patrol, Paramedics, and 

Sheriff for any emergency . 

Helpline 

2-1-1 

www.fsacares.org 

CRIS/HELPLINE is a 24 hour crisis 

intervention and information 

and referral hotline, including 

suicide, abuse, and mental health 

in ter ven tion. A program of Family 

Services Agency. 

Emergency Psychiatric 

Ser vic es 

Santa Barbara Cottage 

Hos pi tal 

Pueblo at Bath 

P.O. Box 689 

Santa Barbara, CA 93102 

569-8339 

800-895-7800 

687-4280 (V/TDD) 

Fax 565-7227 

569-7210 Emergency Room 

Information and admission 

through Emergency Psychiatric 

Services. Provides 24-hour assessment 

and crisis in ter ven tion for 

psychiatric and chemical dependency 

concerns in the County. It 

serves as a cen tral ized eval u a tion 

and intake for hos pi tal iza tions, 

as well as triaging and referral 

to all psy chi at ric and substance 

abuse in- and out pa tient programs. 

Assistance is available 

in assessing the elderly in south 

county for ap pro pri ate hos pi - 

tal iza tion in a gero/psychiatric 

unit when needed.This service is 

located at the Emer gen cy De part - 

ment at Santa Barbara Cottage 

Hospital. 

ACCESS TEAM & Mental 

Health As sess ment Team 

(MHAT) 

Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health 

Services 

Access Team 888-868-1649 

For crisis in mental health or behavior 

management for older adults 

who may become gravely disabled 

and can not provide food, care or 

shelter for them selves, or, who may 

be a danger to themselves or others 

call the ACCESS TEAM from Santa 

Barbara County Alcohol, Drug and 

mental Health Services. Report the 

problem and ask for assistance in 

getting the person evaluated for an 

‘involuntary hold’ in order to be 

hospitalized. The ACCESS Team 

will call MHAT, the Mental Health 

As sess ment Team, or provide 

another au tho rized person to do 

the evaluation in a north county 

hospital. 

Tri Counties Regional Center 

Safety Alert 

800-211-5044 

Is the initial emergency response 

for consumers with Developmental 

Disabilities in crisis. 

Victims of Vi o lence 

If you are a victim yourself, or witness 

a situation in which others 

are being seriously threat ened or 

abused, your fi rst re course should 

be to telephone your local police department 

and report the incident. 

Adult Protective Services (APS) 

Department of Social Services 

234 Camino del Remedio 


681-4550 

Fax 681-4579 

2125 S. Centerpointe Pkwy. 


346-8303 

Fax 346-7247 

1100 W. Laurel Ave. 

Lompoc, CA 93436 

737-6020 

Fax 737-7089 


www.countyofsb.org 

Staff available from 9 a.m. to 4: 

30 p.m. After 4:30 p.m. (Mon.- 

Fri.) and during the weekend, a 

recording will offer in struc tions 

on what to do when County offices 

are closed. 

APS investigates reports of alleged 

dependent adult abuse 

(18-59) and elder abuse (60+) 

that occurs in the com mu ni ty 

(except skilled nursing and res i - 

den tial care facilities - see Long 

Term Care Om buds man Services, 

below). 

North County Rape Crisis & 

Child Protection Center 

112 E. Walnut 


736-8535 

24-hour Hotline 736-7273 

Fax 736-8913 

lompocrc@quik.com 

301 S. Miller #103 


922-2994 


Fax 928-2840 

smrcc@quik.com 

Provides emotional, medical and 

legal support to sexually assault 

ed and child abuse victims 

and their families . 

Santa Barbara Rape Crisis 

Center 

111 N. Milpas 


963-6832 


Fax 965-3271 

Offers a 24-hour confidential hotline 

staffed by trained volunteers 

to help victims of sexual assault 

and ha rass ment. Medical and 

legal information are also available, 

as is non-crisis counseling, 

and in struc tion in self-defense.

Long Term Care Om buds man 

5638 Hollister Ave. Ste 130 

Goleta, CA 93117 

967-0499 

LTC Om buds man investigates 

reports of alleged de pen dent adult 

abuse (18-59) and elder abuse 

(60+) that occurs in skilled nursing 

or residential care fa cil i ties. The 

Long Term Care Om buds man is 

also responsible for investigating 

complaints against skilled nurs ing 

and residential care facilities that 

pertain to a person’s quality of care. 

24-hour answering machine is 

available. Emergencies should be 

directed to local law en force ment 

by dialing 911. A national Ombuds 

man Hotline is also available 

at 800-231-4024, where an 

an swer ing service will take your call 

and alert the ap pro pri ate agency. 

Domestic Violance Solutions 

Santa Barbara 


Fax 964-5605 

Offi ce 964-0500 

Santa Maria 


Fax 925-5605 

Offi ce 928-8701 

Lompoc 


Fax 735-9230 

Offi ce 735-1834 

Offers temporary shelter to battered 

women and their chil dren, 

victims of sexual assault, and 

other trauma. 

Victim Witness As sis tance 

Program 

Santa Barbara County 

District Attorney’s Offi ce 

118 E Figueroa St. 


568-2408 

Fax 568-2453 

mricker@co.santa-barbara.ca.us 

312 East Cook Street #D 


346-7529 

Fax 346-7585 

115 Civic Ctr. Plaza 


737-7910 

Fax 737-7732 

Provides services to victims of 

violent crimes, as well as prop er ty 

crimes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday 

- Friday. Services include crisis 

in ter ven tion, referrals, information 

about the criminal justice system 

and support through the court 

pro cess. Also intervention with 

employers and creditors with problems 

created by the crime. 

Help is also available for as sis tance 

in applying for re im burse ment for 

medical and counseling expenses, 

lost wages or loss of support, and 

funeral expenses for victims of 

violent crime. Aids in returning lost 

property and counsels clients. Advocates 

are available for sexual and 

family violence counseling. 

Emergency Assistance 

Material Assistance 

Sometimes we fi nd ourselves unable 

to stretch our dollars as far as 

they need to go. Often food, clothing, 

and shelter are jeopardized 

because cir cum stanc es become 

diffi cult. The agencies below offer 

services to help people meet their 

immediate needs. Each agency 

operates different programs - call 

for specifi c in for ma tion. During 

winter months, shelters open on 

a temporary basis to assist homeless 

persons trying to escape the 

inclement weather conditions. 

American Red Cross 

Santa Barbara 

687-1331 

Santa Maria 

928-0778 

Provides disaster relief and offers 

disaster preparedness and education 

classes. 

Catholic Charities 

609 E. Haley St. 


965-7045 


Fax 963-2978 

info@ccsbca.org 

903 Chestnut St. 


736-6226 

Fax 736-7499 

cclompoc@ccsbca.org 

607 West Main St. 


922-2059 

Fax 925-1979 

ccsm@ccsbca.org 

4711 Highway 166 

New Cuyama, CA 93254 

661-766-2550 

4681 11th St. 

Guadalupe, CA 93434 

343-1194 

941 Walnut St. 

Carpinteria, CA 93013 

684-8621 

Food, clothing & utility /rent 

financial assistance. 

Community Action 

Commission/Energy Services 

655-0617 

Home Energy Assistance Program 

available countywide. 

Department of Social Ser vic es, 

Santa Barbara Coun ty 

Santa Barbara 

681-4401 

Lompoc 

737-7080 

Santa Maria 

346-7135 

General relief, food stamps, 

Medi-Cal, TANF 


Good Samaritan Shelter 

401 W. Morrison 


347-3338 

Shelter, clothing, food 

Hope Center 

701 E. North Ave. #1 


Daycenter for homeless. 



Marks House Transitional 

Shelter 

203 North N St. 


735-9980 

lomphouse@aol.com 

An alcohol and drug-free transi 

tion al shelter for homeless 

families and children. 

Casa Esperanza 

816 Cacique St. 


884-8481 

Fax 965-3871 

Homeless shelter and a wide 

range of services. 

Vial of Life 

Be prepared for an Emergency with 

The Vial of Life Program 

Emergency’s are never planned. And that’s why it’s important 

to be as prepared as possible when one does strike. Emergency 

medical personnel responding to calls for assistance in the 

home need crucial and immediate information. 

The Vial of Life provides instant, detailed information to 

emergency medical responders. Vial of Life is available free 

of charge. The labeled container has a magnet on the back 

which is placed on the front of the refrigerator. 

You can pick up a Vial of Life at the local senior center. 

For more information call the Area Agency on Aging 

800-510-2020 


Jewish Family Services 

524 Chapala St. 


957-1116 

Fax 957-9230 

Food, clothing. Financial as sis - 

tance on one time basis 

Santa Ynez Valley 

People Helping People 

545 N Alisal Rd, Solvang 93463 

686-0295 

Fax 686-2856 

php@syvphp.orf 

Food, clothing, utility assistance, 

education & shelter 

Salvation Army 



962-6281 

Fax 899-2702 

211 E. Fesler 


349-2421 

Fax 349-1021 

Food, Clothing & shelter 

Transition House 

425 E. Cota St. 

Santa Barbara. CA 93101 

966-9668 

Fax 966-6331 

admin@transitionhouse.com 

Other 

California Poison Control 

System 

Hotline 

24-hour Hotline: 800-876-4766 

www.calpoison.org 

Poison Education 

Materials & Programs 

24-hour Hotline: 800-582-3387 

A statewide network of trained 

experts who provide the public 

and health professionals with 

information and advice about 

treating poisoning exposures. 

Interpreting services in more than 

100 languages.

Chronic health problems, 

more common among the 

aged, often are wors ened 

by alcohol use. Because seniors are 

ex pe ri enc ing many health changes 

and many are also taking med i - 

ca tion, they need to be aware of the 

effects of combining their med i - 

ca tions with other drugs or alcohol. 

Medication misuse and abuse 

is one of the leading causes of 

loss of in de pen dence in frail older 

persons. 

There are a variety of services if one 

has a problem with alcohol and/or 

the misuse of prescription drugs. 

The two general types of services 

are out-patient and in-patient/ 

residential. 

Out-Patient 

Out-patient means that you go 

to the facility for the program 

or session(s), and then return 

home. These services are normally 

available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday. Services can 

include diagnosis and evaluation; 

group and/or family counseling, 

and self help groups.. 


Hospital 

C.O.P.E 


P.O. Box 689 


687-6681 

Intensive family focused out pa - 

tient program offering individual, 

group and family counseling, 

education and relapse pre ven - 

tion. Most insurance and Medicare 

accepted. Experiences staff 

include licensed therapists. 

Cottage Outpatient Center of 

Santa Maria 

201 S. Miller # 105 


347-7574 

800-895-7800 

ALCOHOL, DRUG & MEDICATION ABUSE 

Outpatient clinic offering a full 

range of individual, family and 

group programs devoted to treating 

persons with psy chi at ric as 

well as alcohol, medication, or 

other substance misuse problems. 

An evening intensive outpatient 

program to treat chemical 

de pen den cy and prevent relapse 

is a unique and important service 

to North County res i dents. Available 

to all persons on a sliding 

scale basis. A pro gram of Santa 

Barbara Cottage Hospital. 

In-Patient or Res i den tial 

Treat ment 

There are also in-patient or residential 

treatment programs. These 

can include up to a week of detoxifi 

cation and then an average of 30 

days of treatment in a residential 

setting or in a medical facility. Longer 

term treatment is also available 

if needed. 

Within Santa Barbara County both 

in-patient and out-patient services 

are available to seniors. Some programs 

accept Medicare, Medi-Cal, 

private insurance, or have a sliding 

fee schedule. These services are offered 

through private agen cies, hospitals 

and county clinic referrals. 

Adult Inpatient 

Psy chi a try Service 

SB Cottage Hospital 



682-7111 

800-895-7800 

Information and admission 

through Emergency Psychiatric 

Services. Twenty bed acute, 

voluntary, short term service 

with a therapeutic milieu that 

includes individual, group and 

family therapy and counseling, 

management of med i ca tion, and 

full medical care as appropriate. 

An experienced staff provides 

thorough discharge planning and 

follow up. This inpatient service 

includes spe cial ized care for geriatric 

concerns, eating dis or ders, 

and dual diagnosis (psy chi at ric 

illness and substance abuse or 

dependency). 

Adult Chemical 

De pen den cy Residential 

Rehabiltation Service 

SB Cottage Hospital 

Cottage Residential Center 

2838 State St. 


687-6681 

Intensive family focused four 

week drug and alcohol residential 

rehabiltation service with ther a - 

peu tic milieu that includes in di - 

vid u al, group and family counsel 

ing, education and relapse 

prevention. Experienced staff 

includes psychiatrists, Internists, 

and licensed therapists/case 

managers. Specialized services 

for dual diagnosis offered. Day 

program also available. 

Counseling 

Santa Barbara Council on 

Alcoholism and Drug Abuse 

232 Canon Perdido, #A 


963-1433 

133 E. Haley St 


564-6057 

526 E Chapel St 


928-0993 

The council provides walk-in 

coun sel ing, education, information 

and referral to patient treatment. 

Free short-term counseling 

avail able. Support and information 

for family members and 

friends. 


ALCOHOL, DRUG & MEDICATION ABUSE 

Family Services Agency 

123 W Gutierrez St 


965-1001 

110 S C St # A 


735-4376 

Provides individual counseling 

services on a sliding scale fee 

basis. 

Charles Golodner Counseling 

Group 

301 S Miller # 105 


349-2255 

601 E Ocean # 21 


740-1144 

Individual and group counseling 

for substance abuse and Adult 

Senior counseling. 

Good Samaritan/Recovery 

Point 

406 S. Pine St. 


347-3338 

Residential detox, outpatient 

treat ment for adults. Uses drug 

free social model with acu punc - 

ture for adult drug and alcohol 

clients. 

Information and Re fer ral 

HELPLINE 

Dial 2-1-1 

HELPLINE provides a 24-hour 

crisis counseling line. Through 

this 24-hour telephone service, 

HELPLINE also provides referrals 

to drug and alcohol related 

programs. 

Bilingual counseling 

Zona Seca 

26 W. Figueroa 


963-8961 

218 North I St. 


740-9799 

Zona Seca is a nonprofit or ga ni za 

tion offering alcohol counseling 

in English and Spanish. 

Central Coast Headway 

318 W. Carmen Lane 


922-2106 

115 E. College,Ste 16 


737-0015 

Individual and group counseling 

is offered, as well as drinking 

driver, family violence, drug and 

alcohol awareness programs. 

Counseling 

Alcohol and Drug Counseling: 

in di vid u al, group, family for adults 

with special programs for seniors is 

available. Sliding scale fee available. 

For a listing of providers contact 

the Santa Barbara Drug and Alcohol 

program at 681-5440 and ask 

for their Treatment Provider List. 

Support Groups 

For a listing of support groups , 

see SUPPORT GROUPS. 

Taking Medications 

1. Take only your own mediation 

for the purpose that it is 

pre scribed. 

2. Know what all your medications 

are for. 

3. Be aware that some medication 

does not mix well with other 

med i ca tion. If you have any 

doubt, ask your pharmacist or 

your physician. 

4. Regularly report med i ca tion 

reactions to your physician, 

both whether the medication 

is working as it is supposed to 

and problems that you’re having 

since you began taking the 

medication. 


5. Remember, if you are getting 

pre scrip tions from several 

phy si cians, you may actually be 

receiving the same drug with a 

different name. Make it a practice 

to alert all your physicians 

about all of the med i ca tions 

that you are taking, in clud ing 

over-the-counter med i ca tions 

and eye drops. Keep a list of all 

med i ca tions taken and review 

with your physician. 

6. Be alert to the onset of problems 

like confusion, which can 

result in falls, other accidents, 

and problems in judgment. 

Med i ca tion may be the culprit.

You Are Not Alone 

Learn how to come 

to grips with Senior 

Substance Abuse 

problems… 

2 nd 

2 

Information and Assistance 

Take the first step – access the health and human services 

available in Santa Barbara County. The information in the 

Senior Substance Abuse brochure can assist in obtaining 

needed services for older persons and for those caring for 

an older person. 

Inside, you’ll find helpful listings of local agencies like Alcoholics 

Anonymous and Al-Anon Family Groups. Even web site 

addresses are provided for your assistance at any hour. 

Available in English and Spanish. 

Aging 

Area 

Agency on 

For San Luis Obispo and 

Santa Barbara Counties 

1 st 

1 

Get information. 

Educate yourself – learn 

about treatment options 

and the problems that abuse 

can cause. 

3 rd 

3 

Talk with 

your doctor. 

Call today for your copy 

925-9554 

or 

965-3288 

Senior Substance Senior Substance Abuse Abuse 

“I always 

drank and never 

had a problem!” 

Substance Abuse 

The most common 

substance abused by 

the elderly is ALCOHOL. 

…affects all families 

…affects all ages 

Produced through a grant from the 

Santa Barbara County Department of 

Alcohol, Drug & Mental Health Services 

300 N. San Antonio Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93110 


ANIMALS & PETS 

Animal Control 

The Animal Control offi ces listed 

below offer a variety of services: 

rabies control, animal bite quaran 

tine, stray animal patrol, dead 

animal pick-up, leash law en force - 

ment, animal euthanasia, licensing 

of dogs, issue of per mits and 

inspection for pet-related business. 

This agency will trap and remove 

nuisance animals and will investigate 

reports of barking or roaming 

dogs. Reports of neglected animals 

should be made to the Humane 

Society. 


Santa Barbara Animal Service 

5473 Overpass Road 


681-5285 

Fax 681-5285 

www.asapcat.com 

The Animal Shelter Assistance 

Program (ASAP) is a community 

vol un teer project with Animal 

Control. They serve as a lost and 

found for stray cats and dogs. Volun 

teers will help match cats and 

kittens with pro spec tive animal 

owners. A senior-facilitated adoption 

pro gram is also available. 


Santa Barbara City Limits 

c/o Santa Barbara Police Dept. 

Animal Control Division 

P. O. Box 539 


963-1513 

897-2410 Emergency Number 


City of Lompoc 

1501 West Central 


737-7755 

Fax 737-7755 


City of Santa Maria 

548 W. Foster Rd 


934-6119 

Fax 934-6326 

Adoption 

Owner-relinquished animals at 

the Humane Society and Animal 

Control shelters are available for 

adoption. The following agen cies 

offer animal adoption ser vic es. 

Humane Society of 

Santa Barbara 

5399 Overpass Rd 


964-4777 

Fax 683-0837 

Low cost spade/neuter clinic 

open to public. Low cost vac ci - 

na tion clinic available to members. 

Re quest ed euthanasia 

available to public. Owner-relinquished 

animals accepted and 

cared for until adopt ed. 

Humane Society of 

Santa Maria Valley 

751 Black Rd 


349-3435 

Fax 349-0066 

www.smvhs.org 

No kill shelter and adoption facility 

for owner- relinquished dogs 

and cats. Provides ed u ca tion 

classes on re spon si ble pet ownership 

to community schools. 

Provides low cost spay/neuter 

program. 

Santa Ynez/Buellton 

Humane Society 

111 Commerce Drive 

Buellton, CA 93427 

688-8224 

Fax 693-9804 

www.syvhumane.org 

In addition to adoption services, 

this agency will provide low cost 

vac ci na tions, as well as spading 

and neutering services. 

VIVA 

Volunteers for Intervalley An i mals 

133 North D St. 


735-6741 

www.viva-animal-shelter.org 


Rescue and adoption for cats. 

Other Resources 


Wagging Dog Tales 



965-7045 

Fax 963-2978 


www.ccsbca.org 

Financial assistance with vet 

bills(up to $250.) is available to 

persons 65+. Dogs only, please. 

Humane Animal Rescue Team 

( HART) 

P. O. Box 920 

Fillmore, CA 93016 

677-5541 

www.hart4dogs.org 

Services for low income seniors 

only. HART will pick up, care and 

place pets for those who can no 

longer care for them. If referred 

by a social service agency, some 

financial as sis tance is available 

for feeding and veterinary care. 

Volunteers available for transport 

ing pets to vet or groomers. 

Visiting Pet Program 

Humane Society of Santa Barbara 

5399 Overpass Road 


964-4777 

Fax 683-0827 

www.sbhumanesociety.org 

Adult volunteers bring small 

animals, kittens and puppies to 

various facilities to visit the frail, 

elderly and/or disabled. Pet Assisted 

Therapy.

Civic 

An important tip to fi nding the 

ap pro pri ate government offi ce is 

to refer to the front section of the 

white pages of your local tele phone 

di rec to ry. The “Easy Reference 

List” provides in for ma tion on 

Federal, State, County and City 

Gov ern ment Services. 

Voter Registration 


Clerk Recorder 

Election Division 

Santa Barbara County Court house 

1100 Anacapa 


568-2250 

Fax 568-2262 

www.sbcrecorder.com 

401 E Cypress Ave. Rm. 102 


737-7705 

Fax 737-7708 

511 E. Lakeside Pkwy, # 134 


346-8374 

Fax 346-8342 

Registration forms are also available 

at Post Offices and Public 

Libraries. 

Municipalities 

City Mayors 

Mayor Russ Hicks 

P. O. Box 1819 


686-0137 

Fax 686-0086 

www.cityofbuellton.com 

Mayor J. Bradley Stern 

Carpinteria City Offi ces 

5775 Carpinteria Ave. 


684-5405 

Fax 684-5304 

www.ci.carpinteria.ca.us 

Mayor Jean Blois 

City of Goleta 

1300Cremona 


961-7500 

Fax 685-2635 

www.cityofgoleta.org 

Mayor Lupe Alvarez 

Guadalupe City Offi ces 

918 Obispo St. 


343-1340 

Fax 343-5512 

www.ci.guadalupe.ca.us 

Mayor Dick De Wees 

Lompoc City Offi ces 

100 Civic Center Plaza 


736-1261 

Fax 736-5347 

www.cityofl ompoc.com 

Mayor Marty Blum 

Santa Barbara City Offi ces 

De la Guerra Plaza 

P.O. Box 1990 


564-5318 

Fax 564-5475 

www.santabarbara.ca.gov 

Mayor Larry Lavagnino 

Santa Maria City Offi ces 

110 E Cook St. 


925-0951 

Fax 349-0657 

www.ci.santa-maria.ca.us 

Mayor Edwin Skytt 

Solvang City Offi ces 

1644 Oak St 

Solvang, CA 93463 

688-5575 

Fax 686-2049 

www.cityofsolvang.com 

County Government 

Elected Representatives 

Board of Supervisors 

105 E Anapamu St 


CIVIC/COMMUNITY/CONSUMER 

First District 

Salud Carbajal 

568-2186 

Fax 568-2534 

SupervisorCarbajal@co.santabarbara.ca.us 

Second District 

Susan Rose 

568-2191 

Fax 568-2283 

srose@co.santa-barbara.ca.us 

Third District 

Brooks Firestone 

1745 Mission Dr., #D 


568-2192 

686-5095 

Fax 568-2883/686-8133 

bfi restone@co.santa-barbara.ca.us 

Fourth District 

Joni Gray 

401 E Cypress 


737-7700 

Santa Maria 

346-8407 

Fax 346-8498 

jgray@co.santa-barbara.ca.us 

Fifth District 

Joseph Centeno 

511 E. Lakeside Pkwy, #141 


346-8400 

Fax 346-8404 

jcenteno@co.santa-barbara.ca.us 

State Government 

Governor of California 

Arnold Schwarzenegger 

State Capitol 

Sacramento, CA 95814 

916-445-2841 

Fax 916-445-4633 

www.govmail.ca.gov 

State Senate 

State Capitol 




Senator Tom McClintock 

19th District 

223 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. #400 

Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 

494-8808 

Fax 494-8812 

senator.mcclintock@sen.ca.gov 

www.sen.ca.gov/mcclintock 

Senator Abel Maldonado 

15th District 

Santa Maria, Gradalupe & Orcutt 

1356 Marsh St. 

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 

805-549-3784 

State Senate # 4082 


916-445-5843 

senator.maldonado@sen.ca.gov 

State Assembly 

State Capitol 


Assemblyman Pedro Nava 

35th District 

101 W Anapamu, # A 


564-1649 

Fax 564-1651 

P.O. Box 942849 

Sacramento, CA 94249-0035 

916-319-2035 

Fax 916-319-2135 

assemblymember.nava@assembl 

y.ca.gov 

Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee 

33rd District 

Santa Maria, Lompoc, Guadalupe, 

Mission Hills, Vandenberg 

Village 

State Capitol # 5126 


916-319-2033 

Fax 916-319-2133 

1104 Palm St 


549-3381 

Fax 549-3400 

assemblymember.blakeslee@asse 

mbly.ca.gov 

Federal Government 

United States Senate 

New Senate Offi ce Bldg. 

Washington, DC 20510 

Senator Barbara Boxer 

112 Hart Offi ce Bldg. 


202-224-3553 

Fax 415-956-6701 

boxer.senate.gov 

California Offi ce 

312 N. Spring St # 1748 

Los Angeles, CA 90012 

213-894-5000 

Fax 213-894-5012 

Senator Dianne Feinstein 

331 Hart Senate Offi ce Bldg. 


202-224-3841 

Fax 202-228-3954 

S.F. Offi ce 

525 Market St.# 3670 

San Francisco, CA 94105 

415-536-6868 

House of Representatives 

House Offi ce Building 

Washington, D.C. 20515 

Congresswoman Lois Capps 

23rd Congressional District 

1216 State St. #403 


730-1710 

Fax 730-9153 

1707 Longworth Bldg. 

Independence Ave. 

Washington, D.C. 20515 

202-225-3601 

Fax 202-225-5632 

www.house.gov/capps 

Congressman Elton Gallegly 

24th Congressional District 

485 Alisal Rd. #G-1A 


686-2525 

Fax 686-2566 

www.house.gov/gallegly 


Community 

Libraries 

www.sbplibrary.org 

Carpinteria Branch 



684-4314 

Central Branch 

40 E. Anapamu 


962-7653 

Eastside Branch 

1102 E. Montecito 


963-3727 

Goleta Branch & Bookmobile 

500 N. Fairview Ave. 


964-7878 

Guadalupe Branch 

4917 W. Main St. #D 


343-1405 

Los Olivos Branch 

2376 Alamo Pintado 

Ave.Thursday: 2-5 p.m. 

Montecito Branch 

1469 East Valley Rd. 

Montecito, CA 93108 

969-5063 

Orcutt Branch 

Oak Knolls Shopping Center 


937-6483 

Santa Maria Branch 

420 S. Broadway 


925-0994 

Fax 9258-7432 

Solvang Branch 

1745 Mission Drive 


688-4214 

Fax 693-8707

Senior Organizations 

There are several organizations and 

groups which focus on the needs 

and interests of seniors. Some are 

for retired workers of a particular 

profession, some are involved in 

social or political advocacy and 

yet others offer special benefi ts for 

their mem bers. 

AARP 

American Association of 

Retired Persons 

Regional Headquarters 

1415 L St. # 960 


866-448-3614 (toll free) 

800-424-3410 National 

www.aarp.org 


AARP Community Presence 

Team 

Lu Gilbert 

333 Old Mill Rd # 263 


964-3943 

Santa Barbara Chapter #72 

Meetings held at 1232 De la Vina 

St., Santa Barbara. First Monday 

of each month, 2 p.m. 

For information on other chapters 

on the Central Coast call: Lu 

Gilbert, 964-3943. 

AARP is a membership or ga - 

ni za tion that is committed to 

mature adults. The organization 

provides special information on 

various services, legislation and 

con sum er education. Membership 

open to anyone over the age 

of 50. 

Area Agency on Aging ( AAA) 

Central Coast Commission of 

Senior Citizens 



925-9554 

965-3288 

800-510-2020 

The Central Coast Commission 

for Senior Citizens has been designated 

the Area Agency on Aging 

by the state Department of Aging 

to serve and represent senior 

citizens in Santa Barbara County. 

The AAA has the re spon si bil i ty 

of distributing state and federal 

monies from the Older Americans 

and Older Cal i for nians Acts to 

support home and community 

based services for seniors and 

adults with functional disabilities. 

The Area Agency on Aging has 

an Advisory Council, composed 

of seniors from throughout the 

County, that provides in for ma tion 

and advocacy on senior issues. 

Make your community a better place without running for mayor. 

Volunteer today. 

Volunteering with AARP is a wonderful way to help out the 

community and gain a sense of personal enrichment. With 

programs such as AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide and AARP 

Driver Safety, there’s an opportunity for everyone to help make 

a difference. 

You could help influence state legislation, help older adults live 

more independently or offer support to California’s family 

caregivers. Join a dynamic team of citizens who are knowledgeable 

and informed on the issues affecting those age 50+. 

To learn more about volunteer opportunities in the 

Central Coast, call 805-681-3505 or email amendoza@aarp.org. 



California Commission 

on Aging 

1300 National Dr. # 200 


916-322-5630 

Fax 916-327-1859 

www.calaging.org 

Advisory Council to the state Depart 

ment of Aging advocates at 

the state level on behalf of older 

Californians. 

California Retired Teachers 

Association 

Division 15 

Jim Winter 

2507 Calle Andalucia 


965-4696 

Frank Stevens, President 

335 E. Valerio St. 


687-9678 

fkstevens@sbceo.org 

Division 17 

Evelyn Wright 

762 Blue Ridge Dr. 

Santa Maria, CA 93455-2121 

937-6768 

Advocates to enhance the welfare 

of and increase benefits to retired 

teachers in California. 

California Senior Legislature 

1300 National Dr. # 173 


916-552-8056 

Fax 916-552-8013 

www.4csl.org 

The Senior Legislature meets 

yearly in Sacramento to develop 

and promote legislation which 

responds to the needs and concerns 

of older Cal i for nians. Election 

of delegates is con duct ed by 

the Area Agency on Aging. For 

information, call Area Agency on 

Aging office at 800-510-2020 

Current CSL delegates 

Senior Assemblyman-S B County 

Martin Tucker 

969-0760 

tucknet@aol.com 

Senior Senator 

Marsha Epstein 

929-6301 

mepstein@calpoly.edu 

Congress of California Seniors 

1228 N St. Ste 30 


916-442-4474 

800-543-3352 

Fax 916-442-1877 

www.seniors.org 

Statewide nonprofit education 

and advocacy organization. Conducts 

research, analyzes issues 

and provides voter and consumer 

education. 

Gray Panthers 

Selma Rubin, Convenor 

4207 Encore Dr. 


964-1246 

The Gray Panthers hold forums 

on social and political issues and 

advocate locally on a wide range 

of issues and networks with other 

organizations. Meetings held at 

Jefferson Hall, 1525 Santa Barbara 

St. 

Adult & Aging Network 


2125 S. Centrepointe Prkwy. 


714-3499 

Supervisor Brookes Firestone, 

Chair per son 

Advisory Council to the Santa 

Barbara County Board of Su per - 

vi sors on long term care and 

aging issues. 

National Association of Retired 

Federal Employees, District IX 

(Santa Maria, Santa Ynez Valley, 

Lompoc) 

Monthly meetings are held the first 


Thursday of each month at a local 

Restaurant. (Except July and August). 

Advisors and advocates on 

behalf of retired federal employees 

on issues relating to retirement and 

other public benefits. 

League of Women Voters 

328 A East Carrillo St. 


965-2422 

P.O. Box 1388 


739-1909 

League of Women Voters 

925 J St. Ste 515 


916-442-9210 

lwvc@lwvc.org 

www.ca.lwv.org 

The League is a nonpartisan 

or ga ni za tion which promotes political 

re spon si bil i ty and informed 

participation in gov ern ment. 

Membership open to all citizens 

aged 18 years and older. 

Ethnic/Minority 


Provides case management directed 

food, clothing, emer gen cy 

utility/rental financial assistance, 

im mi gra tion referrals, and counseling 

services for Spanish-speaking 

persons. 

Family Services Agency 

Bilingual Outreach Advocate 

provides in-home assessment, 

casework, coun sel ing and transla 

tion services for Spanish speaking 

persons. 965-1001. 

Filipino Community 

As so ci a tion of Santa Barbara 

County 

425 State St 


966-9797 

Provides activities, including 

weekly Bingo, for seniors at their 

State Street Community Center.

Tribal Health Clinic 

90 Via Juana Ln. 

Santa Ynez, CA 93460 

688-7070 

www.sythc.org 

Provides health-care services 

to Native Americans residing in 

Santa Barbara County. Also offers 

drug and alcohol prevention, 

and counseling services. 

American Indian 

Health & Services 

4141 State St #A-1 


681-7356 

Fax 683-6108 

Provides health and dental services 

to Native Americans. Also 

offers services to older Native 

Americans, such as trans por ta tion 

to medical, dental and educational 

services pro vid ed by AIH&S. 

Gay Santa Barbara 

PO Box 4 


962-1403 

Fax 560-8481 

info@GSBGroup.org 

www.gaysantabarbara.org 

Fosters acceptance by transcending 

outdated mores with active visible 

public presence and promote diversity 

training and education. 

Pacifi c Pride Foundation 

126 E. Haley St. A-11 


963-3636 

819 W. Church St. 


349-9947 

Fax 349-8638 

www.paciicpridefoundation.org 

The umbrella organization for 

AIDS Project Central Coast the 

Gay & Lesbian Resource Center. 

Community Centers 

Filipino Community Center 

P. O. Box 6/2270 Preisker Ln. 


928-0392 





957-1116 

Fax 957-9230 

www.jewishsantabarbara.org 

Provides services for the commu 

ni ty such as short term case 

management, social and ed u ca - 

tion al activities, lun cheons and 

low cost coun sel ing. 

La Casa de la Raza 

601 E Montecito St 


965-8581 

Fax 965-6451 

A community center offering a 

variety of services. 

Consumer Com plaints & 

In for ma tion 

Many local agencies will speak on 

your behalf, support or defend 

a case or provide you with in for - 

ma tion about your rights. 

The agencies listed below will help 

you to access consumer protection, 

political action and other assistance. 

Community Mediation 

Pro gram 

330 E Carrillo 


963-6765 

Fax 963-8165 

120 E. Jones St. #133 


349-8943 

Fax 349-8963 

www.sbcommunitymediation.org 

Mediators are impartial third parties 

who will meet with you to help you 

discuss issues and come to agreements. 

Divorce, parenting, household, 

business, neighbor, work place, 

small-claims disputes and victim offender 

are among a few of the issues 

me di a tion can be utilized. 

Housing 

Fair Housing 

Enforcement Program 

630 Garden St., 2nd Flr 


564-5461 

Fax 564-5477 

A program within the City of 

Santa Barbara designed to assist 

people who believe they have 

ex pe ri enced discrimination in the 

rental of housing. 

Rental Housing Mediation 

Task Force 

City of Santa Barbara 

423 W Victoria 


730-1523 

Fax 730-1528 

Provides basic information on 

rental rights to tenants and landlords. 

Offers mediation services 

in rental housing dis putes. 

Mobile Homes 

Golden State Mobile Home 

Owners League 

c/o A.J. Davis 

Royal Duke Mobile Estates 

1101 E. Ventura Blvd. #149 

Oxnard, CA 93030 

485-8156 

c/o Manuel Villalobos 

Magnolia Mobile Park 

23 Kimberly Dr. 

Ventura, CA 93001 

641-1084 

This organization is statewide 

and lobbies for appropriate legislation 

at the state level. In addition, 

it works with local government 

to develop and implement 

standards on such issues as rent 

control. 

Mobile Home Ombudsman 

Division of Codes and Standards 

Dept. of Housing & Community 

De vel op ment 

PO Box 31 


916-323-980 

800-952-5275 



Complaints about 

Registration & titling 

800-952-8356 

Dealers, sales agents, warranties, 

residency laws 

800-952-5275 

916-323-9801 

Health Safety issues 

800-952-8356 

Products and Services 

Better Business Bureau of the 

Tri-Counties 

P O Box 129 

213 Santa Barbara St. 


963-8657 

Fax 962-8557 

info@santabarbarabbb.org 

www.santabarbarabbb.org 

Provides information on known 

problem firms. 

Consumer Mediation Program 

District Attorney 




568-2390 

Fax 568-2398 

312 E. Cook St. Ste D 


346-7516 

A volunteer program which 

me di ates disputes between businesses 

and con sum ers and businesses 

and businesses. If there is 

a criminal element to the case, it 

is referred to the Con sum er Business 

Law Unit. 

Department of Motor Vehicles 

( DMV) 

Investigation Section 

1732 Palma Dr., #202 


654-4711 

Fax 654-1680 

www.dmv.ca.gov 

Handles complaints against auto 

dealers, car contracts, auto adver 

tis ing and warranties. 

Mobile Home 

Registration - Titling 

8911 Folsom Blvd. 


800-952-8356 

United States Consumer 

Prod uct Safety Commission 

555 Battery St., Rm 401 

San Francisco, CA 94111 

800-638-2772 

www.cpsc.gov 

Investigates complaints of prod uct 

safety, defects and hazards, as well 

as product safety-related injuries. 

Professional Services 

State Dept. of Consumer 

Af fairs 

400 “R” Street 


916-445-1254 

800-952-5210 

www.dca.ca.gov 

This state department in ves ti - 

gates consumer complaints, and 

has numerous boards specializing 

in various areas that are re spon - 

si ble for the investigations. These 

boards are: 

Dental Board of California 

1432 Howe Avenue, #58-B 


916-263-2300 

Consumer Complaints 

916-263-2335 

Cemetery and Funeral Bureau 

400 “R” Street, #3080 


916-322-7737 

Licenses, regulates and in ves - 

ti gates complaints against Ca. 

Funeral establishments, funeral 

directors, embalmers, apprentice 

embalmers, cemetery brokers, 

cemetery sales per sons, cremated 

remains disposals, crematories 

and licensed cemeteries in 

California. Has Consumer 

Guide Funeral and Cemetery 

purchases available at website 

www.cfb.ca.gov. 


Medical Board of California 

1430 Howe Avenue, #54 


916-263-2382 

800-633-2322 

www.medbd.ca.gov 

Licenses medical doctors, in ves - 

ti gates complaints, disciplines 

those who violate the law, conducts 

physician evaluations and 

facilitates re ha bil i ta tion where 

appropriate. Also performs these 

functions for affiliated healing 

arts professionals including registered 

dispensing opticians, spectacle 

lens dispensers, contact lens 

dispensers, licensed midwives 

and research psy cho an a lysts. 

Nursing Home 

Administrator Program 

P.O. Box 942732 


916-323-6838 

Fax 916-323-6845 

Board of Optometry 

400 “R” Street #4090 


916-323-8720 

800-547-4576 

www.optometry.ca.gov 

Board of Pharmacy 

400 “R” Street #4070 


916-445-5014 

Fax 916-327-6308 

www.pharmacy.ca.gov 

Board of Registered Nurses 

916-322-1700 TDY 

Fax 916-327-4402 

www.rn.ca.gov 

PO Box 944210 

400 “R” Street #4030 


916-322-3350

Bureau of Automotive Repairs 

District Offi ce 

6800 Owensmouth Ave. Ste. 400 

Canoga Park, CA 91303 

818-596-4400 

800-952-5210 

TTD 800-326-2297 

www.smogcheck.ca.gov 

Insurance 

Health Insurance Counseling 

and Advocacy Program 

( HICAP) 



928-5663 

800-434-0222 

seniors@kcbx.net 

www.centralcoastseniors.org 

Assists with filing claims and 

appeals for Medicare recipients 

regarding Medicare, supplemental, 

man aged care (HMO) and 

long term care insurance. 

National Insurance Consumer 

Helpline 

800-942-4242 

This consumer hotline will 

answer life, home and auto 

(property-casualty) insurance 

questions; will refer consumer 

complaints to ap pro pri ate 

sources and will send con sum er 

bro chures upon request. 

For complaints that you may 

have about a supplementary 

health insurance policy, a 

com pa ny’s sales tactics or other 

insurance related concerns. 

Many other state departments 

have complaint units. Call your 

local legislator for information 

about the appropriate state 

department to contact for your 

particular need. 


Residential Care Fa cil i ties 

(Board & Care Homes) 

Community Care Licensing 

Di vi sion 

State Dept. .of Social Services 

360 S. Hope Ave., Bldg. C-105 


682-7647 

www.ccld.ca.gov 

Licenses and inspects residential 

care facilities. Com plaints about 

these facilities can be made to 

this agency. 

Skilled Nursing Fa cil i ties 

(Nurs ing Homes) 

Licensing and Cer ti fi ca tion 

State Dept. of Health Services 

1889 N. Rice Ave. #200 


604-2926 

800-547-8267 

Fax 604-2997 

www.dhs.ca.gov 

Responsible for li cens ing and 

in spect ing skilled nursing facil 

i ties, home health, hospitals, 

hospice, and most types of nursing 

facilities. Com plaints about 

these facilities can be made to 

this agency. 

Long Term Care Ombudsman 

5638 Hollister Ave 


967-0499 

The State Crisis Line Number 

800-231-4024 

The crisis line is available to receive 

complaints 24/7. 

Responsible for in ves ti gat ing 

com plaints about res i den tial 

care and skilled nursing facilities. 

In addition, allegations of 

elder abuse in residential care 

and skilled nursing facilities are 

reported to and in ves ti gat ed by 

this agency. Provides pre-placement 

coun sel ing by ap point ment. 

Do Not Call 

The Federal Trade 

Commission (FTC) has 

amend ed the Telemarketing 

Sales Rule to give consumers 

a choice about wheth er 

they want to receive 

most telemarketers calls. 

Consumers are able to 

put their phone numbers 

on a national ‘do not call’ 

registry. It is illegal for 

most telemarketers to call a 

number listed on the registry. 

Consumers may sign up on 

the Web at www.donotcall.gov 

or call 888-382-1222. The 

hearing impaired may call 

866-290-4236. 

Californians can register 

either through the FTC site 

or through the California 

attorney general’s web 

site, www.caag.state.ca.us/ 

donotcall/ which has a link 

to the FTC site. Californians 

who reg is tered through 

the state attorney general’s 

web site will have their 

in for ma tion transferred to 

the FTC. 


DEATH & RELATED SERVICES 

Benefi ts 

Social Security 

Administration 

A family member or other person 

re spon si ble for the benefi ciary’s affairs 

should do the following when 

a ben e fi cia ry dies: 

• Promptly notify Social Security 

of the benefi ciary’s death by 

calling toll free 800-772-1213. 

• If monthly benefi ts were being 

paid via direct deposit, notify 

the bank or other fi nancial 

in sti tu tion of the benefi ciary’s 

death. Request that any funds 

received for the month of 

death and later be returned to 

Social Security as soon as possible. 

• If benefi ts were being paid by 

check, do not cash any checks 

received for the month in 

which the ben e fi cia ry died or 

thereafter. Return the checks 

to Social Security as soon as 

possible. 

Veterans 

There are many benefi ts such 

as life insurance, burial expense 

re im burse ment, burial fl ag, burial 

in national cemeteries, head stones/ 

markers and certain widow’s/ 

widower’s benefi ts. For information 

call or visit one of the offi ces 

listed below. 

Veterans Administration 

800-827-1000 

You can call the VA office for 

in for ma tion on death-related 

and other services available to 

vet er ans and their families. 

Veterans Administration 

Outpatient Clinic 

4440 Calle Real 


683-1491 

877-252-4866 

Fax 683-3631 

A Veteran’s Benefits Counselor 

from the American Legion provides 

information and as sis tance 

with application for ben e fits on 

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 

from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on 

walk-in basis. Ap point ment 

preferred. 

Veterans Service Offi ces 



681-4500 

108 E Locust St. 


737-7900 

511 E. Lakeside Pkwy. # 47 


346-7160 

These offices were established by 

the Board of Supervisors of Santa 

Barbara County to assist veterans 

and their dependents in obtaining 

Veterans benefits from federal 

and state agencies. They will assist 

in sub mit ting claims and provide 

follow-up service, if needed, 

to assure that you receive the 

benefits to which you are entitled. 

They can provide you with 

information and assistance with 

any claim to the Veterans Administration. 

Home visits by one of 

the veterans rep re sen ta tives may 

be arranged. 

Other 

Some unions and fraternal or ga - 

ni za tions have benefi ts. Contact 

any organizations that you belong 

to and ask if benefi ts are available. 

The Public Administrator under 

certain conditions can administer 

a decedent’s estate. Call for more 

information: 568-2790. 

Burial and Cre ma tion 

In for ma tion 

The Yellow Pages of the tele phone 

directory has listings for “Funeral 

Directors, Services” and “Cremation 

Services.” In ad di tion, there 

is one nonprofi t organization 

in Santa Barbara that provides 


low-cost burial and/or cremation 

services. 

Funeral Consumers Alliance- 

Channel Cities 

P.O. Box 1778 

Ojai, CA 93024-1778 

692-2464 

800-520-7526 

Offers information and education 

on low cost funeral, cremation, 

and burials. 

International Cemetery and 

Funeral Association 

107 Carpenter Dr.,Ste 100 

Sterling, VA 20164 

800-645-7700 

www.icfa.org 

Cemetery and Funeral Bureau 

Department of Consumer Affairs 

400R Street 

Sacramento, A 958141 

800-952-5210 

916-322-7737 

www.cfb.ca.gov 

Licenses and regulates the California 

funeral and cemetery industries 

Also investigates complaints 

against funeral homes, cemeteries 

and individual licensees. Publishes 

“Consumer Guide to Funeral & 

Cemetery Purchases.” 

Federal Trade Commission 

Consumer Response Center 

Washington, CD 20580 

877-FTC-HELP 

202-326-2502 TDD 

www.ftc.gob 

North American Cemetery 

Regulatory Assoc. 

c/o Cemetery & Funeral Home 

Section Consumer Protection 

Division 

Offi ce of the Attorney General 

1024 Capital Center Dr. 

Frankfort, KY 40601 

Death Certifi cates 

A funeral director will usually obtain 

copies of the death cer tifi cate 

for you. Certifi ed death certifi cates 

are usually required for benefi ts

determination. Certifi ed copies 

cost $13.00 each and can also be 

obtained by visiting or writing to: 

Santa Barbara County Clerk 

Recorder 

P.O. Box 159 


568-2250 

Be sure to include the full name 

of the deceased and the date of 

death. The date of birth is also 

helpful, if known. 

To register a complaint about a 

Funeral Director or other burial 

service, contact Board of Funeral 

Directors and Em balm ers. 

Indigent Death 

Cremation services only are available 

through: 

Public Administration, 


P.O. Box 2517 


568-2790 

511 E. Lakeside Pkwy. 


346-8337 

Unattended Death 

If the deceased has not seen a physi 

cian within 20 days prior to the 

death or if the death is the result 

of an accident or of a suspicious 

nature, the County Coroner will 

become involved in the case. For 

more information contact: 

County Coroner’s Offi ce 

66 S. San Antonio Rd. 


681-4145 

Fax 681-4308 

www.sbsheriff.org 

It is important to report a death 

which occurs at home, or in 

another non-medical setting. Call 

9-1-1. 

Organ Donation 

Some people express a desire to 

“will” their body to science or to 

donate vital organs after death. 

The Gift of Life program is for tissue 

and organ donors. The Department 

of Motor Vehicles supplies 

donor stickers which may be 

affi xed to the back of your driver’s 

license or iden ti fi ca tion card. See 

the front of your telephone directory 

under “State Gov ern ment 

Offi ces” for DMV Locations. 

The upper age for organ and tissue 

donation varies. Currently for tissue 

donation, with the exception 

of corneas which are 75 (except for 

research- no upper age), the maxi 

mum is 70. For organ do na tion, 

each patient is in di vid u al ly evaluated 

re gard less of age. 

For further information about tissue 

donation contact: 

One Legacy 

2200 W. 3rd St. #400 

Los Angeles, CA 90057 

800-338-6112 

213-413-6219 

www.onelegacy.org 

A transplant donor network serving 

Southern California. 


2024 De la Vina St. 


563-0020 

There are several choices available 

for those who wish to 

donate their bodies to science. 

All arrangements must be made 

in advance. 


Bereavement groups for anyone 

ex pe ri enc ing the loss of someone 

special, particularly within the 

last year, are held by some hospice 

organizations. One-to-one counsel 

ing may also be available for 

those who require more intensive 

support. For a listing, see SUP- 

PORT GROUPS. 

DEATH & RELATED SERVICES 

How to File a 

Complaint with the 

State Dept. of 

Consumer Affairs 

There are two ways that you can 

fi le a complaint: 

1. You can either call the Consum 

er Information Center 

at 800-952-5210 or 

2. You can contact either of 

the Mediation Centers listed 

below , secure a complaint 

form, fi ll out the form as 

com plete ly as possible and 

mail it. 

3. Online at www.dca.ca.gov 

Sacramento offi ce 

401 S. Street, Ste.101 


916-322-3400 

El Monte offi ce 

1180 Durfee Ave., Ste. 125 

South El Monte, CA 91733 

626-575-7037 

Note: If the complaint is 

against a Cemetery, a 

Funeral Home, A Director, 

or an Em balm er, the 

Sac ra men to offi ce must 

be contacted. 


EDUCATION 

A 

variety of educational 

opportunities exist for 

seniors. Classes range from 

regular college courses to special 

phys i cal fi tness, English as a Second 

Language, and Planning for Re tire - 

ment. There are a number of different 

ways you can take these courses. The 

following is a listing of the different 

types of pro grams and the schools 

that offer them. Some programs offer 

special discounts for seniors. 

Elderhostel 

11 Avenue de Lafayette 

Boston, MA 02111-1746 

toll free: 877-426-8056 

www.elderhostel.org 

Elderhostel Program is a not for profit 

educational travel or ga ni za tion for 

people 55 and older. Offering neraly 

8,000 exciting educational programs 

throughout the US,Canada, and in 

90 coun tries around the world. Programs 

range from one day to three 

weeks, depending on location and 

level of interest. 

Adult Education Pro grams 

Offer many courses of interest to 

seniors. Classes are free or have 

minimal fees and the selection of 

courses is quite extensive . 

Santa Barbara City College 

721 Cliff Dr. 


965-0581 

www.sbcc.net 

Continuing Education Div. OMEGA 

Alice Schott Center 

310 West Padre Street 


687-0812 

Fax 569-5457 

Selmer O. Wake Center 

300 North Turnpike Rd. 


964-6853 

Fax 964-7564 

Offers classes designed to promote 

and help maintain the mental, 

emotional and social well being of 

older adults, to foster awareness & 

appreciation for aging as a lifelong 

developmental process. Instructional 

objective is to encourage and assist 

with continued, healthful, meaningful 

engagement through broadening the 

scope of intersts and increasing one’s 

knowledge base as well as enhancing 

coping skills and enriching awarenesses 

as we age. All OMEGA classes, 

workshops and seminars are free of 

charge. 

Allan Hancock College 

Community Education 

800 South College Dr,Bldg T 


922-6966 x3209 

Fax 352-1046 

www.hancockcollege.edu 


One Hancock Dr. 


735-3366 

1404 Wyoming Ave. Bldg. 14003 

Vandenberg AFB, CA 93437 

734-3500 

Fax 734-0321 

Adult Literacy 

Adult Literacy Programs pro vide 

trained volunteer tutors who will 

teach adults to read, write, and speak 

English on a one-to-one basis. Listed 

below are literacy pro grams accessible 

throughout Santa Barbara County. 

Central Coast Literacy Coun cil 

Learning Resource Center 

800 South College Dr. Bldg. L 


922-6966 x3499 

Fax 346-8740 

Language Ministry Program 

First Southern Baptist Church 

1009 East Pine Ave. 


736-6531 

Adult Literacy Program 

Santa Barbara Public Library 

40 East Anapamu 


564-5619 

Other Adult Education 

Programs 

University of California 

320 Stork Rd. 


Extension—Continuing Ed u ca tion 

893-4200 

Extension English Language Program 

893-8383 

Adult School, Lompoc 

515 West College Ave. 


735-8937 

Fax 736-3089 

Offers programs for seniors 

basic ed u ca tion, high school 

programs, vocational and occu 

pa tion al training, English as 

a Second Lan guage, art classes, 

and cit i zen ship prep a ra tion. GED 

Center in addition to high school 

diploma.

Cooperative Extensions/Farm 

& Home Advisor 

624 West Foster Rd 


934-6240 

Fax 934-6333 

Informal education through 

delivery of information in areas 

of agriculture, natural resources, 

home economics, marine scienc 

es and youth de vel op ment. 

Gatekeeper Program 

967-7034 

969-0589 

Educates professionals and vol un - 

teers on the warning signs of seniors 

who have been abused, or who are in 

danger of being abused or neglected . 

Caregiver University 


2024 De La Vina 


563-0020 Santa Barbara offi ce 

636-6432 Santa Maria offi ce 

info@centralcoastalz.org 

Provides a variety of educational 

workshops and in di vid u al coun sel ing 

ses sions designed spe cif i cal ly for family 

caregivers. These include: What 

Now?, Powerful Tools for Caregivers 

and Coach ing for Caregivers. 

Hospice of Santa Barbara Inc. 

520 W. Junipero 


563-8820 

www.hospiceofsantabarbara.org 

Sponsors lectures and retreats on end 

of life topics. Experienced hospice 

professionals teach the community 

at large about facing death and grief 

recovery. Book and video library, 

pamphlets, Advanced Directives and 

Living Will forms available free 

Walter H. Capps Center 

UCSB 


893-2317 

www.cappscenter.ucsb.edu 

For the study of ethics, religion 

and public life. 

Serves as a community forum for 

discussing issues of local, national 

and global significance. Most of its 

free public events are presented in 

downtown Santa Barbara and information 

about them can be found on 

its website. 

Questions 

Consumers Should Ask 

The following is a list of 

important questions that 

con sum ers and caregivers 

should ask their health care 

providers about each medicine: 

· Why is this medicine pre scribed? 

· How does the medicine work in 

my body? 

· How can I ex pect to feel once I 

start taking this medicine? 

· How will I know the medicine is 

working? Is there a typical period 

after which my symp toms should 

improve? 

· How long will I have to take this 

medicine? Will I need a refi ll when 

I fi nish this prescription? 

· Will this med i cine interact with 

other med i cines–prescription and 

non pre scrip tion–that I am taking 

now? 

· Should I take this medicine with 

food? Are there any foods or 

beverages I should avoid? 

· Are there any activities I should 

avoid while taking this medicine? 

· What possible problems might 

I experience with the medicine? 

How can I prevent these problems 

from occurring? At what point 

should I report problems with the 

medicine? 

· What should I do if I miss a dose 

of this medicine, or take too 

much? 

· What is the cost for the medicine 

prescribed? Is there a less 

expensive alternative prescription? 

EDUCATION 

Family Caregiving 

New from the American Red Cross 

If you are caring for 

a loved one at home, 

we can help! 

Learn to provide the best care 

possible with this home study 

course and video. Informationpacked 

modules teach basic care 

such as bathing, home safety and 

nutrition. 

Call the Santa Barbara 

County Chapter of the 

American Red Cross at 

687-1331 in Santa Barbara or 

928-0778 in Santa Maria or 

visit www.sbaco-redcross.org 


ELDER ABUSE 

What is Elder Abuse? 

The aging of our society presents 

challenges to many sectors of our 

community. Increasing numbers of 

older persons are being cared for in 

their own homes, where resources 

to provide suffi cient care may be 

limited. Sub stan tial portions of 

our elderly are being cared for by 

elderly children and spouses. Recent 

reports from the House Select 

Committee on Aging focus attention 

on the problem of elder abuse. 

Elder abuse is not a new problem. 

Defi nitions 

Neglect 

Denial of food, clothing, shelter 

or health care or the inability to 

provide basic needs. 

Mental Suffering 

Infl iction of mental anguish by demand 

ing, name-calling, insulting, 

ignoring, hu mil i at ing, frightening, 

threatening, iso lat ing, etc. 

Financial Abuse 

Theft, misuse of funds or property, 

extortion, duress, fraud. 

Abandonment 

Abandonment means the desertion 

or willful forsaking of an elder by 

anyone having care or custody of 

that person under circumstances 

in which a reasonable person 

would continue to provide care or 

custody. 

Physical Abuse 

Direct beatings, lack of food, lack 

of medical care or over medication, 

sexual exploitation, neglect. 

Isolation 

Acts intentionally committed for 

the purpose of preventing an elder 

from receiving his or her mail or 

telephone calls. Telling a caller or 

prospective visitor that an elder is 

not present, or does not wish to 

talk with the caller, or does not 

wish to meet with the visitor where 

the statement is false, is contrary 

to the express wishes of the elder, 

whether s/he is competent or not, 

and is made for the purpose of 

preventing the elder from having 

contact with family, friends or 

con cerned people. False im pris - 

on ment. Physical restraint for the 

purpose of preventing the elder 

from meeting with visitors. 

Self Neglect 

The negligent failure of the person 

them selves to exercise that degree 

of care that a reasonable person in 

a like position would exercise. 

Toward Prevention 

— for Individuals 

Do’s… 

• Stay sociable as you age; maintain 

and increase your network 

of friends and acquaintances. 

• Keep in contact with old 

friends and neighbors if you 

move in with a relative or 

change to a new address. 

• Develop a “buddy” system with 

a friend outside the home. Plan 

for at least a weekly contact 

and share openly with a person. 

• Ask friends to visit you at 

home; even a brief visit can allow 

ob ser va tions of your wellbeing. 

• Accept new opportunities for 

activities. They can bring new 

friends. 

• Participate in community activ 

i ties as you are able. 

• Volunteer or become a member 

or offi cer of an organization. 

Par tic i pate regularly. 

• Have your own telephone; post 

and open your own mail. If 

your mail is being intercepted, 

discuss the problem with 

postal au thor i ties. 


• Stay organized. Keep your 

be long ings neat and orderly. 

Make sure others are aware 

that you know where everything 

is kept. 

• Take care of your personal 

needs. Keep regular medical, 

dental, barber, hairdresser, and 

other personal appointments. 

• Arrange to have your Social Security 

or pension check deposited 

directly to a bank account. 

• Get legal advice about arrange 

ments you can make now 

for possible future disability, 

in clud ing powers-of-attorney, 

guardianships, or conservatorships. 

• Keep records, accounts, and 

property available for ex am ina 

tion by someone you trust, 

as well as the person you or the 

court has des ig nat ed to manage 

your affairs. 

• Review your will periodically. 

Give up control of your property 

or assets only when you 

decide you cannot manage 

them. 

• Ask for help when you need it. 

Discuss your plans with your 

attorney, physician, or family 

mem bers. 

Don’ts… 

• Don’t live with a person who 

has a background of violent 

behavior or alcohol or drug 

abuse. 

• Don’t leave your home un at - 

tend ed. Notify police if you 

are going to be away for a long 

period. Don’t leave messages 

on the door while you are away. 

• Don’t leave cash, jewelry, or 

prized possessions lying about. 

• Don’t accept personal care in

eturn for transfer or assignments 

of your property or assets 

unless a lawyer, advocate, 

or another trusted person acts 

as a witness to the trans ac tion. 

• Don’t sign a document unless 

someone you trust has reviewed 

it. 

• Don’t allow anyone else to 

keep details of your fi nances 

or property man age ment from 

you. 

Abuse and/or neglect may be 

in ten tion al or due to a caregiver’s 

lack of knowledge or capacity to 

care for the older person. Abuse 

also can be re fl ec tive of a stressed 

family or long-standing diffi cult 

parent-child re la tion ship. Elder 

abuse can be found anywhere that 

senior citizens are located—in the 

home, in residential or convalescent 

facilities, or in other areas of 

the community. Abusers can be 

family members, caregivers, employees, 

or strangers. 

If you suspect that an elder is being 

abused, contact: 

Adult Protective Services 

Santa Barbara 

681-4550 

Santa Maria 

346-8303 

Lompoc 

737-6020 

An investigation into the suspected 

abuse may be initiated based 

upon the in for ma tion that you 

are able to provide. You may, if 

you choose, report anonymously 

or call to discuss your concerns 

without making a report . 

Elder-care cus to di ans, health 

prac ti tio ners, or em ploy ees of 

County Adult Protective Services 

Agencies who, within their 

pro fes sion al capacity or within 

the scope of the employment, 

suspect an incident of physical 

abuse, MUST REPORT immedi- 

ately by telephone and in writing 

within two working days to Adult 

Protective Services, Long-Term 

Care Om buds man Services, or to 

the police . 

IN CASE OF AN EMER GEN CY, 

CALL 9-1-1. 

District Attorney’s Offi ce Elder 

Abuse Prosecution Unit 

Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm M-F 



568-2400 

312-D East Cook Street 


346-7529 

The District Attorney’s Office has 

a specialized unit to prosecute 

crimes committed against elders. 

The Unit is comprised of trained 

investigators and prosecutors 

who are familiar with dynamics 

which are common in elder abuse 

cases. In addition to the assignment 

of specially trained Elder 

Abuse pros e cu tors and in ves - 

ti ga tors, the District Attorney’s 

Office has implemented an Elder 

Abuse Ad vo ca cy Program comprised 

of crime victim advocates. 

The advocates offer services to 

victims and their families that 

include crisis intervention, ori en - 

ta tion to the criminal justice 

system, case status information, 

court support, referral and 

resource in for ma tion, assistance 

in obtaining state compensation 

for crime related expenses and 

emer gen cy food and financial 

assistance. 

ELDER ABUSE 

How to Hire 

In Home Care Workers 

A Guide for Seniors, their Families 

and others with Spe cial Needs in 


In Santa Barbara County, a Guide has been 

prepared to assist an older person to remain 

in their own home. Remaining in de pen dent 

and living at home is the pref er ence of most 

older persons. Contact Senior Connection at 

800-510-2020 for a copy of the Guide. 

A number of services are available today 

which can help an older person stay in their 

own home and live an independent life. A 

person may need one or more services to 

ensure their safety and security in the home . 

Some services are provided by vol un teers supervised 

by a local public or non profi t organization. 

Other services are provided by paid workers 

from agen cies or persons who are hired 

in de pen dent ly by the older person or family. In 

any instance it is im por tant to be careful about 

ar range ments made for care in the home. 

As you think about arranging services to 

help in the home, con sid er the fol low ing: 

• Can you count on family and friends to 

help out? On a regular basis or occassionally? 

Financially? With transportation? 

• Can the home be modifi ed tro accommodate 

a physical dis abil i ty? 

• What does each service cost? How much 

of the cost can be paid for through 

Medicare? Medi-Cal? Other insurance? 

• If several services are needed, does the 

cost of all of them added to geth er 

become pro hib i tive? 

Many inhome services require that a 

stranger come into your house. Before 

deciding which services to use, be sure 

to obtain the fol low ing information: 

• When using an agency to obtain a 

personal care aide, ask for and check out 

the ref er enc es of the agency itself. The 

agency should be bonded and in sured. 

• Ask for and contact the aide’s ref er enc es. 

Be sure that the aide is trained to perform 

the re quired duties. 

• Settle all arrangements for paying the 

aide, his or her trans por ta tion costs, 

Social Security, or other fringe benefi ts 

before the aide starts work. Find out who 

is legally liable and responsible if anything 

is stolen by the aide or if the aide is 

involved in an accident in the home. 

• Prepare a schedule of tasks and working 

hours for the aide before every visit. 

Insist that the aide follow the schedule. 

• Require that receipts ac com pa ny all 

purchases made on behalf of the client 

by the aide during shopping trips 


EMPLOYMENT 

Older adults are sometimes 

confronted with the need 

to change jobs, re-enter the 

work force because of a change of 

status, or seek part-time em ploy - 

ment to sup ple ment a fi xed income. 


Earnings Test 

For retirees age 62 through 65, $1 

in Social Security benefi ts is withheld 

for every $2 in earnings above 

$11,520 in 2003. This limit increases 

each year. There is no limit 

on earnings for in di vid u als age 65 

or older. For the latest information 

and more details call the Social Security 

Ad min is tra tion at 800-772- 

1213 or visit the Social Security 

web site at www.socialsecurity.gov. 

You should also call to report any 

change in your earnings such as 

when you begin or stop working. 

Training and Place ment 

for Seniors 

The following programs are designed 

to help you connect with 

meaningful em ploy ment, and/or 

provide spe cial ized job training. 

One Stop Career Centers 

Workforce Resource Center 

130 E. Ortega St. 


568-1296 

Fax 568-1382 



614-1550 

Fax 614-1230 

www.workforceresource.com 

The Workforce Resource Centers 

are the One Stop Career Centers 

for Santa Barbara County. 

They provide job ori en ta tion, job 

assessment, coun sel ing and job 

placement and referral. Class room 

training is available for pre-employment 

skills and other spe cial ized 

skills. Em ploy er/employee self 

help materials are available in the 

library/class room. 

Senior Community 

Se rvic es Em ploy ment 

Pro gram 

Work Training Program 

Headquarters 

124 W. Carmen Ln. Ste. B 


928-2161 

Fax 928-5154 

cgardner@wtpinc.org 

Field Offi ce 

130 E. Ortega 


568-1385 

Fax 568-1316 

Seniors with limited income aged 55 

and over are assigned to paid parttime 

positions in public and private 

non profit agencies. Paid classroom 

and on- the –job training op por tu ni 

ties available. 

Other Training and 

Placement Programs 

The following programs offer assis 

tance to all people who qualify: 

Department of Vocational 

Re ha bil i ta tion 

1775 So. McClelland 


928-1891 

Fax 346-2179 

509 E Montecito St# 101 


560-8130 

Fax 560-8162 

www.dor.ca.gov 

Assists people with permanent disabilities 

with employment. Pro vides 

diagnosis, treatment, vocational 

counseling, training and placement. 

Center for Employment 

Train ing 

509 W Morrison 


928-1737 

Fax 928-1203 

ww.cetweb.org 

Offers job training and placement 

assistance to low-income, 


un der em ployed, and unemployed 

people. ESL classes also avail able 

when seeking legal status. 

Regional Occupational 

Pro gram ( ROP) 

SB County Schools 

Superintendent Offi ce 

Hope School Center 

3970 La Colina Road 

ROP Room 8 


964-4711, x4462 

Fax 569-2507 

North County ROP 

4893 Bethany Lane 


937-8427 

Fax 937-7489 

www.sbceo.org 

Offers pre-employment skills and 

vo ca tion al classes in a variety of 

fields for employment training at 

sites through out the county. 

Employment Referral 

Employment Development 

De part ment ( EDD) 

130 E. Ortega St. 


568-1280 

Fax 568-1316 

1410 S Broadway 


348-3230 

www.caljobs.ca.gov 

The EDD offers placement services, 

job search workshop, and 

veteran’s em ploy ment services. 

CalJOBS 

To better serve employers and job 

seekers, the State Em ploy ment Devel 

op ment Department (EDD) has 

im ple ment ed a new primary match ing 

tool for Job Service, the California Job 

Opening Browse System, com mon ly 

known as CalJOBS. CalJOBS is an 

electronic job listing and referral system 

de vel oped by EDD to make cus tom er 

self-service possible. CalJOBS is a 

computer link be tween em ploy ers and 

job seekers and is the primary matching

tool for Job Service. 

While CalJOBS is primarily a self 

service tool, one can access CalJOBS 

at the local One Stop Career Centers. 

Staff is available to acquaint a 

person with CalJOBS and how to 

use it in seeking a job referral. 

You can access CalJOBS at 

www.caljobs.ca.gov . 

Employment 

Discrimination 

Labor Standards Enforcement/ 

Industrial Relations 

411 E. Canon Perdido, Rm. 3 


568-1222 

Fax 568-1569 

www.dir.ca.gov 

This agency enforces laws covering 

wages, hours and working 

con di tions. They in ves ti gate 

problems concerning wage 

claims, minimum wage, over time, 

hours and con di tions 

Fair Employment & Housing 

De part ment 

1732 Palma Dr., Rm 200 


800-884-1684 

www.dfeh.ca.gov 

Investigates allegations of discrim 

i na tion on the basis of age, 

sex, color, national origin, mar i tal 

EMPLOYMENT 

status, creed, physical dis abil i ty, 

medical condition, preg nan cy, 

sexual orientation, genetic characteristics 

and religion when 

employment, housing, and public 

ac com mo da tions are affected. 

Age discrimination complaints must 

be filed no later than two years from 

the date of “harm.” All other complaints 

must be filed no later than 

one year from the date of “harm.” 

Give your loved ones 

the care they need in 

the home they love. 

Most seniors want to live in their own 

homes for as long as they can. LivHOME 

makes it possible with: 

• hourly and live-in care 

• professional oversight 

That’s why LivHOME is the nation’s 

#1 professionally-led at-home care company. 

For a no-charge phone consultation, 

call 805-687-8766 

www.livhome.com 


FINANCIAL SERVICES 


Administration 

The Social Security Ad min is tra tion 

im ple ments a number of programs 

that can offer fi nancial assistance: 

Social Security Re tire ment 

Ben e fi ts 

Retirement benefi ts are payable as 

early as age 62 for a worker who 

has Social Security credit for at 

least 10 years of work. Benefi ts 

are per ma nent ly reduced for each 

month early benefi ts before the 

normal retirement age (which is 

gradually increasing from age 65 to 

67). The amount of a Social Security 

benefi t is based on the average 

amount of the worker’s earnings in 

jobs covered by Social Security over 

a 35 year period. To assist in fi nancial 

planning, a free benefi t estimate 

is available by calling Social 

Security. Monthly ben e fi ts are also 

paid to eligible spouses, divorced 

spouses (if the marriage lasted at 

least 10 years), and the children of 

workers who have retired. 


Survivors Ben e fi ts 

Monthly benefi ts can be paid to 

sur vi vors of deceased workers 

in clud ing a widow or widower, 

divorced widow or widower (if the 

marriage lasted at least 10 years), 

children under 18, and adult children 

who were disabled before age 

22. An additional onetime death 

payment of $255.00 can be paid 

to an el i gi ble widow, widower, or 

child. 


Disability Ben e fi ts 

Disability insurance benefi ts are 

payable to individuals who have 

worked in jobs or self-em ploy ment 

covered by Social Security. To be 

entitled to benefi ts a worker must 

have a disability which prevents 

that person from working, and 

which is expected to last at least 12 

months or result in death. Benefi ts 

generally begin after 6 months 

of disability, but applications 

should be fi led as soon as possible. 

Monthly benefi ts are also paid to 

eligible spouses and children of the 

disabled individual. 

Medicare 

At age 65, or after two years of 

en ti tle ment to disability benefi ts, 

most people are eligible for Medicare 

coverage. Medicare health 

insurance will help pay for medical 

expenses including doctor and 

hospital charges. (See Paying for 

Health Care for more information). 

Right of Appeal 

If you feel that a decision about 

your benefi ts was not correct, go 

to the Social Security offi ce and 

ask for a re con sid er a tion. If you 

disagree with the re con sid er a tion, 

you have the right to request a 

hearing. Your Social Security offi ce 

can explain the process. There are 

also sources of legal help listed in 

the LEGAL section of this directory. 

Some private attorneys also 

help with Social Security prob lems, 

for a fee. 

Supplemental Se cu ri ty Income 

Program ( SSI) 

The Social Security Ad min is tra tion 

also handles a program that provides 

monthly fi nancial assistance 

to needy persons who are 65 or 

older, blind, or dis abled. Eligibility 

is based on income and assets. 

A recipient must be a citizen or a 

permanent legal immigrant who 

meets certain el i gi bil i ty requirements. 

A person may be eligible for SSI 

benefi ts even if he or she receives a 

Social Security check. Contact your 

nearest Social Security offi ce for 

information about eligibility and 

current benefi ts. 

If a person is eligible for SSI 

benefi ts, s/he is also entitled to 


receive Medi-Cal and may also be 

eligible for In-Home Sup port ive 

Services to help with personal care 

and meals if necessary. Contact 

the County Department of Social 

Services. 

When applying for SSI, a person 

should have the following in for - 

ma tion: 

• His or her Social Security card 

or a record of their Social Security 

number. 

• Proof of age, cit i zen ship, a 

birth certifi cate or the oldest 

other proof available. If not 

a citizen evidence of im mi - 

gra tion status is needed. 

• Information about any income 

and resources such as payroll 

slips, copies of tax re turns, 

bank books, insurance policies, 

car reg is tra tion, and burial 

fund records. (If applying for 

benefi ts for a child, information 

about the parents’ income 

and re sourc es will be needed.) 

• Information about the place s/ 

he lives, including the amount 

of the mortgage and property 

taxes on a home he or she 

owns, the lease and land lord’s 

name if renting, and the cost of 

food and utilities. 

• If disabled or blind, medical records, 

or the names, ad dress es, 

and tele phone num bers of doctors, 

hospitals, and clinics that 

have treated the person. 

A person should call the Social 

Security offi ce before applying and 

the rep re sen ta tive will make an 

ap point ment and help the person 

identify what records s/he needs to 

support the application. 

For More In for ma tion 

To fi nd out more about Social Security 

programs you may call, write 

or visit any Social Security offi ce. 

In for ma tion can be obtained from 

the nearest Social Security web site 

at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Social Security can be reached tollfree 

anytime between 7 a.m. and 

7 p.m. by calling: 1 800-772-1213. 

The best times to call are between 

7 a.m. and 9 a.m. or between 5 p.m. 

and 7 p.m. especially in the last half 

of each month. Service Rep re sen ta 

tives can answer your questions, 

make an appointment for you, 

and tell you what you will need 

to pro vide if you fi le an application 

for benefi ts. If you are not yet 

receiving benefi ts you may request 

a Per son al Earnings and Benefi t 

Estimate Statement (PEBES) which 

will show the Social Security work 

credits you have earned and the 

amount of future benefi ts you may 

be entitled to. Most Social Security 

business can be handled by telephone 

including reporting changes 

in your address, signing up for 

direct deposit of your checks, and 

reporting earn ings. 

Social Security Offi ces 

Santa Barbara Offi ce 

355 Paseo Nuevo 


963-7806 

Hours: 9 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 

Monday through Friday 

Santa Maria Offi ce 

2436 Professional Parkway 


934-2793 

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Monday through Friday (Serves 

Lompoc area also) 

Solvang Senior Center/SSA Contact 

Station 



688-3793 

Hours: 9 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 

Third Wednesday of each month 

(By appointment only) 

County Programs 



The following are locations of the 

De part ment of Social Ser vic es in 

Santa Barbara County: 



681-4401 




737-7080 

2125 S. Centerpointe Parkway 


346-7135 

Food Stamps 

Many seniors are eligible for food 

stamps. You cannot receive them 

if you are receiving Sup ple men tal 

Security Income (SSI). You may 

own your own home and your car, 

but there is a limitation on your 

other assets and income. For information 

on eligibility and benefi ts, 

contact the nearest Department of 

Social Services Offi ce listed above. 

There are home interviews available 

for the disabled in di vid u al. 

Call for the Food Stamp screening 

time and location. 

General Relief 

If you are very low income, less 

than 65 years of age, and are not 

eligible for federally funded assistance, 

you may qualify for General 

Relief. In for ma tion about this 

program can be ob tained from the 

De part ment of Social Services. Apply 

at the offi ce closest to you. 

Veteran’s Benefi ts 

There are Veteran’s benefi ts for 

eligible veterans and/ or spouses 

who are disabled or over the age 

of 65. The benefi ts available to a 

veteran depends on when he or she 

was in the service. It is also based 

on assets and income. For more 

information, contact: 


Department of Veteran’s 

Affairs 



683-1491 x494 

800-827-1000 

Monday and Tuesday, 8-4:30 

p.m. 

SB Veteran’s Service Offi ces 

315 Camino Del Remedio, Bldg. 2 


681-4500 

108 E. Locust St. 


737-7900 

511 E. Lakeside Parkway,# 47 


346-7160 

Health Insurance Counsel 

ing & Billing Services 

The following organization provides 

health insurance coun sel ing: 

HICAP (Health Insurance 

Counseling and Advocacy Program) 

Central Coast Commission for 

Senior Citizens 



928-5663 

800-434-0222 

Fax 925-9555 


Offers free information and 

as sis tance with understanding 

Medicare benefits and rights, 

solving medical billing problems, 

filing claims and appeals, and 

comparing insurance policies. 

Information can be received over 

the phone or in person. Trained 

vol un teer counselors are available 

at local com mu ni ty sites to 

provide assistance. Call for more 

in for ma tion or an ap point ment. 

Coun sel ing sites are located in 

Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang, 

Lompoc, Santa Maria, Carpinteria, 

Guadalupe and Orcutt. 



Planning for Long Term 

Care Needs 

The California Partnership for 

Long Term Care is another insurance 

option avail able to a person 

who is plan ning for their long term 

care needs. This dem on stra tion 

project is a part ner ship between 

the state of California, the private 

in sur ance companies, and the 

consumer. 

The purpose of the California 

Part ner ship is to 1) offer af ford able 

LTC insurance to moderate and 

middle income consumers; 2) by 

example and consumer education 

improve the quality of long- 

term care insurance; 3) reduce 

the government ex pen di tures for 

long-term care expenses by providing 

an incentive for in di vid u als to 

pur chase policies. This is the Medi- 

Cal asset protection equal to the 

dollar value of insurance benefi ts 

re ceived. 

All long-term care policies marketed 

in California must meet certain 

consumer standards established 

by state law. The California Partner 

ship policies have additional 

standards that must be met to 

be marketed under the partnership 

plan. All Partnership policies 

must use the same set of criteria to 

determine eligibility for benefi ts. 

There is a min i mum daily benefi t 

guar an teed to provide mean ing ful 

coverage. Au to mat ic infl ation protection 

is man da to ry. In de pen dent 

care management agen cies must 

provide assessment and care plans 

for consumer. There are limitations 

on future rate increases, 

and an option that allows you to 

“step down” your coverage if your 

fi nancial sit u a tion changes making 

it im pos si ble to pay the current 

premium. You may designate 

another person to be notifi ed if 

you fail to pay premiums within 

30 days of the due date. One dollar 

of your assets will be protected for 

every dollar a Part ner ship policy 

pays out in benefi ts in the event 

that you will later need to apply for 

Medi-Cal benefi ts to continue paying 

for your long-term care. 

You must be a California resident 

when you purchase a Partnership 

approved LTCI policy, but 

you may use the benefi ts outside 

of Cal i for nia. When and if you 

would need to apply for Med ic aid 

(Medi-Cal in California) and take 

advantage of the asset protection, 

you would need to be a California 

resident to protect your assets under 

this contract. 

Insurers are required to document 

the long-term care benefi ts that 

have been paid on your behalf and 

to verify the amount of assets that 

have been protected. A report is 

sent quarterly to the policyholder 

showing what benefi ts apply to the 

asset pro tec tion. 

When there is a couple and one 

spouse must go into a nursing 

home and the other spouse remains 

in the community, the commu 

ni ty spouse may retain a certain 

amount of assets ($95,100 in 2005) 

and a certain amount of monthly 

income ($2,378 in 2005) without 

affecting the eligibility for Medi- 

Cal of the nursing home spouse. 

When the nursing home spouse 

has a Part ner ship LTCI policy, 

he/she may main tain ad di tion al 

protected assets equal to the qualifi 

ed benefi ts that have been paid 

by the Part ner ship policy. This is 

in ad di tion to the assets allowed to 

the com mu ni ty spouse. 

Policies may be purchased to cover 

only the amount of assets that 

need to be protected. The minimum 

coverage would cover assets 

to equal the cost of one year in a 

nursing home, $65,000 in 2005. 

Cov er age may be for 1,2,3,4,5 years 

or lifetime. 

Two types of policies are offered 

by the Partnership. Nursing Home 

and Assisted Living will cover care 


in a nursing home or a residential 

care facility. The second type 

of policy is the Comprehensive 

plan which covers nursing home, 

residential care facility, and home 

care benefi ts in the pol i cy hold er’s 

home. 

Evaluating and planning for your 

long term care needs is very complex 

and is something that each individual 

should take enough time 

to un der stand the many options 

that are available. The California 

Partnership for long term care 

insurance is only one option that a 

person may wish to consider. 

If you cannot afford to pay for 

long-term care insurance, or if 

the person who needs insurance 

already has a diagnosis which will 

lead to a denial of the ap pli ca tion, 

consult with an attorney experienced 

in Medi-Cal long-term care 

planning. 

If you have further questions about 

assessing your needs for long term 

care insurance and other methods 

of plan ning for these needs, you 

may contact the Health Insurance 

Coun sel ing and Advocacy 

Program (HICAP) to meet with a 

HICAP counselor to discuss your 

individual ques tions. This is a free 

service and counseling is done by 

trained, reg is tered HICAP volunteer 

counselors. Call 800-434-0222 

for an ap point ment. 

Credit Counseling 

Consumer Credit Counseling 

Services 

5276 Hollister Avenue 


800-540-2227 


Service is a non profit agency that 

counsels and educates consumers 

about debt, credit, budgeting, 

and housing matters including 

reverse mortgages. Main tains 

con fi den ti al i ty of clients and 

counseling sessions are free. Three 

counseling sites in Santa Barbara

County. Spanish speaking services 

are available. To arrange for a 

coun sel ing session, call 800-540- 

2227. 


609 E. Haley 


965-7045 

Fax 963-2978 


118 N. G St. #B 


736-6226 

Fax 736-7499 

cclompoc@hotmail.com 

607 W. Main St. 


922-2059 

Fax 925-1979 

smcc@pronet.net 

941 Walnut 


684-8621 

Fax 684-9771 

Catholic Charities provides non de - 

nom i na tion al family and individual 

counseling and assists individuals 

with debt ob li ga tions. Loans and 

grants are available to qualified 

individuals. Applicants must apply 

in person. Also provides Money 

Man age ment workshops including 

topics such as: Developing Money 

Goals, Developing a Spending Plan 

that Works, and Personal Investing- 

The Basics. 

Money Man age ment/Bill 

Pay ing Ser vice 

Some older people need help with 

bill paying, particularly medical 

bills and insurance claims. Senior 

Connection has a list of individuals 

and businesses which can provide 

basic book keep ing and bill paying 

services for those persons who are 

having diffi culty continuing to do 

so for themselves. HICAP can provide 

a listing of services that provide 

medical claims assistance. 

While there are no right or wrong 

answers, the following questions 

may help to determine what 

services/qualities are important to 

you re gard ing medical bill management. 

Operations 

1. How long has the company 

been in business? 

2. What is the back ground/ 

ex pe ri ence of the claim handler? 

What types of insurance 

are they familiar with handling? 

3. Is the company willing to 

provide references? Be sure to 

check them. 

4. Does the company charge a fl at 

rate, an hourly fee, or a percent 

age of what is being fi led? 

Is there an initial, onetime 

setup charge or an annual fee? 

What are the charges to fi le 

past claims? 

5. Does the company guarantee 

con fi den ti al i ty? 

6. Does the company have a complaint 

process? 

Services 

7. Do you want access to a tollfree 

800 number? 

8. Is it important that the compa 

ny provide strong tele phone 

support and assistance, i.e. 

take the time over the telephone 

to answer questions? 

9. Do you need the company to 

do more than just fi le claims, 

i.e. to analyze coverage and 

make sug ges tions or improvements, 

if necessary, or to go as 

far as paying medical bills from 

a client’s ac count? 

10. Are home visits a necessary/ 

important service com po nent? 

Claims Processing & 

Reporting 

11. On average, how much time 

lapses from when the company 

receives the claim to when the 


claim is processed and sent to 

the insurance com pa ny? 

12. Will the company follow-up on 

a claims appeal at no charge? 

13. Does the client receive the reim 

burse ment check directly or 

does the company fi rst receive 

it from the insurance compa 

ny? 



14. Does the company provide 

regular reporting to clients on 

claims activity, e.g. monthly 

or quar ter ly? Does it supply 

year-end sum ma ries for tax 

purposes? 

15. Are the company’s activity 

reports clean and com pre - 

hen si ble to you? Ask for a 

sample. 

16. Will the company keep on fi le 

all of the paper doc u men ta tion 

that it receives? 

17. Ask the company detailed 

ques tions about their fees and 

make sure you understand 

when, for what and how much 

you will be billed. 

Guide to Financial 

Planning As sis tance 

Why Do I Need a Financial 

Planner? 

The reasons people seek out a 

fi nan cial planner are many. Questions 

vary: Have I adequately 

planned for my elder years? Am 

I purchasing the right type and 

amount of life, dis abil i ty, longterm-care 

and Medi care sup ple - 

men tal insurance? Are my life 

insurance benefi ciary des ig na tions 

correct and ad van ta geous? Are my 

in vest ments right for me? Am I 

comfortable with the investment 

decisions I’ve been making? Or am 

I afraid to make any investment decisions? 

Are my investment and tax 

planning programs coordinated? 

Could I earn a higher rate of return 

without taking more risk? If I were 

to become disabled or incompetent, 

is there anyone who knows 

enough about my fi nan cial affairs 

to properly advise my family? Do 

I know what my family’s fi nancial 

obligations and resources will be as 

a result of my death or disability? 

Are my estate planning documents 

in order and consistent with my 

wishes? 

What Does a Financial 

Plan ner Do? 

Through a distinctive six-step process, 

the professional helps you to: 

1. Clarify your present situation 

through collecting and assessing 

all relevant fi nancial data 

such as all assets, liabilities, 

insurance cov er age, wills, etc. 

2. Identify both personal and 

fi nan cial goals and objectives. 

3. Identify fi nancial problems 

which create obstacles to you 

reaching your goals and ob jec - 

tives. 

4. Provide a written plan and 

course of action. 

5. Implement or coordinate the 

im ple men ta tion of the strategy 

you decide is best to reach your 

goals. The pro fes sion al may coordinate 

the im ple men ta tion 

of your plan with other pro fes - 

sion al advisors. 

6. Periodically review your plan 

to assure you that it is making 

progress toward the attainment 

of your goals. 

How Do I Select a Pro fes sion al 

Financial Planner? 

You want to select someone you 

can work with comfortably. It 

is your right and responsibility 

to fully investigate the person’s 

background, methods of practice, 

cre den tials, etc. The fol low ing 

questions should help you obtain 

information to help you make an 

informed decision: 

1. What relevant education and/ 

or credentials does the professional 

have in the fi nancial 

planning fi eld? 

2. How long has the pro fes sion al 

been working in the fi eld you 

need as sis tance in? 

3. What did the professional do 

before becoming a fi nancial 

planner? 

4. Ask for references. 


5. What are the professional’s 

areas of expertise? 

6. Verify that the professional has 

good working relationships 

with ac coun tants, attorneys, 

and others who may be needed 

to implement your plan. 

7. What type of clientele does the 

professional serve? 

8. How will the professional keep 

you informed of new fi nancial 

in for ma tion? 

9. How will the professional be 

com pen sat ed; on a fee basis, 

charging an hourly rate or 

through com mis sions generated 

through the sale of fi nancial 

products, or a combination? 

You must choose which method 

you are most com fort able 

with. 

10. Talk with friends, business asso 

ci ates, and others who are involved 

in the fi nancial ser vic es 

fi eld. They can give you insight 

into what to expect, or perhaps 

a referral. 

11. Has the planner ever had any 

regulatory action taken against 

him/her? 

12. Has any client ever fi led a claim 

or suit against the planner you 

are considering? 

13. Has the planner ever had a 

claim fi led against him/her 

involving employee relations? 

The leading national industry 

or ga ni za tion that can offer 

referrals is: 

Financial Planning Associates 

5775 Glenridge Dr. 

Atlanta, GA 30328 

800-322-4237 

Fax 404-845-3660 

www.fpanet.org

Taxes/Homeowner’s & 

Rent er’s Assistance 

Six programs provide income tax, 

property tax and rent as sis tance for 

senior citizens in California. 

Homeowner’s Property Tax 

Ex emp tion 

Available if you own and occupy 

your home in California as 

a principal dwelling as of 12:01 

a.m., March 1, (there are no age or 

income re quire ments). You will 

not be charged property tax on a 

portion of your home’s market 

value. To receive the full reduction 

you must fi le between March 1 

and April 15. An 80% reduction is 

available if you fi le between April 

16 and December 1. There is no 

need to refi le for this exemption 

(reduction) each year, provided you 

continue to own and occupy the 

same dwell ing for six continuous 

months. Information is available: 

Assessors Offi ce 

105 E. Anapamu, Rm. 204 


568-2550 

401 E. Cypress Street 


737-7899 

511 E. Lakeside Parkway 


346-8310 

Renter’s Credit 

A tax credit or refund that is available 

for California tenants. If you 

were a renter and a res i dent of California 

for the entire year, you are 

probably eligible. Claim is make 

by fi lling out the state income tax 

form provided for that purpose 

within the tax booklet mailed out 

by the State each year. You may fi le 

for renter’s credit even if you do 

not fi le a state income tax form. 

Deadline for fi ling each year is 

April 15th, although one may fi le 

for renter’s credit as far back as 

four years. If you have missed the 

fi ling period, call for a late fi ling 

form at the number below. 

Franchise Tax Board 

4820 McGrath 

Ventura, CA 

800-852-5711 (until 10 p.m.) 

800-822-6268 TDD for hearing 

impaired 

Renter’s Assistance 

Available if you are 62 or older, 

blind or disabled, have occupied a 

rented residence sometime between 

January 1 and December 31, and 

have a yearly household income of 

not more than $39,699. Application 

is made July 1 - October 17. Forms 

are available through the State 

Franchise Tax Board (see above) or 

your VITA volunteer (see below). 

Homeowner’s Assistance 

A refund of a portion of your property 

tax (on a graduated basis) if 

you are a ho me own er 62 or older, 

blind or disabled with household 

income of not more than $39,699 

a year. Ap pli ca tion is made July 1 

- October 17. Forms are available 

through the State Franchise Tax 

Board or your VITA volunteer. You 

may fi le for both Homeowners’ Assistance 

and Senior Citizens Property 

Tax Post pone ment as they are 

two separate programs. 

Senior Citizens Property Tax 

Post pone ment 

Enables qualifi ed homeowners to 

postpone payment of part or all of 

the property taxes on their home. 

Re cord ed homeowners must by 

62 or older, blind or disabled, 

must have owned and occupied 

the property as a prin ci pal place of 

residence on De cem ber 31 of the 

preceding year; household income 

must not exceed $24,000. 

Filing period is May 15 through 

De cem ber 10. You may fi le for 

both ho me own er assistance and 

post pone ment (these are separate 

pro grams). Claim must be postmarked 

no later than De cem ber 10 

to avoid de lin quen cy penalty. 


When you postpone your taxes, 

an account will be established at 

the State Controller’s offi ce in 

your name. Because the State of 

California pays the taxes for you, a 

security doc u ment, in the form of 

a Property Tax Post pone ment Lien 

will be recorded on your home. A 

simple interest rate will be charged 

each year on the post poned 

amount. The lien and interest are 

Enjoy PEACE OF MIND 

Bring Order To Chaos 

In A Compassionate 

Manner 

Roberta R. Weissglass 

PERSONAL & FINANCIAL 

SERVICES 

We Provide: 

• Client Advocacy 

• Bill Paying 

• Record Keeping 

• Organizing Files 

• Monitoring Financial Affairs 

• Assistance With Paperwork 

• Liaison With Family 

• Pickup and Delivery 

Get Relief You Can Trust: 

Roberta Weissglass Personal & 

Financial Services will give you the 

Peace of Mind that comes from knowing 

that every detail of your personal and 

financial life is receiving attention 

carefully and confidentially. 

For The Support You Need, Call: 

805-964-2327 

All services are tailored to your needs. 



not due until you move out, sell 

or die and do not have a spouse 

or other qualifi ed individual who 

continues to reside in the home, 

or allow future property taxes to 

become delinquent. You may pay 

all or part of the lien at any time. 

Par tic i pa tion in the pro gram is voluntary. 

You must fi le for each year 

you want postponement. 

State Controller 

P.O. Box 942850 


800-952-5661 

Other Tax Assistance 

Volunteer Income Tax 

As sis tance ( VITA) 

Available at locations throughout 

Santa Barbara County. Vol un - 

teers are trained by IRS and the 

Franchise Tax Board to assist in 

the preparation of your state and 

federal income tax, renters credit, 

homeowner’s assistance and renter’s 

assistance forms and to answer 

ques tions regarding the various 

tax programs. An ap point ment is 

usually necessary. For in for ma tion 

on the nearest site, call Senior Connection 

at 800-510-2020. 

Tax Counseling for the Elderly 

( TCE) 

Specially trained volunteers are 

available in local communities 

during tax time to help taxpayers 

60+ complete their own federal tax 

forms. 

This free program is sponsored by 

the Internal Revenue Service. 

AARP Tax Aide Program 

888- AARP-NOW 

(888-227-7669) 

For information about counseling 

sites provided by this program. 

Call Senior Connection for the 

site and time most convenient 

for you. Services for in di vid u als 

who are unable to leave their 

homes are also available. For any 

questions regarding California 

Personal Income Tax, Bank and 

Cor po ra tion Tax or deductions 

for Senior Citizens, Disabled or 

Blind, Call: 

Franchise Tax Board 

800-852-5711 

800-822-6268 (TDD) 

www.ftb.ca.gov 

For questions regarding Federal 

Tax Forms, tax information, or 

problem resolution, call: 

Internal Revenue Service 

800-829-1040 

www.irs.gov 

Tax forms, tax in for ma tion and 

problem resolution. For questions 

regarding your property taxes, 

contact the County Assessor’s 

Office listed under Homeowners 

PROP ER TY TAX EXEMPTION in 

this section. 

Special Income Tax Credit for 

the Elderly or Dis abled 

This tax credit is available to U.S. 

citizens only who are at least 65 at 

the end of the taxable year OR who 

are under 65 at the end of the taxable 

year and retired on permanent 

and total disability, (you cannot 

have reached retirement age— as 

es tab lished by your employer), 

and you must have received taxable 

disability benefi ts. Schedule 

“R” (Forms 1040), “Credit for the 

Elderly or the Disabled,” must be 

fi led with your income tax return. 

All eligibility requirements and a 

full explanation of the credit is described 

on Schedule “R”. To obtain 

Schedule “R”, call 1 800-829-3676. 


SMOKING: 

It’s Never Too Late To Stop 

“I’ve smoked two packs of 

cigarettes a day for 40 years - 

what’s the use of quit ting now? 

At any age there are many 

reasons to stop smoking. 

Some of the benefi ts for 

older peo ple include: 

• Reduced risk of cancer and 

lung dis ease. 

• Healthier heart and lungs. 

• Improved blood 

circulation 

• Better health for 

nonsmoking family 

members, particularly 

children 

Smoking doesn’t just cut a 

few years off the end of each 

smoker’s life - it prematurely 

kills thousands of people and 

seriously dis ables millions of 

others. 

There are many ways to stop 

smoking. No single method 

works for ev ery one, so each 

person must try to fi nd what 

works best. Many people 

stop on their own, and others 

need help from doctors, 

clin ics or or ga nized groups. 

Some studies have found that 

older people who take part in 

programs to stoop smoking 

have higher success rates than 

younger ones do. 

Source: NIA Age Page

Good nutrition enhances a 

person’s health and well 

being. A good diet can also 

prevent somechronic diseases and 

minimize the impact of others. 

Meals 

Hot lunches are provided to seniors 

60 and over at the Nu tri tion 

Sites listed below. Res er va tions 

for lunch at the site are required 

24 hours in advance. Home delivery 

can be arranged for the frail 

and home-bound. A donation is 

requested for the meals. Transportation 

may be available - call the 

Senior Center or the Senior Program 

offi ce. 

Nutrition Sites 

Goleta Senior Center 

5679 Hollister Ave. 


Presidio Springs 

721 Laguna 


Franklin Senior Center 



Westside Senior Center 

423 W. Victoria Street 


For reservations for the above 

four sites call 692-4979. 

Carpinteria Senior Center 

941 Walnut Street 


684-6090 

Lompoc Senior Nutrition 

Center 

1501 E. Ocean Ave. 


737-9366 

Santa Ynez Valley Senior Center 



688-3793 

Santa Maria Senior Center 

510 E. Park Street 


343-1889 Reservations 

Santa Maria Northside 

1000 N. Railroad Ave. 


349-0368 

Guadalupe Senior Nutrition 

Program 

4545 10th Street 


343- 1889 

Luis OASIS Senior Center 

420 Soares 

Orcutt, CA 93455 

934-4087 

The following organization also 

serves lunches as described. 

Cliff Drive Senior Luncheon 

1418 Santa Fe Place 


965-4286 

A lunch is served at noon the first 

and third Thursday on a donation 

basis. Open to all. Not open 

during August. Program begins at 

11 a.m. 

Buellton Senior Center 



688-4571 

Offers a hot nutritious lunch 

meal. 

Home-Delivered Meals 

Meals-on-Wheels 

200 W. Cook St. 


928-9707 

Delivers meals to any homebound 

persons. Service is lim it ed 

to five days a week — no service 

on Sundays or Thurs days. Cost 

is $2.60 per meal, sliding scale is 

offered. Can provide medical diet 

needs. 


Po Box 531 


736-3257 

FOOD & NUTRITION 

Delivers refrigerated meals to 

any homebound person Monday 

thru Friday. Special diets are hot 

meals. Request donation is $3.25 

for regular diets and $2.95 for 

special diets. Reduced rates for 

needy clients are available. 


218 Valhalla Dr. 


688-2692 

Delivers noon meal Monday thru 

Friday to any homebound person. 

$3.00 per meal is requested. 

Some financial assistance is available. 


P.O. Box 6099 

Santa Barbara, CA 93160-6099 

683-1565 

A hot noon meal is delivered to 

homebound seniors seven days a 

week including holidays. A meal 

fee is charged. Call for more 

in for ma tion between 9 a.m. and 

Noon. 

CAC “Mobile Meals” 

5681 Hollister 


692-4979 


homebound persons aged 60 

years of age or older five days 

a week. Frozen meals provided 

for week ends. Meals delivered in 

Carpinteria, Santa Barbara and 

Goleta. Suggested donation of 

$2.25. 

Santa Maria Valley Senior 

Nu tri tion Program 


homebound seniors fi ve days a 

week in Orcutt, Guadalupe and 

Santa Maria. Suggested donation 

is $2.25. Call 343-1889. 

Supplementary Food 

The following agencies supply food 

to persons in need. Each program 

has its own eligibility criteria so it 

is ad vis able to call for information. 


FOOD & NUTRITION 

Food Bank Sites 

Food Bank of Santa Barbara 

County 

218 E. Jones Street 


928-3460 

Fax 928-5592 

4554 Hollister Avenue 


967-5741 

Food Bank provides food for 

those in need by obtaining 

surplus food for distribution 

through its family of member 

agencies. No food provided for 

individuals at Food Bank offices. 

Call Food Bank or Senior 

Con nec tion for a referral to site 

nearest you. 

Santa Ynez Valley People 

Help ing People 

545 Alisal Rd. 


686-0295 

USDA surplus and other food 

dis trib ut ed to low-income Santa 

Ynez Valley residents every other 

Thursday. 

Brown Bag Program 

4554 Hollister 


967-7863 x106 

218 E. Jones Street 


928-3460 

Fax 928-3460 

Distributes groceries to seniors 

60 and over twice monthly at 

six different sites in Carpinteria, 

Santa Barbara, and Goleta, and 

several sites in North County. 

Pro gram is free. 


609 E. Haley 


965-7045 

Fax 963-2978 

903 Chestnut St. 


737-4140 

Fax 736-7499 

cclompoc@ccsbca.org 

607 W. Main Street 


922-2059 

Fax 925-1979 

ccsm@ccbsca.org 



661-766-2550 

4682 11th Street 


343-1194 



684-8621 

All above are Food Bank dis tri - 

bu tion sites and offer pantry 

items as avail able in emer gen cy 

situations. 

Lompoc Valley Community 

Kitchen 

Sponsored by Catholic Charities 

Includes food distribution. For 

information call 736-6226. 

Additional Resources 

Grocery Resources 

Senior Connection maintains a list 

of stores in your area that deliver, 

and of errand services that do your 

shop ping for you. Homemaker 

Pro grams can some times assist 

with shopping. In addition: 


Market Van 

35 W. Victoria 


965-1531 

The van will pick you up at your 

home every Friday. Must be 60+ 

and have impairments that make 

it difficult to shop alone, and of 

low income. Donations is $10. 

a month. Reservations are first 

come/first serve. Non smoking. 

Need to call ahead to learn which 

areas are served. 

Hospital Meal Discounts 

Cottage Hospital 



682-7111 

Seniors are offered a 20% discount 

from 8:30 a.m. to 7:15 

p.m. in the hospital’s cafeteria. 

Marian Medical Center 

1400 East Church St. 


739-3518 

Offers a 25% discount on meals 

in cafeteria. 

Lompoc Hospital District 

508 East Hickory Avenue 


737-3300 

The Senior Privilege Card offers 

seniors 55 and over a nutritious 

meal for $3.50 and 10% 

dis count. Without card seniors 

receive a 10% discount.

Frailty can result from any 

physical 

and/or mental condition that 

leaves an older person unable to 

perform certain daily tasks and/or 

care for him or herself un as sist ed. 

Physical Frailty may result from a 

stroke, a fall or a degeneration or 

chronic illness (such as arthritis or 

emphysema) or from a loss of hearing, 

vision, or speech. 

Mental conditions that can be 

de bil i tat ing to an older person are 

often the result of “brain” diseases 

that result in a progressive loss of 

mental faculties, often beginning 

with memory, leaning, attention, 

and judgment.” 1 and fi nally 

“eroding thought, feeling and 

be hav ior” 2 . Alzheimer’s Disease is 

the leading cause of brain damage 

in the adult population. In addition, 

stroke, trau mat ic head injury, 

hy dro ceph alus, and brain tumors 

are examples of accidents and illness 

that cause brain damage and a 

resultant loss of brain function. 

Aging does not necessarily mean 

losing brain function. Many people 

still believe that senility is part of 

the natural aging process. This 

myth is slowly dissipating as increased 

education and technology 

improve our knowledge of de gen - 

er a tive disease and catastrophic 

illness and accidents. 

1 The Dementia’s – Hope Through 

Research, U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, National 

Institutes of Health 

2 Ibid. 

Assessing the Problem 

Assessing the physical, psychological, 

social, and environmental 

needs of the frail elderly person 

and brain-im paired adults is imperative 

if the individual wants to 

continue to live independently at 

home, be taken care of by family or 

friends, or be placed outside of the 

home in an ap pro pri ate residential 

or skilled nursing facility. Trained 

THE FRAIL ELDERLY & BRAIN-IMPAIRED ADULT 

nurses and social workers, experienced 

in working with frail elderly 

persons and brain-impaired adults 

can help plan the kind of as sis - 

tance a person will need to support 

their highest possible level of independence. 

Many programs serving 

Santa Barbara County provide 

professional as sess ments. 

Financial Issues 

The cost of caring for a frail or 

brain-impaired adult may cause a 

family to become im pov er ished. 

Many options exist today to preserve 

assets that the healthy spouse 

or family members needs to live, 

while at the same time planning 

for the long term care of the frail 

or brain-impaired adult. 

For more information, call any of 

the following agencies: 


2024 de la Vina St. 


563-0020 

Fax 682-1811 

www.centralcoastalz.org 

Coast Caregiver Re source 

Center 

5350 Hollister Ave #C 


800-443-1236; 967-0220 

Fax 967-5060 

info@coastcrc.org 

www.coastcrc.org 

Long-Term Care Om buds man 

5638 Hollister Ave.Ste.130 


967-0499 

Fax 967-0639 

www.ombudsmansb.org 

HICAP (Health In sur ance 

Counseling and Advocacy 

Program) 



800-434-0222; 928-5663 

Fax 925-9555 

seniors@kcbx.net 


Legal and Financial 

Is sues 

The legal issues involved in planning 

the care for a frail older person 

or brain-impaired adult should 

also be con sid ered. You may want 

to secure in for ma tion from an 

elder law specialist. To locate such 

a specialist, check the Yellow Pages 

of the tele phone book, and the 

resources listed below: 

California Advocates for 

Nursing Home Reform 

800-474-1116; 415-974-5171 

Fax 415-777-2904 

www.canhr.org 

Santa Barbara County Bar 

Association 

569-5511 

Coast Caregiver Resource 

Center 

967-0220; 800-443-1236 

Community Resources 

Adult Day Care 

An important community resource, 

not only for frail elderly 

and brain-impaired persons, but 

also for their families is Adult Day 

Care. There are two kinds of Adult 

Day Care: 

• Adult Day Support Center programs 

provide several hours a 

day for social stimulation, recreation, 

and su per vi sion for individuals 

who cannot be safely 

left alone. These programs also 

provide much needed respite 

for the caregivers and/or family 

members. 

• Adult Day Health Care is 

a more specialized kind of 

program than social day care 

and includes some nursing 

care, and physical therapies, as 

well as social and recreational 

activities. Individuals need a 

phy si cian’s pre scrip tion to partic 

i pate in an Adult Day Health 

Care pro gram. 



In-Home Care 

Many community services exist to 

provide support to a frail person 

who wants to live at home. These 

services range from intermittent 

kinds of services like spe cial ized 

trans por ta tion or house maintenance 

programs to more regular 

and routine services like a weekly 

homemaker or daily home delivered 

meal to the most intense 

kinds of support such as home 

nursing or live-in attendant care. 

The following is a list of services 

which may be useful in helping 

you identify what kinds of in-home 

assistance exists: 

• Money management/bill paying 

• Emergency response systems 

• Friendly visitors 

• home delivered meals 

• housing repair, maintenance, 

mod i fi ca tion 

• personal-care service/ 

attendants 

• adaptive aids and medical 

equip ment, loans or assisting 

devices 

• home and nursing care 

• telephone reassurance 

• transportation services 

Out-of-Home Care 

If a person is not able to be maintained 

safely and comfortably at 

home, out-of-home care may be 

the only alternative. Long Term 

Care Ombudsman Services maintain 

a current list of in-county 

facilities and assist families in 

selecting the most important level 

of care for a loved one. CA Advocates 

for Nursing Home Reform 

will also provide in for ma tion and 

referral for in and out of county 

place ments. 

The Long Term Care Ombudsman 

program also makes referrals outof-county 

when a particular service 

is not available within Santa Barbara 

County . 

Respite Care 

Respite is time away from care 

giving duties and responsibilities. 

Respite care is provided to a frail 

elderly person or brain-impaired 

adult by someone other than the 

primary caregiver. A caregiver may 

want or need to fi nd someone with 

expertise in physical care or behavior 

man age ment, or may want to 

arrange for a substitute caregiver 

to come in while the primary caregiver 

spends time with family or 

friends. Time for respite is necessary 

for all caregivers. 



Support groups are an extremely 

im por tant part of the continuum 

of services that exist to maintain 

a frail or brain-impaired adult at 

home. Some support groups are 

designed to assist the families, 

friends, and/or caregivers of the 

person who is ill. Groups vary in 

the type of support offered. Some 

may provide ed u ca tion about a 

particular illness while others 

provide emotional support and 

sharing among group mem bers. 

Diagnosing/Treating 

the Problem 

Not all physicians have experience 

treating the frail elderly or brainimpaired. 

These individuals have 

very special needs and it is worth 

taking the time to fi nd the best 

expertise available. If a diagnosis 

has been made, you may wish to 

contact the ap pli ca ble disease specifi 

c or ga ni za tion for information 

and as sis tance. 

Alzheimer’s Disease 

Di ag nos tic and Treatment Centers 

of California 

If you or your loved ones are di ag - 

nosed with Alzheimer’s Dis ease, 

these centers are dedicated to 

improving the quality of life for all 

persons and their families affected 

by the disease. 

The Centers in Central and Southern 

California are presented below. 

Please call for more information. 

Fresno 

University of California, San Francisco 

Fres no Alzheimer’s Disease 

Research Center 

559-227-4810 

www.fresno.ucsf.edu/alz 

Irvine 

University of California, Irvine 

949-824-2382 

www.alz.uci.edu

Los Angeles 

University of Southern California, 

Los Angeles 

213-740-7777 

www.usc.edu/dept/gero 

Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley 

University of California 

at Los Angeles (UCLA) 

General Information 

310-825-8908 

UCLA appointments 

800-825-2631 

www.adc.ucla.cd 

San Diego 

University of California, San Diego 

858-622-5800 

adrc@ucsd.edu 

http://adrc.ucsd.edu 

The Choice to Care 

at Home 

With the signifi cant cost of longterm 

care, the decision to provide 

home care for a person with 

dementia may be the only choice. 

Often people choose to remain 

at home. Home care is possible if 

the caregiver has the practical and 

emotional capacity to safely care 

for a loved one. Suffi cient fi nancial 

resources are always a con sid er - 

ation in choosing home care. 

According the U.S. Department 

of Health and Human Services 

Sec re tary’s Task Force on Alzheimer’s 

Disease, most people with 

dementia are cared for by their 

families for the majority of their 

illness. However, before deciding 

on a care plan, you might consider 

the following: 

• Will you have to give up a job 

or reduce your work hours to 

care for the patient at home? 

• How much will it cost to use a 

day care program, paid compan 

ion, visiting nurse, or other 

outside help? 

• Will insurance cover medical 

expenses, nurse’s aides, or paid 

companion? 


• How do home care costs compare 

with nursing home costs? 

• Are you eligible for fi nancial 

as sis tance if you choose longterm 

care place ment? 

If home care is your choice here are 

some ad di tion al considerations: 

• Persons with dementia may develop 

the habit of wandering. 

Can you arrange your home for 

their safety and your piece of 

mind? 

• If your loved one requires 

as sis tance with activities of 

daily living, are you physically 

capable of assisting with their 

care? 

• If live-in assistance is re quired, 

do you have enough space for 

an additional person? 

• Have you established a network 

of support to assist you 

at times of special needs? 

Whatever your decision, be aware 

that as the disease progresses, 

needs may change, and you may 

have to re eval u ate the choice you 

have made. Do not be afraid to ask 

for help. 

For a comprehensive review of 

the com mu ni ty and information 

re sourc es call Senior Connection, a 

specialized senior information and 

assistance program by the Area 

Agency on Aging. Call 928-2552 or 

800-510-2020. 

For Alzheimer’s 

or Dementia Care 

in Santa Barbara… 

We provide our residents: 

“Home-like” Setting 

Secure Grounds 

24-Hour Awake Staff 

Lush Courtyard 

Private/Semi-Private Rooms 

Activities Program 

Healthy Meals 

Limited Pet Residency 

Beauty/Barber Shop 

Affordable Comfort 

Respite Care 

www.VillaAlamar.com 

Call us for a free consultation 

(805) 682-9345 

“You provide a true home full of ‘family’ 

who care…Thank you.” 

45 East Alamar 

Santa Barbara CA 93105 

Lic. #425800931 


HEALTH SERVICES 

Adaptive Aids and 

Equipment, Pur chase 

and Loan 

Adaptive Equipment 

Independent Living Resource 

Center ( ILRC) 

423 W. Victoria St. 


963-0595 (V/TDD) 

Fax 963-1350 

327 E. Plaza Dr. #3A 


925-0015 (V/TDD) 

Fax 349-2416 

www.ilrc-trico.org 

ILRC provides information and 

referral assistance to obtain assistive 

services for persons with disabilities. 

ABLEDATA 

8630 Frenton St.,Ste. 930 

Silver Spring, MD 20910 

800-227-0216 

Fax (301) 608-8958 

www.abledata.com 

abledata@orcmacro.com 

ABLEDATA offers assistive technology 

information, resource 

information on rehabilitative aids 

and equipment for the hand i - 

capped person. 

Of The Central Coast 

Braille Institute of America 

2031 De la Vina 


682-6222 

Fax 687-6141 

www.brailleinstitute.org 

For appointments in Santa Maria, 

Telephone 462-1225 

Provides free visual con sul ta tions. 

Con sul ta tions for magnification 

and special lighting as well as low 

vision aids at cost (e.g. canes, 

watches, clocks, cookware and 

learning materials). Talking book 

library. Independent living skills 

in struc tions. Wide variety of classes 

with emphasis on life enrichment 

La Vista Foundation 

P.O. Box 22412 


963-8939 

A charitable trust for the blind and 

physically handicapped, La Vista 

can pay for rehabilitative equipment 

and supplies that no other 

agency or funding source can 

supply. Requests for funds cannot 

be made by in di vid u als, but must 

come through an agency. 

California Telephone Access 

Program 

P.O. Box 30310 

Latest Technology 

Very Easy To Use 

Competitive Price 

Local Ownership 

National Backing 

“Push Button Emergency Help 

for the Elderly and Disabled 

Here in Santa Barbara County!” 

IMMEDIATE LOCAL SERVICE 

Call Mark & Danielle 929-6062 


Stockton, CA 95213 

800-806-1191 

TTY 800-806-4474 

www.ddtp.org 

Special telephones and telephone 

devices are available for deaf and 

deafened, vision, speech, cognitive, 

and motion-mobility impaired 

per sons. 

Loan of Medical Equip ment 

A number of agencies will loan 

equip ment, such as wheelchairs, 

hospital beds and specialized 

equip ment, to those who need it 

for a medical problem. Some of 

these agencies are listed below. 

American Cancer Society 



963-157 

800-227-2345 

Fax 963-6093 

426 E. Barcellus, Ste. 305 


922-2354 

Fax 925-1424 

604 E. Ocean #A 


736-2610 

Fax 736-9413 

800-227-2345 National Offi ce 

www.cancer.org 

The Cancer Society provides 

wigs, transportation, and breast 

pros the sis, equipent & classes. 

Multiple Sclerosis Society 

14 W. Valerio St. 


682-8783 

Fax 563-1489 

www.nationalmssociety.org 

The MS Society loans medical 

equip ment to persons with Multiple 

Sclerosis. Adaptive exercise 

classes, individual swimming, 

yoga and MS education. 

Muscular Dystrophy 

Association 

350 S. Hope Ave. #A 104 

Santa Barbara, CA 93105

563-0456 

Fax 563-0686 

www.mdausa.org 

This agency loans and assists in 

purchase of wheelchairs to persons 

diagnosed with one of the 

forty neuromuscular diseases. 

Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care 

Loan Closet 

222 E. Canon Perdido 


690-6235 

Fax 564-7672 

info@vnhcsb.org 

www.vnhcsb.org 

Maintains a loan closet available 

to all residents of Santa Barbara 

County. Loaned equipment 

includes wheel chairs, walkers, 

commodes and other medical 

equipment. 

Assistive Technology Center 

1150 Laurel Lane, Suite 184 

P.O. Box 4310 


549-7420 

The Central Coast Assistive Technol 

o gy Center offers pro fes sion al 

advise, assessment, and referral 

services to individuals with 

dis abil i ties, families, and service 

providers. The goal is to lead 

people to the most ap pro pri ate 

sources for technology, help 

them access funding to purchase 

equip ment, and follow-up to 

make sure they use assistive technology 

prop er ly and ef fec tive ly. 

Accessible Environments, Inc. 

6893 Belroi Rd/POB 2208 

Gloucester, VA 23061 

800-643-5906 

Fax 804-693-6254 

www.accessibleenvironments.com 

Specialize in the sales of handi 

cap accessible products and 

custom home and business construction 

for hand i cap access. 

Have an online catalog. 

Diabetes 

Diabetes Resource Center 



687-5586 

Fax 563-4629 

www.sbdrc.org 

Provides free community-based 

education and counseling to 

help at-risk individuals prevent or 

man age Type I & II diabetes. 

Hospice 

In Patient Hospice Service 

Serenity House 

920 Calle de Los Amigos, #1014 


569-2880 

A six bed in-patient hospice 

res i dence for people diagnosed 

with a prognosis of six months 

or less. Located at Valle Verde 

Re tire ment Community. 

For more information about 

hospice, see Home and Nursing 

Care Section. 

Hospitals & 

Emergency Services 


Hospital 

P.O. Box 689/Pueblo at Bath 


682-7111 

Fax 569-7227 

Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital 

351 S. Patterson Avenue 


967-3411 

Fax 681-6437 

Lompoc District Hospital 

508 E. Hickory Ave. 


737-3300 


1400 E. Church St. 


739-3000 

Santa Ynez Valley Cottage 

Hospital 

700 Alamo Pintado Rd. 



688-6431 

Fax 686-5561 

In-Home Services 

There are many kinds of in-home 

services, including skilled medical 

care, respite care (time off for 

caregivers), and personal attendant 

care. See HOME AND NURS ING 

CARE, for a complete description 

of services available. 

Clinics 


Health Care Services 

County Health Clinics 

www.sbcphd.org/clinics 

Clinical services are provided 

through six federally qualified 

health center clinics located 

throughout the County. Services 

are available to all members 

of the community. Medi-Cal, 

Medi care and private insurance 

are ac cept ed. Self-pay is based 

on a sliding scale., No services 

are denied due to inability to pay. 

Specialty clinics available. 

Santa Barbara 



681-5488 

Fax 681-5411 

Carpinteria 

931 Walnut Ave. 


560-1050 

Fax 560-1051 

Franklin Center 

1136 E. Montecito St. 


568-2099 

Fax 568-2039 

New Cuyama 



661-766-2558 

Fax 661-766-2371 

Lompoc 

301 North R St. 


737-6400 



Fax 737-6430 

Santa Maria 

2115 S. Centrepointe Pkwy. 


346-8410 

Fax 346-8499 

Santa Ynez Valley 

Contact Lompoc Clinic for in for - 

ma tion about services available 

in Santa Ynez. 

Low-Cost Clinics 

Santa Barbara Neighborhood 

Clinics is a private nonprofit 

corporation. Services funded by 

fee for service, grants and government 

programs. Operate three 

freestanding clinics. 

www.sbclinics.com 

Eastside Neighborhood Clinic 

915 N Milpas St. 


963-1641 

Fax 962-6616 

Isla Vista Neighborhood Clinic 

970 Embarcadero del Mar 

Isla Vista, CA 93117 

968-1511 Ext 102 

Fax 968-7041 

Westside Neighborhood Medical Clinic 

628 W. Micheltorena St. 

Santa Barbara, Ca 93101 

963-1546 

Fax 962-4771 

Marian Com mu ni ty Health Clinic 

4723 West Main, Suite H 


343-2004 

Fax 343-2267 

Marian Community Clinic, North west 

117 West Bunny 


739-3890 

Fax 347-7697 

Other Clinics 

Santa Ynez Tribal Health Clinic 

90 Via Juana Lane 

P.O. Box 539 


688-7070 

This clinic located in the Santa 

Ynez Reservation serves American 

Indians and others. 

V.A. Health Clinic 

1111E. Ocean Ave. #8 


736-7767 

Fax 736-8637 

American Indian Health & 

Services 

4141 State St., #B2 


681-7356 

Fax 681-7358 

Provides the following services to 

American Indians living in Santa 

Barbara: Alcohol/drug counseling; 

medical care; dental care; health 

risk screening; elder walks and 

socials; HIV testing; home visits by 

nursing staff; immunizations; medical 

trans por ta tion; diabetes screening; 

and benefits coun sel ing. 

Community Health Centers 

2081 Santa Maria Way #A 


938-9200 

Fax 938-9207 

4581 10th St. Ste C 


343-5577 

Fax 343-5578 

www.communityhealthcetners.org 

Physician Referral 

Santa Barbara Co. Medical 

Society 

5350 Hollister Ave., #A 4 


683-5333 

Fax 967-2871 

sbcms@sbmed.org 

The Medical Society will refer you 

to physicians of various specialties 

who are members of the Society. 

Contact HICAP at 800-434-0222 for 

information about Physician/Sup pli ers 

who accept Medicare Assignment. 

Rehabilitative/ 

Therapeutic Ser vic es 

Rehabilitation centers provide profes 

sion al restorative care designed to 

help people who have been dis abled 


due to illness, accident, or injury. 

Rehabilitation services fall into the 

following three categories: (1) in-patient 

hospital care; (2) out-patient care 

(the patient visits the facility for treatment 

but does not stay over night.); 

and (3) in-home services (treatment is 

given in the patient’s home). 

Medicare will pay for medical 

re ha bil i ta tion costs if the patient 

has the potential for rehabilitation, 

the ex pec ta tion for im prove ment 

is reasonable, and certain types of 

skilled care are required. Medi care 

Part A covers services for in-patient 

and home-bound persons; Part B 

covers 80% of out-patient costs. A 

physician’s referral is required. 

Medicare covers the full cost of 

in-home visits by rehabilitation 

ther a pists when the patient is 

homebound, has re ha bil i ta tion 

potential, and the agency making 

service available is a Medicare Certifi 

ed Home Health Agency. 

In Patient/Outpatient 

Services 

Rehabilitation Institute at 

Santa Barbara 



687-7444 

Fax 687-3707 

www.risb.org 

Keck Center for Outpatient 

Services 

569-8900 

The Tuohy Foundation Aquatic 

Center 

687-7444 Ext. 2552 

Provides medically directed compre 

hen sive rehabilitation services 

including: physical, occupational 

and speech therapy; rehabiltation 

nursing; psy cho log i cal 

counseling; social services; case 

management; neu rop sy chol o gy; 

and recreational therapy. Offers 

inpatient (ages 4 and older), 

outpatient (ages 14 and older) 

and community-based programs.

Physician prescription required 

for therapy services and inpatient 

hospitalizzation. 


Services 




963-6794 

Fax 568-5178 

Provides home health and re ha - 

bil i ta tive services, including nursing, 

physical, speech and occupational 

therapy, and per son al care. A 

com pre hen sive hospice program 

offers medical, social, emotional 

and spiritual support. Equipment is 

loaned to those who cannot afford 

to buy or rent. Medicare certified, 

state licensed and CHAP. 

Marian Hospital Home Care 

504 E. Plaza Dr. 


739-3830 

Marian Hospital Home Care pro vides 

professional nursing care at home. 

Provides a com plete range of services. 

Other Rehabilitative Servic 

es 

Project Re-Entry 

3903 Laguna Blanca Dr. 


682-3432 

(Meetings held at 1232 De la 

Vina St.) 

Project Re-Entry is a therapeutic resocialization 

program for stroke victims 

that provides trained vol un teers for 

individual in-home, upon physicians 

referral, or group therapy. 


Center 



963-0595 (V/TDD) 

327 East Plaza, Suite 3A 


925-0015 (V/TDD) 

ILRC provides a wide range 

of non-medical rehabilitative 

services to persons with disabilities 

which include peer/benefits 

counseling, independent living 

skills, training, personal assistant 

referral services, sign language 

in ter pret ing, ad vo ca cy, employment 

and housing services, and 

information and referral. 



509 E. Montecito St. #101 


560-8130 

560-8167 (TTY) 

Fax 560-8162 

Provides job preparation and job 

maintenance for disabled per sons. 

This service includes supplying 

assistance equipment as needed 

for daily living when prescribed by 

M.D. In-home independent living 

skills are also taught for blind 

persons and seniors with dis abling 

medical conditions such as arthritis 

or di a be tes. 

Support Groups - 

Chronic Conditions 

Some non-profi t groups, such as the 

Arthritis Foundation, sponsor on go ing 

special exercise classes and patient and 

caregiver groups to cope with that 

disease. See SUP PORT GROUPS. 


Blood Bank and Red Cross 

Tri-Counties Blood Bank 

902 Laguna St. 

P.O. Box 1148 


965-7037 

Fax 965-3113 



928-2546 

Fax 922-8751 

The Blood Bank collects blood, 

tests and processes it, and supplies 

it to hospitals. 

American Red Cross 



687-1331 

Fax 682-4655 

TDD 687-6737 

312 North H Street 


736-5110 

Fax 736-0832 

222 W. Carmen Lane #102 


928-0778 

Fax 928-0801 

While the American Red Cross in 

Santa Barbara County does not 

provide a blood bank service, it is 



a center of information on questions 

about blood (e.g., AIDS edu 

ca tion). Other areas of service 

include first aid and CPR classes, 

di sas ter relief and preparedness, 

services for Armed Forces, and 

tissue do na tion. 

Blood Pressure Screen ing 

Most senior centers, clinics, hos pi tals 

and some pharmacies in Santa Barbara 

County provide regularly scheduled 

blood pressure checks at low or 

no cost. Call facility for spe cifi cs. 

Cancer 

Breast Cancer 

Early De tec tion 

Medicare will provide a mammogram 

every year. The State 

sponsors a program (Breast Cancer 

Early De tec tion Pro gram) to 

encourage early detection of breast 

cancer. For in for ma tion about a 

free clinical breast exam and mammo 

gram telephone, 800-511-2300. 

Breast Cancer Resource Center 



569-9693 

Programs & support for individuals 

with breast cancer. 

Cancer Information Center 


Cancer Information Center 

210 S. Palisades Dr. #200 


739-3780 

Marian Medical Center has 

a Cancer Information Center 

for patients, their families and 

friends to obtain health care 

information and phy si cian referrals. 

It will provide information 

through the Internet, allowing 

visitors to access web sites for 

the American Cancer Society 

and National Cancer Institute. 

Also offers video, au dio tapes, 

and printed in for ma tion related 

to cancer care. Open Monday 

through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 


426 E. Barcellus #305 


922-2354 

Fax 925-1424 

Dental Services 

Medicare does not cover routine 

dental care such as x-rays, clean ing, 

fi lings, extractions, or dentures. 

The State dental assistance pro gram 

is limited to Medi-Cal re cip i ents. Call 

County Social Services for in for - 

ma tion on Medi-Cal el i gi bil i ty. 

Routine Dental Referral and 

Emer gen cy Care 

Santa Barbara - Ventura Dental 

Society 

1607 E. Thompson Ave. 


684-1220 

Central Coast Dental Society 

544-1113 (Santa Maria Area) 

These dental societies maintain 

lists of their member dentists. 

Routine referrals given during 

business hours. Emergency care 

referred weekends and evenings. 

Senior dentist program provides 

reducesd(10-15%) dental fees for 

senior citizens who are at least 65 

years old, have no dental insurance, 

are not on Medi-Cal, and 

have a household income under 

$16,000. 

Denti-Cal Dental Care Dentist 

Referral and services for those 

eligible for Medi-Cal 

917 W. Ocean Ave. 

800-322-6384 

Tuesday & Wednesday 9-3 

Mobile Dental Unit 

929-3254 

A partnership of Community 

Health Centers and Lompoc Valley 

Com mu ni ty Healthcare Organization 

es tab lished a dental care center 

for un in sured and low income 

residents of Lompoc in July 2003. 

Accepts Medi-Cal and uses a sliding 

fee scale based on income. 


Flu Shots and Vac ci na tions 

Flu shots and vaccinations are generally 

available during the October – November 

period. Call Senior Connection at 

800-510-2020 for information about 

available clinics for fl u shots. 

Health Assessment & 

Health Pro mo tion 

Some hospitals offer Senior programs 

that include health screening 

and educational programs. 

Also check with the local senior 

center. 

Preventative Health Care for 

the Aging 

Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria 

345 Camino Del Remedio 


681-5266 

Fax 681-5331 

Lompoc 

737-7775 x5266 

Buellton, Santa Ynez 

686-5011 x5266 

Guadalupe, Santa Maria 

934-6295 x5266 

Assists “well” older adults by provid 

ing a comprehensive Health Assess 

ment and Individual Coun sel ing 

session to discuss health concerns 

and assist in setting and achieving 

personal health goals. Referrals 

are made to their phy si cians and 

ap pro pri ate community resources. 

Health Ed u ca tion is provided on 

im mu ni za tion and other topics 

im por tant to senior health. Public 

health nurses provide services. 

Geriatric Assessment Program 

( GAP) 

300 N. San Antonio Rd. 


681-5266 

Fax 681-5331 

2125 S. Centerpointe Parkway 


346-8391 

Fax 346-8386 

GAP provides a comprehensive 

in-home assessment and will assist 

in providing whatever is needed for

intervention, referral, and shortterm 

case man age ment. 

Cottage Hospital. Community 

Outreach/Parish Nursing 

P.O. Box 689 


879-8828 

Fax 879-8827 

Provides health education and 

support within participating faith 

communities in south Santa Barbara 

County area. 

Health Screening Fairs 

Fairs are sponsored by local hospitals 

and other health care facilities. 

Call the nearest facility for more 

in for ma tion. 

Hearing 

Since hearing loss may be related to 

a number of causes you may want to 

begin with a visit to a licensed physi 

cian or a specialist in diseases of the 

ear for a thorough examination. An 

au di o met ric examination will be an 

important part of the procedure. Indepth 

audiological testing intended 

to evaluate the nature and degree of 

hearing loss is re im burs able by Medicare 

at 80% of the ap proved charges 

after the deductible has been met. 

Medicare does not cover hearing aids 

or routine hearing ex am i na tions 

directly related to the pre scrib ing, 

fi tting, or changing of hearing aids. 

Medicare may cover hearing aid 

costs if a medical eval u a tion from a 

phy si cian has been ob tained, and if 

the need has been verifi ed. 

Medi-Cal and some supplemental 

insurance policies will cover hearing 

testing by an audiologist and any 

medically necessary hearing aids. 

Check with a Santa Barbara Health 

Authority representative or with your 

supplement insurance company. 

Defi nitions 

Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) phy si - 

cians specialize in the care of these 

areas of the body. Otolarygologist 

and otorhinolarygologist are also 

tech ni cal terms for ENT physicians. 

Audiologists have advanced training 

in testing and evaluation of hearing. 

They can prescribe individual hearing 

aids. Some audiologists also fi ll 

pre scrip tions for hearing aids. 

Hearing Aid Company Rep re - 

sen ta tives often offer free hearing 

tests; however, they are usually not 

au di ol o gists. 

Television Caption De cod ing 

Many prime time television programs 

are now produced with closed 

cap tions. Closed caption is written 

dialogue that can be read on the T.V. 

screen by those with serious hearing 

loss. The device can be purchased 

locally and attached to a T.V. 


Center ( ILRC) 



963-0595 (V/TDD) 

Fax 963-1350 



925-0015 (V/TDD) 

Fax 349-2416 

ILRC has a current list of captioning 

devices and where they are sold. 

No/Low Cost Hearing Aids and 

Services 

Ear of the Lion Foundation is a Lions 

Club program providing hearing 

aids which have been donated and 

re con di tioned for use by those who 

need but cannot afford them. The 

fol low ing business provides services 

for the Ear of the Lion in this area. 

Sign Language Classes 


Continuing Education/Schott 

Center 

310 W. Padre 


687-0812 x223 

Fax 964-7564 

Allan Hancock College 

Community Education 

800 S. College Dr. 


Santa Maria, CA 93454-6399 

922-6966 

Other Resources 

Veterans Administration/ 

Ambulatory Care Center 



683-1491 x491 

Fax 964-6181 

The audiologist at the V.A. clinic 

offers evaluations and hearing 

aids when medically necessary for 

eligible veterans. 

Complaint Unit Medical Board 

of California 

1426 Howe Ave., Suite 54 

Sacramento. CA 95825-3236 

800-633-2322 

According to State law, licensed 

hearing aid dispensers must 

provide a specified warranty to 

customers covering the first thirty 

days from the purchase date. Hearing 

aid con sum ers should refer to 

their purchase contract to understand 

their rights. Com plaints may 

be filed with this Board. To obtain 

a com plaint form or to ask further 

questions, call the Hearing Aid 

Dispenser’s Examining Committee 

at: 800-633-2322. 


Center (ILRC) 

423 W. Victoria Street 


963-0595 (V/TDD) 

Fax 963-1350 

327 E. Plaza, Suite 3A 


925-0015 (V/TDD) 

Fax 349-2416 

www.ilrc-trico.org 

ILRC provides many com mu - 

ni ca tion services for deaf and 

hearing im paired persons. These 

services include in ter pret er referral, 

tele phone in ter pret ing, document 

translation, TDD training, 

and out of State relay service. 





509 E. Montecito St. #101 


560-8130 

560-8167 (TTY) 

Fax 560-8162 

www.rehabcahwnet.gov 

1775 S. McClelland St. 


928-1891 (V/TTY) 

This agency provides employment-related 

services for hearing 

impaired or deaf persons. They 

will pay for hearing tests and aids 

as prescribed by an audiologist. 

Self Help for Hard of Hearing 

People ( SHHH) 

5140 San Lorenzo Dr. 


967-5241 or 969-4090 

Santa Maria Unit 

937-9869 

SHHH is a national organization 

that has local groups in Santa 

Barbara County that meet reg u - 

lar ly for support, education and 

com mu ni ty awareness. 

Telephone Services 

For customers with hearing, 

speech, vision or motion im pair - 

ments that limit their use of the 

telephone, contact the following: 


Program 

POX 30310 

Stockton, CA 95207 

800-806-1191 

TTY 800-806-4474 

California Relay Service 

Communicating with deaf and some 

hard-of-hearing people via a standard 

telephone can be diffi cult. Although 

many deaf and hard-of-hearing 

people have electronic telephone 

devices, referred to as TTY or TDD, 

that allow them to type their messages 

to others with similar devices, 

few hearing house holds and businesses 

have the tele phone equipment 

to com mu ni cate with those devices. 

The California Relay Service is 

es tab lished to address this need. 

Hearing callers trying to contact the 

deaf by telephone can call 888-877- 

5379 where an operator will assist 

with the call. The operator acts as a 

middleman in an otherwise normal 

telephone call. You talk to the 

op er a tor, the operator types your 

dialogue, the call recipient reads 

the message and types back and the 

operator reads the message to you. 

Using the system is simple. 

California Relay Service provides 

service tailored to the initial 

caller’s needs. For TTY callers trying 

to get in touch with non TTY 

users call 888-877-5378; hearing 

callers should call the voice line 

888-877-5379; Spanish- speaking 

callers call the Spanish voice line 

888-877-5381; and ASCII users call 

888-877-5380. 

Tuberculosis Testing 

County Health Clinic 

Santa Barbara 



681-5438 

Fax 681-5411 


Santa Maria 

2115 S. Centrepointe Pkwy 


346-8410 

Fax 346-7306 or 346-8499 


Lompoc 

301 North R St. 


737-6400 

Fax 737-6430 

Urinary Incontinence 

An involuntary loss of bladder 

control, urinary incontinence is 

estimated to affect more than 20 

million Amer i cans. Un for tu nate ly, 

most people who experience incon 

ti nence are either unaware that 

any thing can be done, or are too 

em bar rassed to seek help. 


Incontinence is not a disease. Most 

in con ti nence can be cured or greatly 

improved after proper diagnosis. 

Many treatments such as bladder 

training, medications, pelvic muscle 

exercises, surgery and outpatient procedures 

involving collagen in jec tions, 

have been successful in re stor ing and 

en hanc ing bladder control. 

Incontinence is a symptom with 

many causes, so it is important to 

seek treatment from a physician 

who spe cial iz es in treating in con - 

ti nence. For more information on 

in con ti nence and/or reference to 

a specialist in your area, call the 

Bladder Control Hotline at 800- 

BLADDER (800-252-3337). 

Tobacco Prevention 

Ser vic es 

The importance of quitting smoking 

is well known.Counseling to 

quit smoking is available via telephone 

and through classes. 

Telephone Counseling 

California Smoker’s Hotline 

If you are ready to quit a helpline 

coun se lor can set you up with a 

quit plan that’s right for you. Your 

fi rst call will be answered by an 

intake screener who will send you 

a packet of helpful information. 

Then you will need to call a number, 

and the best time to reach you. 

A cessation counselor will return 

your call within 48 hours. 

English-800-662-8887 (NO BUTTS) 

Spanish-800-456-6386 (NO FUME) 

In addition to phone counseling, 

you may want to attend classes in 

person. The following organizations 

offer programs at various 

times through out the year. 

Tobacco Prevention 

Program 

Santa Barbara County Public 

Health Dept. 

Santa Barbara 

681-5407 

Lompoc

737-7928 Ext 5407 

Santa Maria 

346-7275 

Sponsors classes throughout the 

County. Call for dates and locations 

and in for ma tion about how to quit. 

Santa Barbara 

Cottage Hospital Health 

System 

Pueblo at Bath St. 

569-7226 

Nicotine Anonymous Meetings 

564-4806; 965-3972 

SB Medical Foundation Clinic 

215 Pesetas Lane 

681-7582 

Santa Maria 


Education Department 

739-3799 

937-5948 

Vision 

Medicare is very specifi c about 

what it will and will not cover is 

the area of eye care and vision correc 

tion. Medicare does not cover 

routine testing directly related to 

the pre scrib ing or fi tting of eyeglasses, 

or the purchase of frames 

or lenses. Speak to an oph thal - 

mol o gist or optometrist about 

conditions that are covered. 

Medi-Cal and some supplemental 

insurance policies will cover vision 

testing and any medically nec es sary 

glasses. Check with a Santa Barbara 

Health Initiative Benefi ciary Repre 

sen ta tive at your nearest County 

Social Services offi ce or check with 

your insurance com pa ny. 

Specialist Referral 

National Eye Care Project 

American Academy of Ophthalmology 

P.O. Box 429098 

San Francisco, CA 94142 -9098 

800- 222-3937 (EYES) 

The Project is for seniors age 65 

and older who are U.S. Citizens 

or Legal Residents and have 

no access to an ophthalmologist 

(i.e. through an HMO or 

other prepaid health plan such as 

armed forces or VA). Eye glass es, 

prescriptions, hospital services 

and fees of other medical professionals 

are not covered. 

Defi nitions 

Ophthalmologist - These are phy si - 

cians (medical doctors) who also 

specialize in the diseases of the eye. 

In addition to vision exams, they 

can detect and treat other conditions 

of the eye. Santa Bar bara 

County Medical Society makes 

referrals to oph thal mol o gists: in 

Santa Barbara at 683-5333 and in 

Santa Maria at 349-8558. 

Optometrists - American Op to met 

ric Association — These specialists 

have advanced training in eye 

care but are not medical doctors. 

They provide com pre hen sive vision 

exams, in clud ing glau co ma testing, 

and fi ll pre scrip tions for eyeglasses 

and contact lenses. Members are 

listed in the Yellow Pages under 

“Optician.” 

Eye Clinic/County Health Clinic 

Santa Barbara, Santa Maria & 

Lompoc 

681-5488 

An ophthalmologist is available 

in Lompoc Monday 8-5 p.m.; 

Santa Barbara Tuesday 8-Noon & 

1-5 p.m., Thursday 8-Noon, Friday 

8-Noon and in Santa Maria 

Wednes day, 8-5 p.m.Services are 

provided on a sliding fee scale. By 

appointment only. 

Braille Institute of America 



682-6222 

Fax 687-6141 

www.brailleinstitute.org 

This organization serves Santa 

Barbara County and offers 60 

classes for lpersons with limited 

vision in in de pen dent living skills, 

arts, crafts, music, and general 


ed u ca tion. The institute provides 

a consultant to dem on strate 

low vision aids (mag ni fi ers) to 

in di vid u als with a doctor’s referral. 

The aids are sold at cost. The 

In sti tute also has a library that 

provides a Talking Book service. 

Tape cassettes of books and 

records of magazines, along with 

the machines to play them, are 

available at the library. Machines 

are repaired on site. The Braille 

Institute pro vides coun sel ing, 

mobility training, and a gift shop 

for sale of gifts and assistance 

devices for visually impaired 

persons. 


Center (ILRC) 



963-0595 (V/TDD) 

Fax 963-1350 



925-0015 (V/TDD) 

Fax 349-2416 

ILRC provides many services for 

visually impaired persons such as 

independent living skills training, 

help in finding funding for assistive 

devices, personal attendant 

care referral and placement, and 

much more. 

Lions Sight Conservation 

Foundation 

P.O. Box 6293 


925-8022 

Provides vision acuity testing for 

children and adults. Assists in 

paying for eye exams, eye glasses, 

vision related aids and eye surgery. 

Cottage Hospital Eye Center 

2400 Bath St. 


569-8264 

Glaucoma testing. 


HOME & NURSING CARE 

Home Evaluation 

Perhaps you or someone you 

know has reached a point in life 

where living independently is not 

as easy as in the past. Assistance 

with house keep ing, shopping, or 

meal prep a ra tion may make all 

the difference in someone’s ability 

to continue to live com fort ably at 

home. 

There are professionals who are 

trained to assist you in deciding 

the kind of help you need and then 

connecting you with the appropriate 

resources. The following agencies 

will make home visits. 

BestCare Central Coast Home 

Health Agency 

1414 S. Miller St.,Ste R 


925-8694 

736-2124 

688-5269 

BestCare Central Coast will assess 

the level of care you may 

need when the assessment is 

ordered by a physician. 

Catholic Charities - Older Adult 

Services ( OAS) 

609 East Haley St. 


965-7045 

Fax 963-2978 



684-8621 


Provides no cost as sess ments and 

a full range of in-home material 

and support services and referrals 

to appropriate com mu ni ty 

resouces for frail elders needs 

some assistance per form ing tasks 

of daily life. In di vid u al clinical 

counseling and Peer Counseling 

referrals are avail able. 

Congregational Health Care 

( Parish Nursing) 

Santa Barbara 

879-8828 

An outreach program into area 

faith communities of Santa 

Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria. 

The focus of the program is 

preventative health care with a 

holistic approach based in body, 

mind and spirit. Although not 

primarily geared to seniors, they 

are the largest con sum ers of parish 

nursing services. The role of 

the parish nurse is educator, personal 

health counselor, re source/ 

referral agent, and co or di na tor 

of vol un teers in volved in health 

ministry. Parish nurses provide 

free services, including home 

eval u a tion, for par tic i pat ing congre 

ga tion al members and other 

re fer rals from the com mu ni ty. 


Center 

5350 Hollister Ave. # C 


967-0220 

800-443-1236 

Offers county wide in-home assess 

ments of the living sit u a tion 

of families caring for a brain-impaired 

adult at home and offers 

planning assistance, counseling, 

respite care and legal consultation. 

Family Service Agency 

Senior Outreach Program 

123 W. Gutierrez Street 


965-1001 

Fax 965-2178 

Provides bilingual in-home assess 

ment by professional counselor 

or Social Worker to identify 

the needs of persons over 60 

in Santa Barbara, Goleta and 

Carpinteria. Connects in di vid u als 

and families with ap pro pri ate 

community resources and 

provides individual, family and 

group coun sel ing. 



( GAP) 

Public Health Department 



681-5266 



346-8391 

www.sbcphd.org 

Provides in-home assessment of 

the psychological, social, en vi - 

ron men tal, and health needs of 

anyone 60 years of age or older in 

Santa Barbara County who is having 

difficulty in their present living 

situation. GAP also pro vides consultation 

to family members, care 

givers and pro fes sion als about 

ways to keep an elderly person in 

the least re stric tive setting. 

Lompoc Valley Home Health 

604 E. Ocean, Ste.D 


736-7119 

Can complete a home health 

as sess ment to determine if home 

care is needed and the level of 

care required (personal care or 

skilled nursing). 

Marian Hospital Home Care 

504 E Plaza Dr. # 1 


739-3830 

800-549-9609 




963-6794 

Fax 568-5178 



Will assess the level of care 

(personal care, rehab therapy or 

skilled nursing) you may need 

when the assessment is ordered 

by a physician and the services 

will be provided by VNHC. Visiting 

Care & Com pan ions will also 

assess non-medical personal care 

needs upon request.

Case Management 

Case management services assist 

the frail elderly client to remain at 

home by developing and monitoring 

care plans intended to prevent 

or delay in sti tu tion al iza tion. Case 

managers work with family members 

and other professionals to 

provide access to health and social 

services and to ensure coordinated 

delivery of services to the client. 

Private Case Managers are available. 

See the advertising in this 

section. In addition, call Senior 

Connection at 800-510-2020, for 

other referrals. 

Multipurpose Senior Service 

Program ( MSSP) 

2125 S. Centrepointe Pkwy, 

3 rd Floor 


346-8385 

Fax 346-8386 



681-5311 

Fax 681-5331 

www.sbcphd.org 

Provides a social and health care 

man age ment service for persons 

receiving both Medicare and 

Medi-Cal. The program is designed 

to provide a cost ef fec tive 

alternative to in sti tu tion al iza tion 

for persons who are certified by 

a doctor to be in need of nursing 

home care. The case manage 

ment team consists of a nurse 

and a social worker who provide 

the client with full needs assess- 

Because there’s no place like home... 


ment, development of a care 

plan and coordination of service 

delivery. 

MSSP will arrange and purchase 

services, including Home Health 

Care, Home mak er Personal Care, 

Trans por ta tion, Respite, Emergen 

cy Response System, Home 

Repair, Housing as sis tance and 

other approved pur chas es. 

Linkages Program 

LifeSteps Foundation 

3450 Broad St. #104 


549-1050 x111 

Linkages provides information 

and assistance and case manage 

ment services in north Santa 

Barbara County. These case 

We provide compassionate home health 

and hospice care to all Santa Barbara 

residents, including: 

Home health and rehabilitation 

Hospice care at home 

Serenity House, a hospice 

residential facility 

Bereavement support and counseling 

Equipment Loan Closet 

Visiting Care and Companions, 

a personal care service 

We’re always here to help you . 

Call: (805) 693-6794 

222 East Canon Perdido St. www.vnhcsb.org 



man age ment services include an 

initial screening, as sess ment, care 

planning, service ar range ment , 

follow-up and mon i tor ing. 

Home Care 

Home care for the elderly in cludes 

many types of medical services such 

as nursing care, therapy, health 

aides, medical social workers and 

nu tri tion ists. Home mak er or chore 

services such as meal preparation, 

house work, help with personal needs 

and shop ping are also available. 

“Hiring In-Home Help: A Practi 

cal Guide for Seniors and their 

Families” This free booklet will 

help you de ter mine what is needed 

and how to go about hiring help 

in the home. It pro vides information 

about both hiring through an 

agency or hiring directly in both 

English and Span ish. Copies can 

be secured from the local senior 

center or calling Senior Con nec - 

tion at 800-510-2020 or 928-2552. 

Home Health Care 

Home health agencies coordinate 

skilled nursing and personal care 

services for the homebound patient. 

For skilled medical care, the 

patient’s physician must prescribe 

and direct the type of care, how 

often it is to be pro vid ed, and the 

duration of the treatment. 

Home health agencies may be profit 

or nonprofi t. Some are hospitalbased 

and serve as an outpatient 

extension for care needed after 

hospitalization. They must be licensed 

and certifi ed by Medicare to 

entitle patients to receive benefi ts 

under Medicare and Medi- 

Cal. Medicare can pay home health 

care costs if: 


1. Your doctor de ter mines that 

you need these services and 

sets up a health plan for you. 

2. You are confi ned to your home. 

3. You need skilled physical 

therapy, speech therapy, or 

skilled nursing care. 

4. The home health agency serving 

you is certifi ed by Medicare. 

5. The care needed is in ter - 

mit tent. 

Medicare benefi ts for the homebound 

patient are paid for under 

Part A (Hospital) up to 100 visits 

per spell of illness, Visits after 100 

visits are covered by Part B (Medical 

In sur ance). Private insurance 

(including Long-Term Care Insurance) 

will sometimes pay for these 

services. Medi-Cal also pays for 

some home health services provided 

by certifi ed home health agencies. 

Discuss the benefi ts with the 

home health agency that you call. 

A patient’s physician may make 

sug ges tions about a particular 

agency. Dis charge planning de part - 

ments in hospitals can also help 

with referrals. Even if a hospital 

has its own home health agency, 

you are not obligated to utilize it. 

Look in the telephone directory 

Yellow Pages under “Home Health 

Ser vic es” for a listing of private 

agen cies or telephone Senior Connec 

tion at 800-510-2020 or 928- 

2552. 

BestCare Central Coast 


1414 S. Miller St.,Ste R 


925-8694 

736-2124 

688-5269 

BestCare Central Coast is a 

Medi care & Medi-Cal Certified 

and JCAHO ac cred it ed full 

service home health Agency that 

serves northern Santa Barbara 

County. Provide skilled nurs-

ing, physical, oc cu pa tion al and 

speech therapies and MSW services 

to qualified patients. 

Lompoc Valley Home Health 

604 E. Ocean, #G 


736-7119 

Provides a full range of home 

health care. 

Marian Hospital HomeCare 

504 E Plaza #1 


739-3830 

800-549-6909 

Provides a full range of home 

health care. 




963-6794 

Fax 568-5178 



Offers skilled nursing care, 

including high-tech in tra ve nous 

(IV), enteral and enterostomal 

therapy; home health aide personal 

and bath care; physical, occupation 

and speech therapies; 

medical social services; and a 

com pre hen sive, certified hospice 

program. Services include patient 

and family in struc tion and 

are pro vid ed under phy si cian’s 

orders. Home health and hospice 

pro grams are Medicare certified 

and CHAP accredited. 

Homemaker and Per son al 

Care Services 

These services are considered nonmedical 

services. Some of these 

personal services are performed 

by home health agencies who are 

also providing medical care. If the 

patient is receiving skilled medical 

care covered by Medicare, limited 

home health services may also be 

covered. Homemaker and per son al 

care services include help with 

personal needs such as feeding and 

meal prep a ra tion, help with bath- 

ing, dressing, shaving, combing 

hair, light housework and grocery 

shop ping. 

The following programs offer 

home mak er services at no or low 

cost to eligible seniors. Call for 

details. 


Homemaker Service 

123 W. Gutierrez St. 


965-1001 

110 South C St # A 


735-4376 

Trained supervised homemakers 

provide in-home services. Duties include 

light housekeeping, shop ping 

and com pan ion ship based on the 

individual’s needs. Sliding donation 

scale is based on monthly income. 

In-Home Supportive Services 

( IHSS) 

Dept. of Social Services 



681-4550 



737-6020 



346-8303 

Provides household help and personal 

care to enable low income 

elderly or disabled persons to 

remain safely in their own homes. 

If you receive SSI or Medi-Cal you 

may be eligible for IHSS if you need 

services to remain safely in your 

home. Other aged, blind or disabled 

persons who meet the SSI resource 

limits ($2,000 for an individual; 

$3,000 for a couple), but have 

income above the SSI limit may still 

be eligible for IHSS. If this is the 

case you may have a share-of-cost 

(SOC). For more in for ma tion on 

share- of -cost please contact the 

local IHSS offi ce, listed above. 


Visiting Care and Companions 

A Program of Visiting Nurse & 

Hospice Care 



690-6202 

Fax 690-6207 



VCC offers non-medical personal 

assistance at home, including 



bathing, dressing, cooking, errands 

and more for private Pay. 

VN&HC also offers limited charity 

care assistance for respite care 

and in-home bathing assistance. 

Registry 


Center (ILRC) 



963-0595 (V/TDD) 

Fax 963-1350 

327 E. Plaza, Ste. 3 A 


925-0015 (V/TDD) 

Fax 349-2416 

ILRC serves persons with disabil 

i ties. ILRC staff recruits, 

interviews, screens and refers attendants 

who are able to pro vide 

personal care and other in-home 

supportive services. Pro vides 

training in managing and employing 

in home care workers. 

In Home Care Network 

1410 S. Broadway #L 


614-1256 

Fax 614-1239 

Provides a listing of available caregivers 

for persons receiving IHSS. 

Caregivers have been screened 

and all have first aid training. 

Senior Connection also has a list of 

agencies that provide as sis tance in 

fi nding in-home care attendants. 

Call 965-3288, 925-9554 or 800- 

510-2020. 

Other In-Home Ser vic es 


524 Chapala 


957-1116 

Jewish Family Services pro vides inhome 

assessment, shortterm case 

man age ment, advocacy, friendly 

visitor and material as sis tance on a 

limited basis. Call for avail abil i ty. 

Real Help 



965-1531 

Makes referrals to individuals 

willing to provide low-cost inhome 

support or care, overnight, 

house work, light cooking, lim it ed 

personal care, minor home repairs, 

gar den ing, driving or shopping 

to frail, ill, handicapped and 

con va lesc ing seniors of limited to 

mod er ate income. 

Santa Maria (805) 739-3830 

Call toll free: 1-800-549-9609 

Serving Santa Maria, Lompoc 

and Northern Santa Barbara County 

Marian HomeCare Services provides comprehensive 

medical care to patients in their own home. 

Services Include: 

• Skilled Nursing • Infusion Therapy 

• Rehabilitation Services (Physical, 

Occupational, Speech) • Hospice 

• Home Health Aides • Pediatric 

Services • Enterostomal Therapy 

• Diabetic Education • Medical Social 

Worker • Nutritional Counseling 

State Licensed • Medicare Certified 

Joint Commission Accredited 

Marian continues the Judeo-Christian ministry of wellness, health and healing 

by providing quality, compassionate care to all served. 





965-1001 

Fax 965-2178 

Services Aimed at In de pen dent 

Living (SAIL) 

Assists seniors and disabled 

persons with maintenance and 

upkeep of their homes. Makes 

home safety mod i fi ca tions, 

including building wheelchair 

ramps and installing grab bars 

and other safety equip ment. 

Labor is provided on a sliding 

fee scale basis and client pays for 

ma te ri als. 

Hospice 

Hospice focuses on maximizing 

the quality of life for the ter mi nal ly 

ill patient and providing emotional 

support to the patient and family. 

Hospice of Santa Barbara, Inc. 



563-8820 

A volunteer hospice program 

exists in south Santa Barbara 

County. Hospice of Santa Barbara 

pro vides emotional and 

practical support for those with 

serious or life-threatening illnesses 

and their families; bereavement 

counseling for adults and 

children, work shops, and quality 

of life pro grams. 

Serenity House 

900 Calle de los Amigos #1014 


569-2880 

A six bed residental facility for 

terminally ill (located on grounds 

of Valle Verde Retirement Community.) 

Certifi ed Hospice 

The philosophy of a certifi ed 

hospice program is to provide the 

highest quality medical, psycho 

log i cal, emotional and spiritual 

care to individuals with a life 

threatening illnesss. The focus of

certifi ed hospice is pain and symptom 

control to alleviate suffering. 

This allowes individuals to live as 

fully as possible, with the support 

of family and friends. Services are 

re im bursed by Medicare, medi-Cal, 

and private insurance. Following 

are some of the benefi ts of a certifi 

ed hospice pro gram: 

• 24 hour on-call nursing service 

• Intermittent nursing visits 

• Management of pain and 

symp toms 

• Personal care, i.e. bathing, 

sham poo ing 

• Physical and other therapies 

• Medical supplies 

• Trained volunteers 

• Spiritual and emotional support 

• respite care 

• Medical equipment 

• Bereavement support 

• Medications related to terminal 

illness. 

• Medical social service 




965-5555 

Fax 564-7672 



Marian HomeCare & Hospice 

504 E Plaza Dr #6 


739-3830 

800-549-9609 

Hospice Partners of the 

Central Coast 

277 South St #R 


782-8608 

Serves northern Santa Barbara 

County area. 

Respite Care 

Respite is that time when some one 

is available to take over the care 

of a frail, elderly senior in order 

to give the main “caregiver” some 

relief. Respite can be provided in 

the home or outside the home. 

A primary function of Adult Day 

Centers is to offer respite to caregivers. 

Hospice programs often 

provide respite care to the families 

of someone who is ter mi nal ly ill 

(see above). Some home health and 

homemaker services offer respite 

care. Ask at your doctor’s offi ce, 

your church, or call Senior Connection 

at 800-510-2020. 

In-Home Respite Care 

Coast Caregivers Resource 

Center 

5350 Hollister Ave # C 


967-0220 

800-443-1236 

This program offers assistance 

to families who are caring for an 

adult with a brain impairment 

(e.g. Alzheimer’s, stroke, Parkinson’s, 

Huntington’s dis ease, or 

other related disorders). The program 

is able to provide limited 

financial support for in or out of 

home respite care. 

Visiting Care & Companions 



690-6202 

Fax 690-6207 



Provides respite care by ex pe - 

ri enced personal care attendants 

to families caring for frail elderly 

patients requiring heavy care or 

supervision. Some subsidized 

respite care is available. 

Adult Day Care Cen ters 

Adult Day Support Centers refers 

to two separate kinds of pro grams 

that provide out of home services 

to physically or mentally impaired 


adults. Adult Day Care usually provides 

supervision, activities, meals, 

exercise and trans por ta tion to the 

site as well as providing counseling 

and time away form care giving 

for the families. Adult Day Health 

Care also provides medical services 

and re ha bil i ta tive therapy for its 

clients. Both provide respite for 

caregivers. 

“Improving health… one home visit at a time.” 

Medicare & Medi-Cal Certified 

Joint Commission Accredited 

Services 

· Skilled Nursing 

· Rehabilitation 

· Home Health Aides 

· Medical Social Work 

· Dietitian 

· IV Nursing 

Programs 

· Memory Disorders 

· Home Safety 

· Maternal Child 

You have a CHOICE 

Choose BestCare as your 

Home Healthcare Provider 

Santa Maria 

925-8694 

Lompoc 

736-2124 

Solvang 

688-5269 

www.bestcarehomehealth.com 



Adult Day-Care Centers 

Cozy Creek at Vista del Monte 

3775 Modoc Rd 


687-0793 

Friendship Adult Day Care 

Center 

89 Eucalyptus Lane 


969-0859 

Lompoc Valley Haven 

Adult Day Care 

2800 Harris Grade Rd. 


733-9459 

Valley Haven Senior Day Care 

Center 

1825 Alamo Pintado Road 


688-0297 

Adult Day Support Center & 

Adult Day Health Care Center/ 

Wisdom Center 

LifeSteps Foundation, Inc. 

1414 N. Broadway Ste.A 


349-9810 

www.lifestepsfoundation.org 

Respite Care Grants 


2024 De la Vina 


563-0020 

800-660-1993 

www.centralcoastalz.org 

The Alzheimer’s Association has 

limited funds for the purchase of 

respite care to provide assistance 

to individuals or families caring 

for a person with a physician’s 

diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. 

Grants are made directly to 

families. An application must be 

com plet ed and submitted to the 

Association. 

Seniors Living Alone 

Emergency Response 

Systems 

Seniors living alone and in de pen - 

dent ly often feel concerned about 

how they might let others know 

if they should need assistance, 

or how they might communicate 

important health in for ma tion in 

an emergency. Emer gen cy response 

units are avail able throughout 

Santa Barbara Coun ty. These 

systems enable an individual to 

summon emergency assistance 

Providing Families with Quality Home Care Since 1977 

Our services include, but are not limited to the following: 

• Bathing • Meal Preparation 

• Companionship • Caregiver Respite 

• Dressing • Laundry 

• Errands • Shopping 

• Exercise • Specialized Body Care 

• Feeding • Customized Care 

• Housekeeping • Transportation 

Serving all of Santa Barbara County 

Santa Barbara (805) 962-4993 Santa Maria (805) 349-3995 


by means of a simple device worn 

around the neck or on the wrist. 

For more in for ma tion, including 

in stal la tion and/or service fees, 

contact: 

Cottage Hospital Lifeline 

Service 

P.O. Box 689 


569-7572 


Lifeline Service 

351 S. Patterson Ave. 


967-3411 x200 

Lompoc District Hospital 

Life line 

227 S. C St./POB 1058 


737-3344 

Marian Residence 

124 S. College Dr. 


922-7731 

Companions/Friendly 

Vis i tors 

There are organizations in Santa 

Barbara County who will visit a 

frail, elderly person at home or in a 

nursing home. 

Community Partners in Caring 

925-8000 

737-1976 

Trains and supervises volunteers 

who visit in the home. 

UCSB Associated Students 

Community Affairs Board Senior 

Escort Program & Senior Friendship 

Program 

UCen Room 2523 


893-4296 

(closed during student vacations) 

Students volunteer to visit elderly 

persons at home or to escort 

them to community events.

OASIS Catholic Charities 

Santa Barbara 

965-7045 

Will make home visits to older 

adults. 


957-1116 

Volunteers are sometimes available 

to visit elderly in their homes 

or in a nursing home. 

Adventures in Caring 

Foundation 

P.O. Box 3859 


687-5803 

Raggedy Companions is an all 

volunteer year- round visiting 

pro gram that provides a friendly 

face and a good listener in a time 

of need. Specially trained vol un - 

teers dressed as Raggedy Ann 

and Raggedy Andy lift the spirits 

of patients in nursing homes and 

hospitals. There is no fee for this 

service. Please call to request a 

visit for a friend or family member. 

Project Re-Entry 

687-7444 x2102 

Operates a stroke resocialization 

center staffed by trained vol un - 

teers. Meeting times: 9:30 a.m. 

to 11:30 a.m. Weekly on Friday 

at 2415 De La Vina, Santa Barbara. 

Trains and provides volunteers 

to work with stroke patients 

in their homes. 

Other organizations which provide 

support to persons with particular 

diseases may offer in-home visitors. 

See SUPPORT GROUPS and 

call to inquire. Some churches also 

provide this service. 

Telephone Re as sur ance 

CareLine 


609 E Haley St. 


965-7045 

Fax 963-2978 

Provides regular contact and 

safety check by trained vol un teers 

to reassure and support senior 

citizens and disabled persons 

who are homebound. 

Out of Home Respite 

Temporary respite care or per ma - 

nent long-term care may become 

necessary when independent or 

assisted living is impossible. 

When a person cannot continue to 

live in their own home, a decision 

must be made about the level of 

care which is the most appropriate. 

The following is a brief description 

of the two possible choices in 

Santa Barbara County. 


Also known as “rest homes” or 

“board and care,” residential care 

facilities provide room and board, 

some personal care as sis tance, 

monitoring of med i ca tion taking, 

and social opportunities. They are 

for people who can no longer live 

at home, yet do not need pro fes - 

sion al nursing care. These facilities 

are licensed by the State De part - 

ment of Social Services. 


In-Home 

Care Network 

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY IHSS PUBLIC AUTHORITY 

Nursing Facilities 

Also known as “nursing homes” or 

“con va les cent hospitals,” nursing 

facilities provide pro fes sion al nursing 

services on a 24 hour basis as 

pre scribed by the patient’s physician. 

In addition to medical nursing 

care, physical, oc cu pa tion al, 

and other therapies can be provided. 

These facilities are licensed by 

the State De part ment of Health. 

Placement Assistance 

Long Term Care Ombudsman 

Services 



967-0499 

Long-term Care Ombudsman 

Services provides information 

and assistance to persons who 

are faced with making decisions 

about appropriate levels of care, 

available facilities, and other concerns 

having to do with placing 

a friend or family mem ber. They 

can answer many questions that 

you may have about long-term 

care, provide you with a list on 

in-county facilities and/or out-ofcounty 

referrals, and ad vo cate on 

behalf of anyone who is already 

Need help finding an in-home caregiver? 

If you are an IHSS client, call us. We can refer caregivers to you. 

Are you a caregiver? 

We will list you on our registry so your name can be given to potential 

employers. 

Would you like to be a caregiver? 

Join our registry and we can refer you to people who are looking for 

in-home care. 

Services provided throughout Santa Barbara County. Call TODAY! 

1410 S. Broadway, Suite L Santa Maria, CA 93455 (805) 614-1256 



in a long-term care facility. 

Other sources of assistance for 

place ment include hospital discharge 

planners for persons who 

are about to leave the hospital 

and home as sess ment case manage 

ment programs if in-home 

eval u a tions are needed. A listing of 

the residential care facilities and 

skilled nursing facilities is also 

available from Senior Connection, 

800- 510-2020 or 928-2552. 

Problems with Res i den tial 

Care/Skilled Nursing Care 

Facilities 

If there is a problem with the care 

someone is getting in a residential 

care or skilled nursing facility, an 

attempt should be made fi rst to 

resolve it with the facility’s ad min - 

is tra tion. If the problem cannot be 

resolved, you can contact: 


Services 

Ombudsman Services in ves ti gates 

and resolves, when pos si ble, 

com plaints made by or on behalf 

of residents in residential care 

or skilled nursing facilities. Ombuds 

man Services is also offi cially 

designated by the state to receive 

Quality care in your home. 

• Personal care, homemaking, family respite, 

and more 

• Services planned to meet your needs 

• Staff are carefully selected, bonded, supervised 

• Your satisfaction is guaranteed 

• Serving northern Santa Barbara County 

CALL FOR A BROCHURE: 736-8249 

At-Home Services.com 

Administrative Office 

514 No. “H” St., Ste. B 


and investigate reports of abuse in 

long-term care fa cil i ties. 

Licensing and certifi cation reports 

are public information and available 

either through the state depart 

ments listed below or through 


Services. 

Complaints about long-term care 

facilities can also be directed to: 

State Dept. of Health Services 

Licensing and Certifi cation 

Santa Barbara District Offi ce 

1889 N. Rice Ave. #200 


604-2926 

800-547-8267 

Fax 604-2997 

www.dhs.ca.gov 

Investigates complaints in skilled 

nursing facilities. 


Division 

State Dept. .of Social Services 

360 S. Hope Ave., Bldg. C-105 


682-7647 

Fax 682-8361 

www.ccld.ca.gov 


This state agency is responsible 

for licensing and inspecting residential 

care facilities. Com plaints 

about these facilities can be 

made to this agency. 

Other Services 

Safe Return Program 




563-0020 

Fax 682-1811 

The Alzheimer’s Association 

sponsors a nationwide, com mu - 

ni ty- based program called Safe 

return. The program helps identi 

fy, locate and return individuals 

who are memory impaired and 

become lost through wandering. 

An ID bracelet and registration in 

a national data base offers a 24 

hour toll free number to contact 

when an in di vid u al is lost or 

found. 

Community Partners in Caring 

Santa Maria Offi ce 

608 E. Main St. 


925-8000 

Lompoc Offi ce 

123 North D St. 


737-1976 

Provides information, resources, 

programs and services aimed 

at keeping elderly and disabled 

adults independent and functioning 

at the highest level of capacity. 

Trans por ta tion, respite care, 

friendly visits, translation services, 

and memory screenings are 

among those programs offered. 

Support services for grieving or 

bereaved adults ate also available.

Housing which is affordable, 

available and adequate is 

extremely limited in Santa 

Barbara County. The follow ing section 

describes some of the pro grams 

available to assist you with housing. 

Low Cost Rentals 

Federally Subsidized 

Housing 

The Housing Authorities develop 

and manage federally fi nanced public 

housing projects and provide these 

units on a rental basis to eligible low 

income persons and families. 

The Housing Authorities also ad min - 

is ter the Section 8 Rental Assistance 

Program which provides, by voucher, 

rental subsidies to very low income 

individuals and families. 

Because the demand for sub si - 

dized housing is very high in Santa 

Barbara County, both the City and 

County Housing Au thor i ty have 

long waiting lists and enrollment 

for certain programs is not always 

open. Call the Housing Authority 

for details. 

Housing Authority for the City 

of Santa Barbara 



965-1071 

Fax 564-7041 

www.hacsb.org 

Owns and/or manages several 

units for low-income seniors 

within the City of Santa Barbara 

(including Presidio Springs, 

Shifco and Vista la Cumbre). 

Section VIII certificates can 

be used in a home-share envi 

ron ment or hotel (separate 

kitchen and bath facilities not a 

re quire ment). 

Housing Authority for the 

Coun ty of Santa Barbara 

5575 Armitos Avenue 


967-3402 

Fax 964-0027 

www.hasbarco.org 

917 W. Ocean 


735-8351 

Fax 735-9263 

200 W. Williams 


925-4393 

Fax 922-9608 

Owns and manages low-income 

housing throughout Santa 

Bar bara County. Call one of the 

offices listed above for details. 

Other Federally Fi nanced 

Hous ing 

Pilgrim Terrace Cooperative 

Homes 

649 Pilgrim Terrace Dr. 


682-3618 

Fax 682-1489 

Federally financed rental units 

for low-income seniors 62+ or 

disabled persons . 

Union Plaza 

120 N. Broadway 


922-5226 

Fax 349-9976 

union7up@aol.com 

For the person 62+ or disabled over 

age 18 years. HUD Section VIII. 

Private Non-Profi t 

Housing 

Community Housing 

Corporation ( CHC) 



963-9644 

Fax 963-3467 

www.chcsb.com 

This nonprofit developer aids in 

the construction of affordable 

housing and is the contact for 

the following residences: 

Castillo Homes 

1028 B Castillo St. 


HOUSING 

965-9710 

The following private, nonprofi t 

or ga ni za tions offer housing for 

seniors at prices usually below 

market rates. 

Oak Knoll Haven 

4845 S. Bradley Rd. 


934-2027 

Fax 937-0777 

62+ and disabled over 18 eligible 

Rainbow Plaza 

220 W. Pine Ave. 


735-1952 

Fax 735-2390 

Elderly (62+)and disabled eligible 

Edgerly Apartments 

105 W. Sola St. 


965-4541 

Fax 962-0550 

For active seniors, 62+ eligible. 

Run by Battistone Foundation. 

Laguna Cottages for Seniors 



965-1179 

65+, two year county resident 

eligible 

Casa Serena Senior Apartments 

130 South 5th St. 


736-3432 

Fax 736-5892 

Some for-profi t residential cor po - 

ra tions offer low-cost housing, 

a few accept Housing Authority 

Section VIII cer tifi cates. The Yellow 

Pages of your tele phone book, “Retirement 

and Life Care Communities 

and Homes,” will steer you in 

the right direction. Call each facility 

for specifi c information. 

A listing of Independent Senior 

Facilities is available from Senior 

Connection at 800-510-2020 . 

Waiting List Tips 


HOUSING 

Many apartment projects, both 

sub si dized and non-subsided 

have long waiting lists. Don’t 

be dis cour aged! If they will take 

your name, give it. Waiting lists 

sometimes move sur pris ing ly fast. 

Being number 400 on a list doesn’t 

necessarily mean that there are 

actually 400 people ahead of you. 

Many people have already found a 

place to live, moved out of the area 

or are no longer interested in the 

apart ment. 

1. There is no limit to the number 

of waiting lists you can put 

your name on. It is best to sign 

up on several lists to increase 

your like li hood of re ceiv ing assis 

tance. 

2. Make sure that you keep the 

project informed of your cur- 

rent address and telephone 

number. One reason lists move 

quickly is that people cannot 

be reached easily when there is 

a vacancy. 

3. Check back reg u lar ly, but don’t 

be a pest. Let them know you 

are still interested. 

Other Financial As sis tance 

Alexander House Foundation 

P.O. Box 23642 


966-3665 

Provides financial assistance for 

housing for the elderly, 65 and 

over, on a fixed income and at 

least a 10 - year resident. 


Home Equity 

Conversions 

Until recently, there were only two 

ways to get cash from your home. 

You could sell it, but then you 

would have to move. Or, if you 

qualifi ed for a loan, you could borrow 

against your home. But then 

you would have to make monthly 

loan payments. 

Now there are new ways of getting 

money from your home that do 

not require you to leave your home 

or to make regular loan payments. 

These “home equity conversion” 

plans let you turn the value of 

hour home into cash without having 

to move or repay a loan each 

month. 

Home equity conversion (HEC) 

plans are relatively new in the 

United States .

Decisions about the use of home 

equity are among the most important 

you will ever make. Whether 

or not they make sense for you 

depends on your in di vid u al situation 

- your goals, your resources, 

and your other options. Because 

home equity is such an important 

asset, you should consider HEC 

plans within the larger context of 

your overall fi nancial and estate 

plan ning. 

Effect on Public Ben e fi ts 

Homeowners interested in home 

equity conversion typically are 

seeking ad di tion al income to meet 

their basic needs of food, clothing, 

shelter, and medical care. Some 

may already receive public benefi ts, 

while others who are eligible may 

have not chosen to apply or may 

not be aware that they meet the 

eligibility re quire ments. 

Many others will never need or 

qualify for public benefi ts. However, 

because eligibility for public 

benefi ts may be affected by proceeds 

of home equity conversion, 

you should not overlook this possible 

“cost.” 

HOUSING 

For More Information… 

AARP Home Equity 

Infomation Center 

Consumer Affairs Section, 601 

E Street, N.W. Washington, DC 

20049 

Reverse Mortgage Lenders List 

Con sum er’s Guide to Home 

Equity (D 13253) Conversion PF 

3981 (793) 

www.aarp.org/revmort/ 

AARP website provides information 

about reverse mortgages, 

including fact sheets, how they 

work, who is eligible, what you 

get, what you pay, and how to 

calculate loan costs and understand 

different types of loans. 


HOUSING 

American Bar Association, 

Com mis sion on Law & Aging 

740 15th St., N.W . 


202- 662-1000 

ww.abanet.org 

Conversion (2000, $5.00 postpaid) 

National Center for Home 

Equity Conversion Mortgage 

7373 147th Street Suite 115 

Apple Valley, MN 55124 

ww.reverse.org 

Independent information on 

reverse mortgages for conservers, 

their families, professional advisors 

and nonprofit counselors. 

Retirement Income on the House 

(Revised Edition, 1993; 340 

pages, $15,00 

Reverse Mortgage Locator (Free; 

send self-addressed, stamped 

envelope). 

Sale Leaseback Guide and Model 

Documents 

Reverse Mortgage Sourcebook 

Reverse Equity Mortgage 

Coun sel ing Program 

Consumer Credit Counseling Program 

877-901-2227 

Offered through CA Dept. of 

Consumer Affairs. 

This program offers information 

and counseling to individuals 

who are considering drawing equity 

from their homes. To qualify 

you must be 62 or older, your 

home must be paid for or nearly 

paid for. Equity borrowed does 

not need to be repaid until (1) 

the house is sold, (2) last homeowner 

dies, or (3) house ceases 

to be ho me own er’s pri ma ry residence. 

All counseling is done in 

person. Call to make an appointment. 

Service is free of charge. 


Services 



800-540-2227 

(Not associated with Dept. of 

Consumer Affaires.) 

Retirement Residences- 

Not For Profi t 

Friendship Manor 

6647 El Colegio Rd. 

Isla Vista, CA 93117 

968-0771 

Fax 968-2182 

www.friendshipmanor.org 


Nonprofit residence offering 

meals,activities, and housekeep 

ing ser vice, 62+. 


Residential Care Facilities provide 

care and supervision as well as 

meals and housekeeping. There are 

over 120 RCFE’s in the County. Go 

to www.ccld.ca.gov for a complete 

listing. 

Wood Glen Hall 

3010 Foothill Rd. 


687-7771 

www.woodglenhall.org 

info@woodglenhall.org 

Nonprofit retirement residence 

licensed by the State to provide 

care and su per vi sion for 62+. 

In de pen dent living. 

Solvang Friendship House 

880 Friendship Ln. 


688-8748 

Fax 686-8538 

friendshiphouse@gte.net 

A small nonprofit home with 

in de pen dent living, assisted living 

and specialized care for Alzheimer’s. 

All levels of living have separate 

gardens, dining and private 

rooms. Licensed by the State for 

30 in di vid u als total. 

Call Long-Term Care Om buds man 

Services or Senior Connection at 

800-510-2020 for list of other than 

non profi t facilities throughout the 

County. 

Continuing Care Con tract 

Residences 

Continuing Care Contract Res i - 

denc es are full range retirement 

facilities, providing both for independent 

living and for all levels 

of assisted living. These facilities 

are required to be State licensed 

both as skilled nursing facilities 

and as residential care facilities for 

the elderly in this county. Seniors 

who are in good health and are

ambulatory may choose to “buy 

into” a life care contract home. The 

initial en trance fee, plus monthly 

main te nance charges, assures 

care for life. If illness or dis abil i ty 

de vel ops, care at the level required 

is provided, including medical and 

skilled nurs ing. Health care facilities, 

except acute hospital care, are 

on the premises. 

Casa Dorinda Retirement 

Facility 

300 Hot Springs Road 


969-8011 

Fax 969-8686 

www.casadorinda.com 

Samarkand 

2550 Treasure Drive 


687-0701 

Fax 687-3386 

www.covenantretirement.org 

62+ eligible 

Valle Verde 

900 Calle de los Amigos 


687-1571 

www.valleverdesb.com 

62+ eligible 

Vista del Monte 

3775 Modoc Rd 


687-0793 

Fax 687-6350 

62+ is eligible 

Solvang Lutheran Home 

636 Atterdag Rd. 


688-3263 

Fax 688-8574 

www.peoplewhocare.com 

Maravilla 



967-1965 

www.srgseniorliving.com 

Shared Housing 

Due to rising housing costs, a low 

vacancy rate and the phys i cal diffi 

cul ty of one person maintaining 

a home by him or herself, home 

sharing by two or more people is 

becoming in creas ing ly practical. 

In the absence of programs which 

offer this ser vice, what follows 

are some tips on fi nding a shared 

housing situation. 

Tips on Shared Housing 

1. Spread the word among your 

friends that you are looking 

for a roommate or a room in 

some one’s house. It’s possible 

that they know of someone 

who can help you. 

2. Look in the classifi ed ads in 

your local newspaper under 

“Room mates” or “Situation 

Wanted.” People are some times 

willing to exchange services 

such as cooking and cleaning 

for rent. 

3. If you choose to advertise for a 

roommate, it is wise to rent a 

P.O. Box for replies from prospec 

tive room mates. Ask for 

references and check them. 

HOUSING 

4. Be clear with applicants about 

what life styles and behavior 

are ac cept able to you. You may 

consider drawing up a contract 

specifying such practical matters 

as when the rent is due, 

cleaning deposit information, 

etc. If you are ex chang ing services 

for rent, outline in writing 

what services you expect. 

The housing offi ces at the col leg es 

some times have students, faculty 

or staff who are offering a service 

in exchange for rent. Oc ca sion al ly 

a student looking for long-term 

housing prefers living with a senior 

citizen for a stable and quiet at mo - 

sphere. 

University of California, Santa 

Barbara ( UCSB) 

Community Housing 

University Center, R, 3151 


893-4371 

Westmont College 

Housing Offi ce 

955 La Paz Road 


565-6037 offi ce 

565-7037 listings 

1220 N. Suey Road · Santa Maria, CA 93454 

805-928-2662 

Independent Cottages · Assisted Living Apartments 

24-Hour Special Care 

Lic. #425800597 


HOUSING 

www.westmont.edu 


( SBCC) 

721 Cliff Drive 


965-0581, x2262 

Discrimination 

A landlord, manager or real estate 

agent cannot refuse to rent, sell or 

negotiate with a potential tenant 

because of age, race sex, national 

origin, religion, marital status, 

sexual orientation, phys i cal disabil 

i ty or the presence of children 

in the family. File complaints or 

inquire about your rights with one 

of the following agencies: 

Fair Employment and 

Housing Dept. 

Housing: 800-884-1684 

TTY: 800-800-2320 

www.dfeh.ca.gov 

Investigates discrimination complaints 

on the basis of race, color, 

sex, national origin, mar i tal 

status, creed, and/or handicap 

regarding housing, employment 

or ac com mo da tion. 

Legal Aid Foundation of 


Senior Citizens Law Center 

301 S. Miller #116 


922-9909 

Fax 347-4494 

110 S. “C” St., Ste. C 


736-6582 

Fax 740-2773 



963-6754 

Fax 963-6756 

www.lafsbc.org 

Provides legal assistance to 

senior citizens of Santa Barbara 

County on a case by case basis 

with housing concerns. 

Tenant/Landlord 

Mediation 

For other Tenant/Landlord Problems 

the following agencies have trained 

staff available to provide you with 

current in for ma tion and tenant/ 

landlord counseling, their services 

may also include conciliation, medi 

a tion and/or arbitration. Concil 

i a tion means limited intervention 

by telephone or mail. Mediation is a 

process in which a voluntary agree- 

Senior Living Consultants 

www.SeniorLivingConsultants.com 

18 West Micheltorena, Suite C 


805-963-6045 

805-963-6046 fax 

We Provide Placement Services 

in Ventura, Santa Barbara and 

San Luis Obispo Counties. 

We specialize in helping you and 

your loved ones find Independent, 

Assisted Living, and Alzheimer’s 

Care Retirement Homes. 

805-963-6045 

A FREE PLACEMENT AGENCY 


ment is reached with the assistance 

of a neutral third party. Arbitration 

is a hearing con duct ed by a neutral 

third party who hears both sides and 

then issues a decision. 

Rental Housing Mediation 

Task Force 



730-1523 

Fax 730-1528 

Provides basic information on rental 

rights to tenants and landlords. 

Offers mediation services in rental 

housing dis putes without resorting 

to the cost and delays of the courts. 

Task force consists of landlords, 

tenants and homeowners. 

CA Rural Legal Assistance 

923 Olive St. # 2 


963-5981 

Provides services that relate to 

unlawful detainer defense, sub stan - 

dard housing and tenant rights. 

Housing Repair 




965-1001 

Fax 965-2178 


SAIL program assists seniors and 

people with disabilities in the 

repair and maintenance of their 

homes. They provide some general 

upkeep assistance, make safety 

mod i fi ca tions, and also build 

wheel chair ramps and install grab 

bars. No fees; donations only. 

Economic Opportunity 

Commission 

1030 Southwood Dr. 


541-4122 

800-495-0501 

Fax 549-8388 

www.ecoslo.org

Provides home repair, weath er - 

iza tion services in Santa Maria Valley. 

No fees; donations only. 

Housing Rehabilitation Loan 

Program 


630 Garden St. 


564-5461 

Fax 564-5477 

Lompoc 



736-1261 x271 

Fax 736-5347 

City of Guadalupe 

918 Obispo St 


343-1340 x122 

This federally funded program 

offers loans to low and moderate 

income homeowners living within 

the limits of the above cities. Deferred 

interest loans are offered 

to those over 62 and to handicapped 

individuals. Pur pose is 

to provide repair, im prove ments 

or make the home hand i capped 

ac ces si ble. 

Housing Re ha bil i ta tion 

Revolving Loan Program 




736-1261 x271 

Fax 736-5347 

This state funded program offers 

a low interest (3%) owner occu 

pied re ha bil i ta tion loan., Up 

to $30,000 available for re ha - 

bil i ta tion and $40,000 for room 

additions. Persons over 60 years 

of age have 20 years to repay the 

loan. 

Utilities 

If you are ever in danger of having 

your source of energy cut off 

because you are unable to pay your 

bill, it is best to call the billing 

dept. of the particular utility company 

before you are cut off and 

explain your sit u a tion. In many, 

they are amenable to work ing out a 

payment plan. 

Community Action 

Commission/Energy Services 

5638 Hollister Ave., Rm. 230 


964-8857 

Fax 683-5872 

HEAP 655-0617 

North County offi ce 

120 W. Chestmut 


800-655-0617 

Fax 740-4558 

www.cacsb.com 

CAC has a weatherization pro gram 

and provides utility as sis tance 

through the Home Energy Assis 

tance Program (HEAP). HEAP 

can provide for eligible persons a 

once a year payment to one energy 

ac count. HEAP does not provide 

crisis services; time to process appli 

ca tions is 4 months. 

Southern California Gas 

Com pa ny 

800-427-2200 

800-342-4545 (Spanish) 

www.socalgas.com/residential/ 

assistance 

HOUSING 

Has a CARE Program which provides 

a 20% reduction in monthly 

bill for those eligible. Application 

must be completed. Provides 

energy efficient home improvements 

to help with energy usage 

is qualified. May include repair 

and replacement of faulty furnaces 

(800-331-7593.) Has a 

Medical Baseline Program which 

files application. Also has service 

es tab lish ment discount program 

is eligible. 

Will lite pilot lights and help with 

home appliances. 

Southern California Edison 

800-447-6620 x2 CARE 

Has several programs for people 

who qualify. Relamping Program; 

Re frig er a tor Replacement Program; 

Evaporator Cooler Program. 

Pacifi c Gas & Electric 

866-743-2273 

Has CARE REACH and Medical 

Baseline Program for those qualified. 

Call for information and ap pli ca tion. 

Feels More Like Home 

Marian Residence provides attractive living quarters where active 

seniors are able to enjoy quality care in serene surroundings. 

The beautiful Full Service facility with it’s extensive well-kept grounds 

is more like a home and provides: 

Private room and bath • Three meals daily 

Weekly maid and linen service • Security • and more 

We have a few openings to join our “family” now. 

124 SOUTH COLLEGE DRIVE 

SANTA MARIA, CALIFORNIA 93454 

(805) 922-7731 

Licensed by the State of California 

Department of Social Service 

Lic. No. FYI-421701172 


HOUSING 

City of Santa Barbara City Hall 

Finance Department 

735 Anacapa St. 


564-5346 

Fax 897-1993 


Tax Collector’s Offi ce 

105 E. Anapamu St., #109 


568-2934 

Cable Television Discounts 

Senior discounts for those 65+ and 

low income are available for basic 

cable services. 

Comcast Cable Co. 

32323 Thompson Way 


800-COMCAST 

646 North H St. 


Cox Communications 

683-6651 

Provides info to seniors that call 

in about discount. Application is 

provided and then sent to SB City 

officials for review. If approved, 

the discount is provided. 

Tip: HOME REPAIR SCAMS ALERT 

Never Buy Home Re pairs From Door To Door Sellers 

Many elderly persons are tar get ed by scam artists who use high pressure 

tactics to sell un need ed and overpriced con tracts for “home im prove ments.” 

Often they charge more than their customers are led to be lieve. And then, 

when the senior refuses to pay for shoddy or incomplete work, the con trac tor 

or its close ly af fi l i at ed fi nancial institution, at tempts to force payment by 

placing a lien on the senior’s home and making threats. 

How Seniors Can Protect Them selves 

There are several basic steps one can take which can prevent a problem 

from arising: 

• Never deal with any door to door contractors or buy repairs ad ver tised on 

TV. Deal with local trades people rec om mend ed by friends or rep u ta ble 

building supply stores. 

• Before agreeing to hire any home improvement contractor, get at least 

a second es ti mate for the same work from another con trac tor. 

• Get a written contract or estimate describing the work, the price, the 

re spon si bil i ty for cleaning up, and the hourly rate for any added work. 

• Get references for the contractor and speak to those ref er enc es. Ask about 

sat is fac tion and any, problems that arose. 

• Take a look at other work performed by the same con trac tor. 

If problems have developed with a contractor’s work, seniors should 

im me di ate ly take steps to protect their interests, such as: 

• Obtain an estimate from a professional detailing how much dam age 

was done by the contractor and the value of what ev er services were rendered. 

• Take detailed pictures of the work or damage left by the con trac tor and 

date them. These photos can be used in court to show the nature and 

extent of the problem. 

• Hire an expert (architect, reputable contractor, etc.) to look at the work for 

quality and compliance with specifi - 

cations. The expert can also provide 

an estimate re gard ing the fairness of 

the price for work com plet ed, the extent 

of physical damage, and its cost 

to repair. 

What To Do When a Dispute 

Arises 

A senior victimized by an unscrupulous 

contractor should consult 

an at tor ney im me di ate ly. An attorney 

may be able to help by fi nding 

de fens es against any lawsuit brought 

by the contractor or lender and possibly 

by fi nding claims that the senior 

has for damages suffered as the 

result of the con trac tor’s conduct . 

Source: Na. Consumer Law Center 


Finding an Attorney 

When seeking legal advice, fi nding 

a knowledgeable, competent attorney 

is extremely important. One of 

the surest ways to fi nd an attorney 

is through personal recommendation, 

such as: 

Friend 

Relative 

Co-worker 

An attorney you know and trust 

Support group 

Individuals who have faced the 

same problem may have already 

done the legwork in tracking down 

a com pe tent attorney. 

Lawyers Referral Service 

P.O. Box 93 


684-4300 

Fax 684-4333 

The Lawyer Referral Service serves 

Santa Barbara County. For a 

small fee, the service will make 

the appointment for you, and a 

30 minute consultation is provided. 

By describing your needs, 

a referral can be made to an 

attorney in the area of practice 

that can most help you. Personal 

injury referrals are pro vid ed at 

no cost; low income seniors who 

need a will may receive a free 

referral. It is important to check 

the qualifications of an attorney 

and to call around and compare 

fees and experience. 

Members of AARP can access 

AARP Legal Services Network. This 

includes a free initial con sul ta tion 

and reduced fees. 

800-687-2277 

www.aarp.org.lsn 

The Yellow Pages of the telephone 

book have an extensive list of at tor - 

neys. There are special sections under 

“Attorneys” for “Elder Law,” “Social 

Security Law,” “Health Care and 

Hospital Law,” “Probate Law,” and 

“Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning.” 

Lastly, low or free legal services 

may also be available depending on 

income. 

Low/No-Cost Legal 

Services 

Criminal 

Public Defender 

Santa Barbara County Courthouse 


568-3470 

Fax 568-3536 

312 #P, E. Cook St. 


346-7500 

Fax 346-7670 



737-7770 

Fax 737-7881 

Open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 

p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, the Public Defender, upon 

order of the court or upon request 

of the de fen dants, defends any 

person not fi nan cial ly able to employ 

counsel and who is charged 

with any contempt or criminal 

offense in Superior Court. 

Civil 

California Rural Legal 

Assistance 

2050 S. Broadway, Ste. G 


922-4563 

Fax 928-0693 

324 E. Carrillo 

Santa Barbara, CA 

963-5981 

From 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 

p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, 

Thurs day, and Friday, legal 

representation is provided to low 

income people in civil matters 

(housing, education, labor, and 

health). Legal rep re sen ta tion for 

persons ter mi nat ed from welfare, 

unemployment, and Social Security. 

No criminal cases handled. 

All calls must be screened by 

telephone. 

LEGAL 

Legal Aid Foundation 



963-6754 

Fax 963-6756 

110 South “C” St., Ste. B 


736-6582 

Fax 740-2773 

301 S. Miller #116 


922-9909 

Fax 347-4494 

www.LAFSBC.org 

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday 

through Thursday, senior citizens 

of Santa Barbara County on a 

case by case basis can receive 

legal services. Emphasis on Social 

Security, landlord/tenant, and 

family law. 

Legal Aid Foundation also offers 

services at senior centers 

through out Santa Barbara 

County. Call the office nearest 

you for information. 

Other free legal services are provided 

by the Foundation for 

low income persons: civil suits, 

landlord/tenant problems, family 

law matters, ad min is tra tive hearings 

(Social Security, Disability, 

Unemployment, Welfare). No 

criminal cases. Aid in housing and 

employment discrimination, as 

well as consumer debt and defense 

litigation problems. 

For legal tax assistance, see Financial 

Service. 

Wills 

A Will is a document that specifi 

es how you wish to have your 

assets distributed after you die and 

des ig nates who will carry out your 

wishes. In almost all cases, it is 

advisable to have a Will. 

If you are 60 years of age or older 

and have liquid assets (not counting 

your home) of no more than 

$15,000.00, you may be eligible to 

have a simple Will prepared for you 


LEGAL 

for $125.00 through the Lawyer 

Referral Ser vice. 

Another possibility might be a 

Ho lo graph ic Will, a term used to 

describe a handwritten Will. No 

part of the document can be typed. 

It is important to state that the 

doc u ment is intended as a Will and 

is properly dated and signed. It 

does not require a lawyer or to be 

witnessed, though witnesses may 

be advisable if there is a question 

of competency. 

The Holographic Will can super 

sede any printed Will as long 

as it has been executed correctly. 

It is wise to have a Holographic 

Will reviewed by an attorney if you 

are not entirely confi dent that you 

have followed a legal format. Very 

often Holographic Wills are not 

executed correctly and the consequence 

is that it may be de ter - 

mined to be invalid. In an effort to 

provide a simple means of prepar 

ing a Will without the help of 

an attorney, the State of Cal i for nia 

de vel oped the “California Statutory 

Will.” It in cludes all the necessary 

language required and its use 

can avoid many of the pitfalls of a 

Ho lo graph ic Will. The “California 

Stat u to ry Will” can be obtained 

from most sta tio nery stores or the 

California State Bar Association. 

Be sure to tell your Executor (the 

person you name to carry out your 

Will) where the original Will is 

kept and give him or her a copy. 

How to Maintain 

Con trol Over 

Your Affairs 

Planning for Incapacity 

People are used to planning for 

death. They are familiar with 

traditional estate planning which 

involves counseling and planning 

for the disposition of their estate 

making sure that their property 

goes to the people they want it to 

go to. They usually try to minimize 

the taxes and other expenses that 

will have to be paid at death. 

But too few people plan for disabil 

i ty or incapacity during their 

lifetime. 

The consequence of failing to plan 

is often the loss of control over 

who will make decisions and how 

those decisions will be made. 

Why Plan? 

• To allow fi nancial and health 

care decisions to be made 

without the need for court intervention 

or con ser va tor ship 

proceedings. 

• To ease the fi nancial and emotion 

al burden on spouse or 

other family members. 

• To have control over who 

makes your decisions and how 

they are made. 

• To protect the fi nancial resourc 

es of spouse and family if 

nursing home care required. 

What Can Be Done To Plan for 

Health Care? 

An Advance Health Care Directive 

(since July 1, 2000) and its pre de - 

ces sor, a Durable Power of Attorney 

for Health Care, enable an 

individual to give another person 

legal authority to make medical 

decisions in the event of incapacity. 

They also allow one the ability to 

specify how he or she wants these 

decisions to be made. Since July 1, 

2000, one can specify instructions 

for prolonging or not prolonging 

life even if one does not want to 

appoint an agent. A person must 

be legally com pe tent when executing 

these documents; however, 

they will remain in effect throughout 

a person’s mental or physical 

im pair ments. 

The new law on the Advance 

Health Care Directive governs the 

new forms and the old forms (the 

Durable Power of Attorney for 

Health Care). Durable Powers of 


Attorney for Health Care executed 

before January 1, 1992, have expired. 

It is rec om mend ed that you 

execute a new Advance Health Care 

Directive. It is wise to review these 

documents yearly and to execute 

new forms whenever a change in 

your agent needs to be made. 

FREE copies of the Advance Health 

Care Directive are available at the: 

Area Agency on Aging 

Santa Barbara 

965-3288 

Santa Maria 

925-9554 

To register the Advance Health 

Care Directive or Durable Power 

of At tor ney for Health Care, mail 

to: 

Secretary of State 

1500 11th St. 


Conservatorship of the Person 

Conservatorship of the person is a 

public legal pro cess for as sum ing 

control over an incapacitated 

in di vid u al’s personal affairs. The 

conservator is responsible for making 

sure the conservatee is properly 

fed, clothed, and housed. The 

Con ser va tor ship is usually the last 

alternative considered, but may be 

necessary if the person is already 

unable to manage his/her own 

affairs. A court hearing is required 

before a con ser va tor can be appoint 

ed. Legal expenses are high. 

Well drafted and current Advance 

Health Care Directives and Durable 

Powers can avoid the need for 

a conservatorship in most cases, 

if it was executed when there was 

com pe ten cy. 


Guard ian 

P.O. Box 2517 


568-2790 

Fax 568-2487 

North County offi ce 

346-8337

Conservator of last resort, in ves - 

ti gates need for conservatorship 

by Public Guardian for frail elderly 

and brain inpaired adults. 

What Can Be Done 

To Plan For The 

Management Of As sets? 

Durable Power of Attorney for 

Property Management may be 

con sid ered an alternative to trusts 

or Con ser va tor ship. It must be created 

while the person still has legal 

capacity. The creator of the power, 

or “prin ci pal,” may choose to have 

all his/her assets or only specifi ed 

assets managed by another person, 

the “agent” or “attorney in fact,” 

and may defi ne the manner in 

which the power is used. The principal 

may choose to have the power 

to be effective im me di ate ly upon 

its creation and not be affected by 

his/her subsequent in ca pac i ty, or 

to have it effective only after he/ 

she later becomes in ca pac i tat ed. 

The principal may specify the 

cir cum stanc es under which his/ 

her incapacity will be determined. 

Express powers are necessary to 

give the agent the powers needed 

for gifting and self-gifting, dealing 

with retirement benefi ts, government 

benefi ts, pension benefi ts or 

IRS matters. The prin ci pal may revoke 

a power of attorney for health 

or fi nancial affairs at any time as 

long as s/he is still com pe tent. 

The court can revoke this power if 

it determines that there has been 

mis man age ment. However, re vo - 

ca tions may be too late to recover 

assets. Thus as with the Durable 

Power of Attorney for Health Care, 

and Ad vance Health Care Di rec - 

tives, it is important to consult an 

attorney regarding the utilization 

of the Durable Power of Attorney 

for Property Management, even 

though it can be utilized without 

an attorney’s assistance. The agent 

has a great deal of control over 

an individual’s assets. Although 

the Civil Code provides for sanctions 

against those refusing to 

honor valid documents, banks and 

bro ker age houses may not accept 

the Durable Power of Attorney for 

Property Management (often they 

provide their own). It is important 

to check with your fi nancial institution 

to determine what they will 

require and to sign the institution 

forms. 

If a fi nancial institution resists 

honoring the agent, ask the su per - 

vi sor to send a copy of the Durable 

Power to their legal department for 

evaluation and approval. 

A Living Trust 

Can provide protection in a number 

of areas, including avoidance 

of probate, avoidance of Con ser va - 

tor ship, and the protection of privacy. 

It is an ar range ment through 

which the property of a person 

(the “settlor”) is transferred into a 

trust, including real estate, bank 

accounts, stocks and bonds, and 

insurance policies. The trust instru 

ment will specify how property 

is to be used during the benefi ciary’s 

life and who is to receive the 

contents of the trust after his/her 

death. The powers granted in the 

trust and the powers granted in the 

LEGAL 

Durable Power of Attorney should 

be consistent and parallel. 

Declaration of Homestead 

Persons who own their own home 

may be able to protect a portion 

of the equity value, in the event 

of a forced sale in order to satisfy 

unpaid debts, by pre par ing and 

recording a dec la ra tion of homestead. 

This cannot protect against 

Medi-Cal eligibility re stric tions 

regarding assets. 

Conservatorship of the Estate 

Similar to the Conservatorship 

of the person, this allows for the 

man age ment of the conservatee’s 

money and other property. Court 

pro ceed ings to designate a con ser - 

va tor are required. This is usually 

the last method considered, but 

may be necessary if the individual 

is already unable to manage his/ 

her own affairs. A well-drafted Durable 

Power of Attorney for Property 

Management can avoid the need 

for a con ser va tor ship of the estate 

in most cases, if executed when the 

person still has legal capacity. 

Public Benefi ts Planning 

Planning for public benefi ts may 

be desirable if the incapacitated 

adult even tu al ly needs the care of 

Consultation and Representation for 

•Estate and Long Term Care Planning 

•Eligibility for Medi-Cal Benefits 

•Conservatorship Proceedings 

•Durable Powers of Attorney 

•Trust, Probate and Conservatorship Litigation 

David C. Turpin 

ATTORNEY AT LAW 

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys 

735 State Street Suite 623 • Santa Barbara, CA 93101 

805-965-3079 • dturpin@turpinlaw.com 


LEGAL 

a skilled nursing facility and funds 

are limited. Medi care coverage for 

skilled nursing fa cil i ties is very 

restricted. For Medi care to cover 

nursing home costs, the individual 

must have spent three overnights 

in a hospital in the 30 days preceding 

nursing home admission, and 

the individual must require and 

receive skilled nursing services, 

not just cus to di al care. Even then, 

Medi care pays 100% for only the 

fi rst 20 days and pays nothing 

after day 100. For days 21-100, the 

individual must pay a co-pay of approximately 

$114 per day in 2005. 

Medicare will stop paying sooner 

if the skilled nursing ser vic es stop. 

Examples of skilled nursing servic 

es are physical therapy, speech 

therapy, oc cu pa tion al therapy, and 

IV therapy. 

Some Medicare supplemental 

in sur ance plans cover all or part 

of the co-pay, but only in the 

cir cum stanc es and only so long as 

Medi care applies. Long-term care 

insurance policies may cover all or 

part of long-term custodial care 

bills, but policies vary widely and 

should be carefully chosen for these 

options. Be cause Medi care covers 

so little and so few seniors have 

private long-term care in sur ance, 

many middle class couples or indi 

vid u als may have to plan for and 

rely on Medi-Cal benefi ts. Through 

ex pe ri enced legal advice and planning 

strategies that comply with 

the law, middle class couples and 

in di vid u als may qualify for Medi- 

Cal without losing their assets. It is 

im por tant that Medi-Cal planning 

be on a case by case basis, with the 

assistance of an attorney, to ensure 

the spouse needing skilled care is 

adequately cared for and the spouse 

residing outside the facility has the 

re sourc es to support him/herself. 

For many couples and families, the 

high cost of care makes paying for 

nursing homes without Medi-Cal 

fi nancially pro hib i tive. 

Medi-Cal long term care planning 

is a specialized area with complex 

rules. Make sure that you get 

legal advice from an attorney with 

current training and ex pe ri ence 

in Medi-Cal. Many middle –class 

persons can qualify for Medi-Cal 

with experienced advice and/or a 

judges order . 

Planning for 

Medi-Cal Ben e fi ts 

The high cost of long-term care is a 

problem that all Californians, and, 

indeed all Americans, have come 

to recognize as one of the largest 

prob lems in the health care arena. 

How ev er, when a family member 

actually ex pe ri enc es the need for 

long-term care, either because 

of Alzheimer’s disease or other 

illness or condition, the problem 

of fi nanc ing long-term care no 

longer is simply a policy question 

but be comes a real issue for family 

members. Because custodial care 

is not covered under the Medi care 

program, and be cause private 

insurance policies either do not 

offer this coverage or charge substantial 

pre mi ums, the Medi-Cal 

program, California’s need based 

health care program is looked to 

as a source of payment for nursing 

home care by both low income and 

middle class families. Couples with 

sub stan tial resources may even be 

able to qualify for Medi-Cal for 

a nursing home after an application 

is denied if they get good legal 

advice and perhaps a fair hearing 

or a court hearing. Never assume 

you cannot qualify, even if you are 

initially turned down. See a compe 

tent attorney with training and 

ex pe ri ence in Medi-Cal long term 

care planning to avail yourself of 

the laws to prevent the im pov er - 

ish ment of the at-home spouse or 

to ac cel er ate an in di vid u al’s el i gi - 

bil i ty. 


California’s Medi-Cal pro gram 

is a state and federal subsidized 

pro gram. Be cause the Medi-Cal 

pro gram receives federal funds, the 

state must com ply with federal law 

re gard ing eligibility. As a result of 

changes to the federal law enacted 

in 1996, Medi-Cal is available to 

legal res i dents under very limited 

circumstances. Ad di tion al ly, the 

program is means tested for all 

applicants, so eligibility and co-pay 

are established on ex am i na tion of 

re sourc es and income avail able to 

the applicant. 

Resources 

As of January 1, 2005, the spouse at 

home can retain the fi rst $95,100 

in countable resources available to 

the couple at the time of application. 

Separate property, i.e. money 

from an inheritance or bequest or 

from a previous marriage, is not 

con sid ered “separate” and thus will 

be counted in the total resources. 

The home, one car and IRA’s are 

not count able. 

Example: John and Mary have 

$50,000 in a joint account and 

Mary has a $50,000 CD in her own 

name. She inherited the $50,000 

from her mother. John enters a 

nursing home. 

Normally, John can be eligible for 

Medi-Cal as soon as they spend 

their total resources ($100,000) 

down to $97,100, which is the 

re source allowance for Mary, plus 

$2,000, which is the Medi-Cal 

property limit for John. However, 

if Mary’s fi xed income in her own 

name is less than $2,378/month 

(gross), she may seek to get her 

re source allowance in creased 

through a fair hearing or court 

hearing. The amount of increase 

is de ter mined by Mary’s gross income 

and by the going CD rate .

Physical Separation 

of Assets 

Within 90 days of Medi-Cal approval, 

the in sti tu tion al ized spouse 

must transfer to the com mu ni ty 

spouse any ownership interest 

s/he main tains in the community 

spouse resource allowance/assets. 

In John and Mary’s case, for 

example, Mary must take John’s 

name off all of the assets with the 

exception of the $2,000 and keep 

it in her name. Otherwise, it will 

be con sid ered “available” to John. 

A court order may be necessary to 

do this if John has lost capacity to 

sign the transfer doc u ments. 

Court Order 

In some circumstances, a court 

order can be obtained to allow 

the com mu ni ty spouse to retain 

re sourc es over the com mu ni ty 

spouse re source al low ance, i.e. over 

the $95,100 limit. 

Example: John and Mary have 

$200,000 in a joint account. John 

enters a nursing home. Normally, 

John would be eligible for Medi- 

Cal only after they spend down to 

$97,100, i.e. $95,100 for Mary and 

$2,000 prop er ty limit for John. 

However, if John is mentally 

in ca pac i tat ed, Mary could ask her 

attorney to obtain a court order 

authorizing an increase in her resource 

allowance in order to generate 

the monthly income allowable. 

Thus, Mary could retain more than 

the $95,100 resource allowance. 

Income 

Effective January 1, 2005, the 

com mu ni ty (at-home) spouse will 

be able to keep all of the couples’ 

income up to $2,378/month. This 

amount is adjusted annually. If the 

retirement income of the commu 

ni ty spouse is less than $2,378. 

per month, a fair hearing or court 

hearing can be re quest ed to increase 

the resources to generate a 

total of $2,378/month. 

Example 1: John is in a nursing home 

and Mary lives at home. John receives 

a pension of $2,000/month. Mary 

receives a pension of $267/month. 

Since Mary is allowed a minimum 

income of $2,378/month, $2,000 

of John’s income could be allocated 

to her to bring her up to $2,378. 

Mary does not have to get part 

of John’s income allocated to her 

right away. She can choose instead 

fi rst to increase her re source allowance 

and then to get the allocation. 

Under the present rules, if the athome 

spouse re ceives more than 

$2,378/month in his or her name 

only, under the “name on the instru 

ment” rule, s/he will be able to 

keep it all. 

Example 2: Mary receives $3,000 

in a pension and John receives 

only $300. John is in the nursing 

home. Since Mary’s pension is in 

her name only, she can keep it all. 

She will not be allowed to keep any 

of John’s income, since she already 

received more than $2,378/month; 

but if her bills exceed $2,378/ 

month, she may seek a court order 

increasing her allowable income. 

Fair Hearing 

Either spouse can fi le for a Fair 

Hearing to allow the at-home 

spouse to retain ad di tion al income 

gen er at ing re sourc es. 

If for example, the well-spouse’s total 

income is only $1,000/month, 

they could fi le for a Fair Hearing to 

allow the at-home spouse to keep 

additional resources that would 

generate an additional $1,378/ 

month in income, thus, bringing 

the at-home spouse’s income up 

to $2,378/month. This is called 

“in creas ing the community spouse 

resource allowance.” 

Theoretically, a Fair Hearing can 

also be fi led to allow the at-home 

spouse to increase the income allowance 

if it can be shown he/she needs 

more than $2,378/month for living 

expenses, e.g. high rent or mortgage 

LEGAL 

payment. In fact, how ev er, administrative 

law judges rarely increase the 

income al low ance even where there 

appears to the ordinary person to be 

severe hardship, but judges in Superior 

Court do grant such increases 

more readily. 

Transfer of Assets 

The laws in the area of Medi-Cal 

eligibility generally and transfer of 

assets specifi cally is the subject of 

imminent changes. Consult an attorney 

for up to date information . 

The Cal i for nia reg u la tions and practices 

in law require a 36-month or 60- 

month “look back” period to de ter - 

mine if an in sti tu tion al ized Medi-Cal 

applicant made an im prop er transfer 

of non-exempt assets. For transfer 

made from a trust, a 60-month look 

back period applies. 

An improper transfer is basically 

giving away property without receiv 

ing something of equal value in 

return. Such a transfer can result 

in the denial of Medi-Cal eligibility, 

de pend ing on the value of the proper 

ty transferred and the date of the 

transfer. If you have gifted or plan 

to gift prior to applying for Medi- 

Cal, seek legal advice im me di ate ly. 

The transfer policies apply to 

transfers made during the 36 or 60 

months prior to the date when an 

in sti tu tion al ized person applies for 

Medi-Cal or a Medi-Cal recipient 

becomes in sti tu tion al ized. 

Not all transfer of assets result in 

a period of ineligibility, however. If 

the Medi-Cal benefi ciary can make 

a satisfactory showing that the 

resource was exempt at the time of 

transfer, the transfer will not affect 

eligibility. Also the period of in el i gi 

bil i ty may already have run its time. 

There are no periods of ineligibility 

for transfers to a disabled child. If 

you have given gifts in the look-back 

period, it is critical to delay the appli 

ca tion until you consult with an 

attorney experienced in Medi-Cal 

long term care planning. 


LEGAL 

Your Home 

The home is an exempt asset and its 

value is not counted for the purposes 

of determining a spouse’s eligibility, 

but it is vulnerable to a Medi-Cal 

estate recovery claim after the death 

of the Medi-Cal recipient and spouse 

unless the home is protected by a 

properly done transfer prior to the 

death of the Medi-Cal recipient. The 

law in California allows for an exempt 

asset such as the primary home to 

be transferred to anybody without 

any penalty or loss of eligibility, but 

certain other documents and no ti fi ca 

tions must be done at the same time. 

If you are considering such a transfer, 

you should contact an attorney to 

review all the legal and tax con sid er - 

ations. Again, consult with an at tor ney 

who is knowledgeable about Medi-Cal. 

If you are caring for an individual who 

is incompetent or is facing in com - 

pe ten cy in the future and you have not 

made plans for the future, contact an 

attorney knowl edge able about Medi- 

Cal long term care planning. 

Other Legal Services 

There are several options available 

if you are involved in a dispute 

with your neighbor or you feel that 

someone owes you money. Mediation 

ser vic es are available if you 

are involved in a landlord/tenant 

dis pute, See Rental Housing Medi 

a tion Task Force. 

Many other consumer groups are 

available to assist you in resolving 

problems. See Consumer Complaints 

& In for ma tion, before 

you resort to legal action. 

Small Claims Court 

If you are involved in a dispute with 

your landlord over a deposit, any 

dispute where someone owes you 

money, or you desire the return of 

property that belongs to you, Small 

Claims Court is designed for you. 

Attorneys are not allowed to represent 

either side at the hearing. An 

attorney, however, can assist you in 

preparing your case. The max i mum 

amount of money you may collect 

is $5,000.00. If your claim is larger, 

you may consider hiring an attorney 

to take you case to a higher court. 

You fi le your suit in Small Claims 

Court either in the district where 

the problem occurred or in the 

district where the defendant (the 

person you are suing) resides. 

For more information (offers small 

claims procedural advice, no legal 

advice given), contact your local: 

Small Claims Advice 

1100 Anacapa St. 


568-2770 

568-3303 

Fax 568-2219 

312 C. Cook St. 


349-1289 

346-7681 

For advice go to Legal Resource 

Center at Santa Maria Superior 

Court, 312 E. Cook St. or 

www.sbcourts.org 

Locating a Notary Public 

Notary Publics can be found at 

many banks, real estate offi ces, and 

title companies and through the 

phone book. There is a small fee to 

have a document notarized. To locate 

a notary public and learn more 

about additional resources for assistance 

in crime prevention, defense 

rep re sen ta tion, dis crim i na tion, 

diversion, medical and law enforcement, 

contact Senior Connection. 

Immigration 

With the passage of welfare reform 

in 1996, the citizenship status of 

in di vid u als is an important de ter - 

mi nant of eligibility for publicly 

funded pro grams. Some programs 

that are means tested and available 

to senior citizens may be restricted 

to citizens when welfare reform is 

implemented. 


As a result, many elderly and 

disabled non-citizens legal immi 

grants cur rent ly receiving SSI 

may lose these benefi ts, unless 

they are legal im mi grants under 

certain limited cir cum stanc es. To 

retain eligibility for some programs, 

persons with legal status 

should consider citizenship. The 

citizenship process includes exams, 

pro cess ing, interview, and an oath 

cer e mo ny. 

The steps to citizenship include: 1) 

Nat u ral iza tion process; 2) Interview 

preparation with the INS; 3) 

In ter view; and 4) Nat u ral iza tion 

cer e mo ny. 




965-7045 

Fax 963-2978 

Language Ministry Program 

First Southern Baptist Church 

1009 E. Pine Ave. 


736-6531 

Provides a citizenship call to help 

candidates complete application 

forms and prepare for their 

cit i zen ship tests. 

Immigration and 

Naturalization 

United States Citizenship and 

Naturalization 

800-375-5283 

800-870-3676 - Automated 

phone service, must leave message. 

This office provides information 

and assistance on obtaining 

needed forms. Forms are available 

for changing your status, 

becoming a permanent resident 

and filing a visa petition for a 

relative. 

If you know what forms you 

need, call 800-870-3676.

Citizenship Services in 

Santa Barbara 

Services to assist legal immigrant 

adults become U.S. citizens. 


Cit i zen ship Center 

310 W. Padre St. Rm. 3 


687-7977 x241 & 242 

Fax 568-0960 

Services include: free citizenship 

preparation classes, citizenship 

exam administered in Santa Barbara, 

complete preparation of 

application, and I.N.S. Interview 

and Ceremony in Santa Barbara. 

Allan Hancock College- 

Citizenship Center 

800 S. College Dr. Bldg. T 


922-6966, x3209 

Fax 352-1046 

Services include: free citizen 

prep a ra tion classes, citizenship 

written exam, citizenship ap pli - 

ca tion processing. Also provides 

ESL classes and adult basic 

education. 

Citizenship applicants wishing to 

fi nd out the status of their pending 

ap pli ca tions need to write to 

US De part ment of Justice. Inquires 

should include the applicants full 

name, address, date of birth, dates 

in ter viewed, and alien registration 

number. 

United States Department of 

Justice 

P.O. Box 532469 

Los Angeles, CA 90053-2469 

Online, with app. ret.#: 

egov.immigration.gov/cris/jsps/ 

index.jsp 

800-375-5283 

There are a few attorneys who are 

Certifi ed Immigration Law Special 

ists in Santa Barbara. See the 

Yellow Pages under 

“Attorneys – Im mi gra tion.” 

LEGAL 

Con Games & Scams 

Some of the consumer frauds, gimmicks, and con games to be aware of are: 

Business Schemes: Be aware of work-at-home offers that require money up 

front and costs more than your profi ts. 

Home Repairs: Every spring these pop up offering “free inspections and estimates” 

for home repairs, including roofi ng, painting, etc. Make sure you see the contractor’s 

li cens es. If you are in need of home repairs, make your own contacts. 

Insurance Fraud: Be leery of low rates with big benefi ts. 

Medicare Fraud: Never buy ‘miracle cures’ without consulting your doctor. 

Property scams: Never purchase property before checking out the property 

and owner. 

Debt consolidation: Be careful of high interest rates. 

Bank scams: Helping with an undercover investigation of a bank employee by 

with draw ing your money which is then ‘evidence’ that you never see again. 

Signs of Fraud: 

1. Must pay to win. 

2. Must decide now. 

3. Pressure you for a credit card number. 

4. You must pay now. Cashier’s check or money order wired to an address. 

5. Instruct you to not tell anyone but to say you need the money for a ‘family emergen 

cy,’ so bank employees, family members, or friends will not be alerted. 

6. Tell you that this initial investment will be well worth it. 

Avoid Scams 

1. Don’t talk to them 

a. Get an answering machine. They can’t steal money from an answering 

ma chine. Telemarketers usually hang up and don’t leave a message. 

b. Get Caller I.D. Only answer calls from phone numbers you recognize or 

if you rec og nize the voice, let the answering machine pick up the rest. 

2. Never give money over the phone. 

3. If you want to give to a charity, seek it out yourself. Get the name, address, 

etc. and mail it to the organization . 

4. Report it. The most courageous thing a senior adult can do is to admit when 

s/he has been a victim of a crime, 99% of these criminals get caught committing 

another crime. Through that investigation the scam is detected. 

5. Do not have your social security number printed on your driver’s license. 

6. Avoid having bank debit cards. The money comes directly out of your 

checking ac count, making discrepancies harder to prove. Your account 

can be cleaned out with out your knowledge and you may accrue charges 

from bounced checks. If a credit card is stolen, you can challenge a charge 

to have it removed from your bill. 

To protect yourself from other forms of fraud never give out your credit card 

numbers, bank ID numbers, driver’s license number, social security number 

or any other similar in for ma tion. 

Never sign a contract without having a lawyer or family member read it fi rst. Follow 

up on any unpaid bills accrued by a deceased spouse. They could be phony. 

Trust Your Instincts. If you feel uneasy or leery about someone who has 

contacted you or if the offer seems like it is ‘too good to be true,’ it probably 

is. Check out the company or person by asking for local references, follow 

up wuith them check with the Better Busi ness Bureau. 


MENTAL HEALTH/COUNSELING 

Mental Health is more 

than the absence of 

mental illness; it is a 

state/condition characterized by a 

general sense of well-being, satisfying 

relationships with other 

people, and the ability to handle 

life’s ups and downs and the feelings 

that ac company these ups and 

downs. Through out our lives, the 

condition of our physical health 

as well as the number and kinds 

of other stresses in our lives affect 

our mental and emo tion al health. 

The way we have learned — or not 

learned — to cope with this stress 

also affects our ability to enjoy 

optimal mental health. 

Yet, just as our physical health 

may depend upon factors which 

are out of our control, such as our 

personal physical makeup, mental 

illness may have more to do with 

our individual biology, than with 

our habits or lifestyle. 

Adults born in the fi rst third of 

this century grew up accustomed 

to the experience of receiving help 

from extended families, friends 

and neigh bors in com mu ni ties 

which were relatively stable. Today, 

community agen cies and helping 

pro fes sion als provide assistance 

to older adults whose natural 

helping com mu ni ties may have 

disappeared. People who have been 

self- reliant in their younger years 

may not recognize their need for 

help or wish to accept help even 

though they may see the need for 

assistance. For these reasons and 

the stigma associated with mental 

and emotional problems, older 

adults and their family members 

may not pursue the mental health 

care available to them, which could 

signifi cantly improve their enjoyment 

and their quality of life. 

Many people do not realize that 

such help is available to them and 

that it is much more effective than 

that which could be provided less 

than a decade ago. 

While there are many mental 

health problems which deserve 

professional attention, there is 

not enough room in this resource 

guide to address but a few of them 

. One of the most mis un der stood 

mental health problems is depression 

. 

Depression 

It is unfortunate that many people 

believe that the loss of health, 

status, friends, family, careers, and 

other assumed trials of aging may 

doom older adults to live in a state 

of depression. Research suggests, 

however, that older adults do 

not ex pe ri ence depression signifi 

cantly more or less frequently 

than younger adults do. But when 

they do show signs of depression, 

they should be taken seriously, for 

depression may cause a rapid loss 

of physical health, and may lead to 

successful suicide more fre quent ly 

than the experience of de pres sion 

in younger adults. It is true, also, 

that older adults have different 

chal leng es to meet in their 

lives than younger adults. Older 

adults often need help to successfully 

meet these chal leng es just as 

younger people do; but the lifestyle 

of the older adult - often more 

isolated by choice or chance than 

that of the younger adult - may not 

afford op por tu ni ties to obtain this 

help. 

Depressive illness should not be 

confused with the transient feelings 

of unhappiness that everyone 

ex pe ri enc es — the periods of 

sadness associated with unhappy 

events and failures, or the emotional 

letdowns that occur com mon ly 

around hol i days. Nor should depressive 

disorders be confused with 

the intense grief brought about 

by the loss of a loved one. Sadness 

and grief are normal and tem po - 

rary reactions to life’s stresses; time 

heals, the mood lifts, and people 

continue to function. 


In contrast, individuals affl icted 

with a depressive illness do not 

feel better for months, sometimes 

for years. De pres sive illness affects 

feelings, thoughts and behaviors. 

Their symptoms include: 

• Persistent sad, anxious or 

“emp ty” feelings; 

• Withdrawal from previously 

enjoyed activities; 

• Persistent irritability or moodi 

ness; 

• Decreased energy, fatigue, being 

slowed down; 

• Loss of interest or pleasure in 

usual activities; 

• Sleep disturbances, (in som nia, 

early-morning waking, or oversleep 

ing); 

• Appetite and weight changes 

(either loss or gain); 

• Increase in compulsive or rit u - 

al is tic behaviors; 

• Feelings of guilt, worth less - 

ness, help less ness; 

• Thoughts of death or suicide, 

suicide attempts; 

• Diffi culty in concentrating, remem 

ber ing, making decisions; 

• Increased suspiciousness/fear 

even to the point of visual hallu 

ci na tions; 

• Chronic aches or persistent 

bodily symptoms that are not 

caused by physical disease. 

Symptoms of depression are often 

mis di ag nosed as “senility”, “organic 

brain syndrome” or mistaken 

for the everyday prob lems of the 

aged. For example, the memory 

loss, confused thinking or apathy 

which are also symptomatic of 

early dementia may actually be due 

to de pres sion. On the other hand, 

the early awakening and reduced 

appetite typical of depression are 

com mon among many older persons 

who are not depressed. 

Nevertheless, and further com pli - 

cat ing diagnosis, elderly persons

arely admit feelings of de pres sion. 

Often they in cor rect ly attribute 

their depressive symp toms to 

physical ailments, and either 

ignore them or seek in ap pro pri ate 

treatment for their perceived illness, 

when they really need mental 

health care. Treatment for depression 

should always be preceded by 

a thor ough physical exam to rule 

out medical con trib ut ing factors. 

Depression may accompany many 

of the illnesses that affl ict older 

persons, such as Parkinson’s Disease, 

cancer, arthritis, strokes, and 

the early stages of Alzheimer’s and 

other neurological diseases. Treating 

depression in these situations 

can reduce unnecessary suffering 

and help affl icted in di vid u als cope 

with their medical problems. Medications 

taken by older persons or 

inadequate diets, often a problem 

of older individuals who live alone, 

can also cause depression as a 

side effect. Alcohol is a depressant 

itself, con trib utes greatly to the 

de pressed mood of the person. Depression 

in its residual form may 

be missed di ag nos ti cal ly because 

the person is not longer tearful. 

Careful observation by a knowledge 

able person, in addition to 

so phis ti cat ed medical evaluation, 

may be necessary to identify the 

depressed older person. A phy si - 

cian or other mental health professional 

at tempt ing to dif fer en ti ate 

between dementia and depression 

may call on family mem bers or 

longtime friends for in for ma tion 

on the patient’s history, since the 

onset of de pres sion may be more 

sudden than the usual slow and 

gradual process of dementia. Also, 

the individual with organic problems 

typically minimizes loss of 

mental function such as memory 

while the depressed person exaggerates 

the loss. It is pos si ble for 

a person to have de pres sion and 

another brain insult. 


The experience of changes in 

mood or the workings of the mind 

should never be assumed to be the 

result of the normal process of 

aging - they are always a sign that 

something is wrong with a person’s 

health and that the individual 

needs medical help. The majority 

of the mental health prob lems of 

older adults are treatable and reversible. 

As is true with any illness, 

the earlier the treat ment of mental 

health problems takes place, the 

more likely it is that the individual 

will regain the capability of living a 

normal life. Again, the ap pear ance 

of be hav ior, thought, or emotional 

problems are not a normal experience 

in later life. There is no justifi 

cation for anyone of any age to 

suffer needlessly from depression 

or other mental health problems 

because of lack of treat ment. Older 

persons respond to treat ment as 

well as younger persons. 

Information on Depression is 

re print ed in part from “Depressive 

Illness: Treatments Bring New 

Hope” (US Department of Health 

and Human Services Public Health 

Service, Alcohol, Drug Abuse and 

Mental Health Ad min is tra tion). 

The Grieving Process 

Grief is a natural accompaniment 

to any signifi cant loss in our lives. 

The grieving process may include 

a feeling of shock or numbness, anger 

or irritation, fear or anxiety in 

addition to sadness. Having these 

feelings after the loss of a loved 

one is natural. 

The more losses that occur for an 

in di vid u al in a short period of time 

the more diffi cult to grieve as one 

never recovers before the next loss 

occurs. 

Feelings associated with grieving 

are also common around other 

losses as well; for example, retirement 

(loss of job, social status, role 

as provider, level of income) or illness 

(loss of ability to function as 

before, loss of mobility, of physical 

stamina or energy, loss of certain 

activities and social contacts). Loss 

of a pet to a person with limited 

social contacts or “family” can be 

traumatic. 

Taking on the role of becoming a 

caregiver to a disabled or ill spouse 

or other family member can also 

trigger feelings of anger, fear or 

sadness. As the caregiver copes 

with the loss of the kind of relationship 

s/he used to have with the 

person now cared for, loss of free 

time or of activities in the com mu - 

ni ty, many feelings may arise, some 

un wel come or even over whelm ing. 

This is exacerbated by the heavy 

phys i cal demands of caregiving. 

To help process normal feelings of 

grief and keep from getting stuck 

in de pres sion, it can be helpful to 

fi nd a group or in di vid u al who can 

support you in working with your 

feelings. If sadness turns into feelings 

of help less ness, hopelessness 

or emptiness and mean ing less ness, 

or persists over a long period of 

time, it may be im por tant to talk 

to a professional coun se lor. At 

times med i ca tion may be prescribed, 

under su per vi sion, to 

enhance mood as depression may 

result in neurotransmitter de ple - 

tion in the brain. 

Sharing Support 

Research (and common sense) 

suggest that there are certain 

steps that can be taken to en hance 

mental and emo tion al will-being. 

Primary among the ways to ensure 

a higher level of well being is peer 

support. We need other people 

to interact with to care about us 

and for us to care about. When 

some people feel badly, they want 

to isolate and keep it all inside. 

Getting to geth er with others who 

share your concerns and commit 

to taking positive steps to support 

each other can be very powerful 

medicine, although professional 

help may also be necessary. 



Emergency Psy chi at ric 

Services 

County Mental Health 

Assessment Team (MHAT) 

For mental health or behavior 

man age ment crisis for older adults 

who may have become gravely 

disabled and can not provide food, 

care or shelter for themselves, or, 

who may be a danger to themselves 

or others, call: 9-1-1 and ask for 

County Dispatch. When County 

Dispatch calls back tell them the 

person needs the County Mental 

Health As sess ment Team to 

provide an emer gen cy assessment 

for treat ment. The MHAT must be 

called to provide an ‘in vol un tary 

hold’ for clients who need hospi 

tal iza tion but are not likely to 

comply. 


Hos pi tal 


P.O. Box 689 


569-8339 

800-895-7800 

Provides 24- hour assessment 

and crisis intervention for Adult 

psy chi at ric and chemical depen 

den cy con cerns. It is also a 

centralized eval u a tion and intake 

for hos pi tal iza tions, as well as triaging 

and referral to all Cot tage 

Hospital psychiatric and substance 

abuse in and outpatient 

programs. This service is located 

at the Emer gen cy Department at 

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. 

Urgent Support 

HELPLINE 2-1-1 

A seven-day-a-week, 24 hour telephone 

program in Santa Barbara 

County to provide immediate emotion 

al support and re as sur ance to 

anyone who needs the service. 

Santa Barbara 

692-4011 (V/TDD) 

Santa Maria 

928-5818 (V/TDD) 

Lompoc 

734-2711 (V/TDD) 

Santa Ynez: 

688-1905 (V/TDD) 

Santa Barbara County Mental 

Health Crisis Intervention 

Call 9-1-1 for 24-hour emer gen cy 

psy chi at ric care and evaluation for 

treatment. 

In-Home Assessment 

If mental or emotional dif fi cul ties 

are severe enough to interfere 

with an older person’s day-to-day 

functioning, it would be wise to 

seek a professional evaluation to 

determine the course of the diffi 

culty and to rec om mend possible 

treatment for it. 

The agencies listed below will 

provide a comprehensive in-home 

assessment to help de ter mine if 

mental health services would be 

helpful. 


( GAP) 

Santa Barbara Co. Public Health 

Dept. 

300 N. San Antonio Rd. 


681-5266 

2125 S. Centrepointe Pkwy. 


346-8391 

This service provides assessment 

and referral to maintain the 

frail elderly in their home setting 

safely for as long as possible. 


123 W. Gutierrez Street 


965-1001 

The Senior Outreach Program 

provides in-home medical-psycho-social 

needs assessment and 

connects frail adults with ap pro - 

pri ate services. 


Center 

5350 Hollister # C 



967-0220 

800-443-1236 

This service is directed to fam i lies 

and caregivers of brain-impaired 

adults. They will make home 

visits through out Santa Barbara 

County. 

Gero/Psychiatric Hos pi tals 

Vista del Mar Hospital 

801 Seneca St. 


653-6434 

St. Johns Regional Medical 

Center 

1600 N. Rose Ave. 


988-2500 

These facilities provide 24 hour 

con sul ta tion for crisis in ter - 

ven tion and inpatient care for 

psy chi at ric and behavior manage 

ment crisis. They provide 

in vol un tary holds. It is necessary 

with certain insurance providers 

to seek care in a facility that 

accepts payment from the clients 

in sur ance plan. 

Out-Patient Coun sel ing 

Santa Barbara County Mental 

Health Clinics can now be accessed 

through a countywide toll 

free number: 888-868-1649. These 

clinics serve patients with Medi- 

Cal, Medicare and private re fer rals. 

Walk in emergency care is available 

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 

p.m. 

Calle Real Clinic 



681-5190 

Lompoc Clinic 

401 East Cypress, Upstairs 


737-7715 

Santa Maria Clinic 

500 W. Foster Road 


934-6380

Other Programs and 

Coun se lors 

Within Santa Barbara County 

there are many fi ne counseling 

agencies and private therapists. 

There are many kinds of counse 

lors and therapists in Cal i for nia. 

Psychiatrists are M.D.’s who usually 

(though not always) treat 

psy cho log i cal symptoms with 

medication. Psy chol o gists are more 

likely to use individual or group 

therapy as a means of treatment 

and Marriage, Family and Child 

Counselors are spe cial ly trained 

to view the in di vid u al within the 

context of his/her family and 

relationships. Licensed Clinical 

Social Workers are also trained to 

provide psy cho ther a py, understand 

the impact of physical illness upon 

emotion health, and make re fer rals 

to needed community re sourc es. 

In choosing a therapist, it is important 

to determine if the therapist 

has had any special training 

or experience in working with 

older adults. For listing of private 

therapists look in the Yellow Pages 

under “Marriage, Family and Child 

Counselors”, “Social Workers” or 

“Psy chol o gists,” and for a listing 

of Psy chi a trists, look under “Physicians 

& Surgeons, M.D.- Psychiatry.” 

Grief Support 

Hospice provides individual oneon-one 

counseling for persons 

dealing with the loss of a friend 

or family member, or for a person 

with a terminal illness, or for their 

family members. See Index. 

Peer Counseling 

Senior Peer Counseling 

Pro gram 

North Santa Barbara County 

301 S. Miller Street, Suite 205 


349-2255 

Provides supervised trained 

vol un teers for in-home visit, as- 


sessment emo tion al support. No 

charge. 

Senior Peer Counseling 

Pro gram 

Santa Barbara Counseling Center 

1333 De La Vina, #B 


963-4357 

Provides supervised trained volun 

teers for in-home visit, assessment 

emo tion al support. Sliding 

fee basis. 

Group/Family Service Agency 

123 W. Gutierrez 


965-1001 


Provides a specialized group 

coun sel ing session for older 

adults. No fee; donation. 

Fellowship Club 



569-1607 

Fax 898-1981 

Drop-in socialization and rehabilitation 

program for adults with 

mental illness. Includes bingo, 

music and art classes, socialskills 

workshops, snacks and a 

nutritious lunch, No fees. Monday 

- Friday, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm. 

Operated by the Mental Health 

Association. 

Center for Successful Aging 



899-2915 

Fax 957-9230 

psteketee@sbjf.org 

www.jewishsantabarbara.org 

A partnership of the Jewish Federation 

of Greater Santa Barbara 

and Catholic Charities provides 

no cost counseling services for 

Santa Barbara seniors delivered 

by trained and certified volunteer 

lay counselors. 

Suicide 

Suicide is the act of voluntarily and intentionally 

taking one’s own life. In the United States 

between 30,000 and 50,000 Americans kill themselves 

every year. This counts only those who 

were ‘successful’. Statistics show that for one 

suicide, there are 50-100 attempts. Suicide is a 

permanent answer to what is often a temporary 

problem. Suicide is serious and preventable, if 

the behaviors are rec og nized. 

More than 19 million people in U.S. suffer from 

depression which sometimes leads to suicide. 

Approximately 15% will experience depression at 

least once in their life. Problem situations are difficult 

for anyone, but especially the suicidal person. 

Con trib ut ing factors may be external or internal. 

External Factors are situations in which one has 

no control, such as physical, sexual or emotional 

abuse or: 

• separation or divorce 

• a death of someone close 

• a move to a new environment 

• trouble with the law 

• alcohol or other drug use 

• a humiliating situation 

• children or friends move away 

• loss of job or too many bills 

• loss of purpose 

Internal factors are feelings and thoughts 

that exist within oneself that include: 

➣ a fear of being alone 

➣ a need to punish or control others 

➣ a desire for attention 

➣ a need for love 

➣ an expression of anger 

➣ a confl ict of self-worth 

How to Help 

✓ Take anyone who talks about suicide 

seriously. Talking is the fi rst visible sign 

and should never be ignored as a need for 

attention. 

✓ Ask directly “Are you thinking about killing 

yourself?” This does not en cour age the action, 

it shows that you listen and can help. 

✓ Talk. Ask for details if you think that plans 

have already been made. 

✓ Be a good listener. Look for nonverbal 

signs such as hand motions, facial ex pres - 

sions and moods. 

✓ Tell them if what they are thinking about 

scares you. 

✓ Avoid giving advice. Never say ‘stop letting 

things bother you,’ ‘not to feel that way,’ 

or ‘how lucky you are’. Listen, do not give 

opinions or solutions. 

✓ Seek professional help. A suicidal person 

needs professional advice and coun sel ing. 

Breaking confi dences is not disloyal, it may 

save their life. 

✓ Avoid leaving the person alone. Especially, 

if there is any immediate danger. 

✓ Suicide-proof the area. Lock up guns and 

ammunition separately, store pills securely 

or dispose of them. 


PAYING FOR HEALTH CARE 

Medicare 

Medicare is the federal health 

in sur ance program which began 

in 1966. Local Social Security offi 

ces take applications and provide 

information and as sis tance. The 

government contracts with private 

insurers (carrier or fi scal intermediaries) 

to handle claims. Medicare 

covers persons age 65 and over who 

are entitled to Social Security benefi 

ts, some disabled persons, and 

persons with permanent kidney 

failure. Medicare may be purchased 

by people over age 65 who are not 

eligible under these guidelines. 

Contact your nearest Social Security 

offi ce for details. 

Applying for Medicare 

You may apply for Medicare en roll - 

ment during the seven months beginning 

three months prior to your 

65th birth month and ending three 

months after your birth month. 

Medicare is divided into two parts. 

Part A is in sur ance in tend ed to 

cover hos pi tal iza tion and certain 

other specifi ed types of care. Everyone 

who qualifi es for Medicare 

receives this por tion au to mat i cal ly. 

Part B, which is outpatient medical 

in sur ance, is op tion al. There is 

a monthly charge for Part B, and 

the amount will be deducted from 

your Social Security check. Most 

people choose to enroll in Part B. If 

you delay there is a 10% penalty on 

the monthly Part B premium for 

each year you delay. This penalty 

continues for the remainder of 

your life. 

If you continue to work past age 

65 and have medical coverage 

through your place of em ploy ment 

or your spouse’s em ploy ment, you 

may now delay your enrollment in 

Medicare Part B until the time you 

or your spouse do retire with no 

attached pen al ty . 

To Find Out About 

Coverage 

Social Security has free pam phlets 

that describe Medicare coverage. 

Medicare and You, a handbook, is 

updated regularly and is an invaluable 

tool in answering many questions 

as they arise. Local programs 

exist that can answer the many 

ques tions you may have about 

your Medicare benefi ts. Be aware 

that there are a number of seemingly 

medically related pro ce dures 

that are not covered by Medi care. 

It is best to ask your physician if 

procedures that s/he rec om mends 

are covered. 

The Medicare Telephone Hotline 

acts as a referral service and can 

provide publications on Medi care. 

Contact: Medicare Tele phone 

Helpline at 800-Medi care, (800- 

633-4227). One can also call the 

Fraud and Abuse Hotline 800-447- 

8477 to report suspected Medicare 

abuse or fraud and improper sales 

prac tic es of Medi-Gap policies. 

Medicare Assignment 

When a claim is submitted to the 

Medicare carrier, there will be a 

determination made regarding the 

“Medicare approved amount” for 

whatever procedures were done. 

If the doctor agrees to accept that 

amount as payment in full for 

services ren dered, that is known as 

accepting “Medicare Assignment.” 

The Medi care Carrier will send a 

check for 80% of the amount to 

your physician if the annual Part 

B deductible has been met. The 

patient is then only re spon si ble for 

the re main ing 20% (plus any part 

of the annual deductible not yet 

paid). Without an “as sign ment” 

agree ment, the patient and/or his 

sup ple men tal in sur ance carrier is 

responsible for excess charges up 

to 115% of the Medicare approved 

amount. 


Many doctors do not accept as sign - 

ment. Some doctors and suppliers 

will accept it for some services and 

not for others. In all cases YOU 

must request as sign ment. 

Filing a Claim 

Part A & B 

The hospital, doctor or other 

provider sends claims for ben e fi ts 

under Part A or B, to the Medicare 

carrier. You will receive notice of 

payment to the provider if the 

provider accepted as sign ment or a 

check payable to you if the provider 

did not accept as sign ment. Be 

sure to deposit the check promptly 

and you should pay the provider 

the amount owed. Be sure you can 

furnish the hospital or doctor with 

your Medicare number and information 

about any other health 

insurance that you might have. 

You are responsible for the deductible 

and co-payments. If you have 

sup ple men tal insurance it may pay 

part or all of the remaining balance. 

Appealing a Benefi t De ci sion 

You have the right to appeal a 

Medi care claim denial. You may 

use a copy of the Medicare Summary 

Notice or the Ex pla na tion of 

Medicare Benefi ts that you receive 

from the Medicare carrier or fi scal 

in ter me di ary to document your 

reasons for appealing. Attach any 

additional information from the 

provider to support the claim. (See 

Health Insurance Coun sel ing for 

local programs that can assist you 

with your Medicare ap peals.) 

Where to Get Help 

You may call the phone number 

listed on the Medicare Summary 

Notice or Explanation of Benefi ts 

for clar i fi ca tion of your claim. You 

may call the local Health Insurance 

Counseling and Ad vo ca cy Program 

at 800-434-0222 for assistance in 

fi ling an appeal.

Appealing Hospital Dis charge 

Medicare’s Prospective Payment 

System (also known as Di ag - 

nos tic Related Group or “DRG”) 

is a fi xed-price payment system. 

Through this system, Medicare will 

pay a pre de ter mined amount for 

treatment of a particular illness. 

The amount of time that you actually 

stay in the hospital, however, 

should be determined solely by 

your medical condition. If you are 

told that you will be discharged 

before you believe it is medically 

appropriate, contact your doctor 

and your Quality Im prove ment 

Organization 800-841-1602 imme 

di ate ly if you decide to appeal 

the dis charge. Your hospital social 

worker can give you more in for - 

ma tion about the appeals process. 

Information and assistance with 

appeals of hos pi tal discharge notices 

is available. 

You may obtain a Medicare Appeals 

and Grievances fact sheet 

from the Medicare by calling 

800-633-4227 or calling your local 

HICAP at 800-434-0222. 

Medicare Health Plan 

Choic es 

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 

required that several new types 

of coverage be made available for 

Medicare ben e fi cia ries. The Centers 

for Medicare & Medicaid Services 

has issued a bulletin, Medicare and 

You, with general information on 

these new choices. 

It is important for all Medicare 

ben e fi cia ries to be aware that they 

do not have to make a new choice 

if they do not wish to change from 

their current Medi care coverage. 

The ben e fi cia ry may have a supplemental 

Medi-gap policy to assist 

in paying some of the costs. The 

other option that benefi ciaries currently 

have is with an HMO. 

Medicare Part D 

Effective January 1, 2006 Medicare 

benefi ciaries can be covered by a 

prescription drug plan called Medicare 

Part D. Benefi ciaries who wish 

to continue with medicare Fee for 

Service plans will be able to enroll 

in a com mer cial Prescription Drug 

Plan (PDP). Benefi ciaries who wish 

to enroll or to continue with a 

medicare Advantage (HMO) will be 

able to enroll in a Medicare Advantage 

-Prescription Drug (MA-DP) 

planm offered by an HMO or other 

Medicare Advantage Plan . 

The standard plan for 2006 will 

have a $250 annual deductible, 75% 

coverage of covered drugs between 

$250 and $2,250.There is no cover 

age by in sur ance between $2250. 

and $5100. If a person has covered 

drug costs above $5100, the in sur - 

ance plan will pay 95% of the cost 

of covered drugs above the amount 

during that year. Each plan will 

establish its list of covered drugs 

and specifi c costs and benefi ts. 

Marketing of the plans will begin in 

October 2005 and open enrollment 

for current medicare benefi ciaries 

is November 15, 2005 through May 

15, 2006. If a person decides to 

enroll later there is a penalty of 1% 

for each month delay and there is 

only one Open En roll ment period 

each year. For futher information 

contact HICAP at 800-434-0222. 

Options 

Fee-for-service 

The current system will continue. 

You go to the provider of 

your choice and pay the required 

deductibles and co-payments. You 

may have sup ple men tal insurance 

to assist in paying the charges not 

paid by Medicare. 

Health Maintenance 

Organizations (HMO) 

You choose an HMO in your 

area and all of your care, whether 

doctor or hospital, is provided 


through that HMO. There are copays 

and de duct ible amounts depending 

upon the HMO Plan. You 

must be enrolled in Medi care Part 

A and Part B to be in an HMO. 

Medi-Gap, or 

Supplementary In sur ance 

Most people feel the need to purchase 

additional insurance to assist 

with costs that Medicare does not 

cover. There are many kinds of 

group and individual insurance 

polices avail able. Be sure to explore 

several plans. If you belong to a 

Health Main te nance Organization 

(HMO), all of your health care 

is provided through the HMO. 

Check with the HMO to determine 

what other coverage, such as prescrip 

tion discounts are available 

through your HMO. 

Counseling on supplemental 

health insurance and HMO’s is 

available. This free service is available 

from the Health In sur ance 

Counseling and Ad vo ca cy Program 

(HICAP); more in for ma tion is 

available by calling 800-434-0222. 

If you have problems with HMO’s, 

several organizations provide consum 

er information and as sis tance. 

See Con sum er. 

If you are on Medi-Cal your 

Medi care premium is automatically 

paid for you. Physicians and 

other providers accepting Medi-Cal 

patients accept the Medicare and 

Medi-Cal re im burse ment as payment 

in full. There fore, you do not 

need ad di tion al health insurance 

to pay medical costs. 

Preventing Medicare Fraud 

Medicare benefi ciaries can help 

prevent Medicare fraud that costs 

the taxpayers nearly $20 billion per 

year. If you believe that the billing 

for any services paid by Medicare 

which you receive is fraud u lent, 

contact the HCFA Fraud and 

Abuse Hot-Line at 800-HHS-TIPS 

(800-447-8477). 



Some tips to prevent fraud, include, 

but are not limited, to: 

Never give your Medicare num ber 

over the phone or to people you 

don’t know. 

Beware of suppliers and pro vid ers 

that use phone calls and door-todoor 

selling as a way to sell you 

goods or services. 

Be suspicious of companies that 

offer free medical equipment or 

offer to waive your co-payment 

without fi rst asking about your 

ability to pay. 

Beware of health care providers 

who say they represent Medicare 

or a branch of the Federal Gov ern - 

ment, or providers who use pressure 

tactics to get you to accept a 

service or product. 

Medi-Cal 

Medi-Cal is the medical as sis tance 

program for persons of limited or 

low income in the State of Cal i - 

for nia. Two agen cies, Social Security 

Ad min is tra tion and County 

Social Services De part ment, determine 

eligibility for Medi-Cal. This 

eligibility is based on federal and 

state guide lines of income, real and 

personal property limits. 

If you are disabled or age 65 or 

over and qualify for Sup ple men tal 

Security Income (SSI), Medi-Cal 

coverage is automatic. To apply 

for SSI, contact the Social Security 

Administration in your area. 

If you do not qualify for SSI because 

your income does not meet 

the SSI limit and 1) your resources 

meet the SSI limit and 2) you are 

65 plus, blind or disabled you 

may qualify for Medi-Cal under 

the Federal Poverty Level Program 

(FPL) or with a ‘share - of cost’ 

(SOC). The SOC is the amount 

you must pay each month before 

Medi-Cal will pay the re main der 

of your medical bills if. If your 

income is above the FPL limit to 

de ter mine your SOC take your to- 

tal income and subtract $20. (This 

is called a ‘dis re gard’). This fi gure 

is your net income. Now subtract 

the Medi-Cal “Main te nance Need” 

(Main te nance Need is $600 for an 

in di vid u al, $934 for a couple) from 

your net income. The re main ing 

amount is your share-of-cost. Most 

medical ex pens es as well as your 

Medi care Part B premium can 

be used to reduce your share-ofcost. 

For more in for ma tion please 

contact your local Santa Barbara 

County De part ment of Social Services. 

(See list below) 

The Aged, Blind and Disabled 

Program allows for a deduction 

of $230 for an individual or $310 

for a couple to meet the 100% FPL 

limit. Contact HICAP at 800-434- 

0222 for further information. 

You may apply for these pro grams 

at any time, regardless of any other 

in sur ance coverage you may have, 

including Medicare. You may 

also appeal any denial of eligibility 

should you wish to do so. The 

instructions for appeal will ac com - 

pa ny the letter of denial. 

Some Medi-Cal covered services 

include: doctor visits, hos pi tal - 

iza tion, laboratory work, x-rays, 

home health services, mental 

health services, medical supplies 

and equipment, physical therapy 

and emergency medical trans por - 

ta tion. Additionally, some Medi- 

Cal cov ered services include items 

not covered by Medi care: some prescrip 

tion drugs, eye glass es, dental 

care, nursing home care, podiatry 

and chiropractic care. Medi-Cal 

can also pay the Medi care de duct - 

ible and premium payments. 




681-4401 



346-7135 




737-7080 

Be sure to call ahead to learn 

what documents you will need to 

com plete your application and to 

make an ap point ment. Eligibility 

is determined by County Social 

Services according to Federal and 

State guidelines, and can sometimes 

take several months to 

establish. It is best to check into 

eligibility before a crisis occurs. 

Problems in Ap pli ca tion/ 

Appeals Process 

If you have been told you do not 

meet the qualifi cations for benefi ts 

and if you disagree, you should 

fi rst discuss this with a County 

Social Worker at the Department 

of Social Services. If you are still 

not sat is fi ed, you have the right to 

appeal your eligibility or any other 

decision about your Medi-Cal 

benefi ts. Information about the 

appeals process should be included 

with any notice of denial; if not, 

contact the De part ment of Social 

Services. For additional in for - 

ma tion, contact the California 

Department of Social Services at 

800-952-5253. 

Santa Barbara Health 

Authority 

An organization known as the 

Santa Bar bara Health Authority 

entered into an agreement with 

the federal and state governments 

to locally ad min is ter the Medi-Cal 

program in Santa Barbara County. 

If you are eligible for Medi-Cal, 

you will receive your health care in 

conjunction with the Santa Barbara 

Health Au thor i ty. For further 

in for ma tion regarding this unique 

pro gram, please call a rep re sen ta 

tive in your area. 

South County 

877-814-1861 

Central County 

737-7080

North County 

800-421-2560 

The main offi ce of Santa Barbara 

Health Authority is located at: 

110 Castilian Dr. 

Goleta, CA 93117-3028 

685-9525 

965-4893 (TDD) 

800-421-2560 

Collect calls accepted. 

North and South County Advi 

so ry Boards to the Santa 

Barbara Health Initiative meet 

every month and are composed 

of Medi-Cal ben e fi cia ries, ben e fi - 

cia ry representatives, and Human 

Services workers who offer input 

and perspective on the ex pe - 

ri ence of beneficiaries under the 

Health Initiative. This important 

in for ma tion is used to assist in 

plan ning and man age ment of the 

SBHA staff and Board of Direc 

tors. Contact your Ben e fi cia ry 

Service Rep re sen ta tive at County 

Social Ser vic es for more in for - 

ma tion. 

Veterans Health Ben e fi ts 

Veterans Affairs and 

Outpatient Clinic 



683-1491 

The Santa Barbara Outpatient 

clinic is located at the Santa Barbara 

Health Care Services Clinic. 

It provides medical ser vic es and 

facilitates admission to VA hospitals, 

residential care and nursing 

home facilities. Clinic staff will 

assist veterans in the use of the 

VA health care system. 

The VA Social Work and Mental 

Health Services are at the same 

address. Veterans, their widows, 

widowers or dependents may call 

for information or walk in for assistance 

with veterans’ ben e fits. 

(For help in applying for ben e fits, 

see Veterans Benefits). 

An Outpatient Clinic is also 

located in Lompoc at 1111 E 

Ocean Ave., Suite 8, Lompoc, 

CA. You may call the clinic at 

736-7767 for further in for - 

ma tion. 

Qualifi ed Medicare 

Benefi ciary, “ QMB”, 

Specifi ed Low-Income 

Medicare Ben e fi cia ry 

“ SLMB” or Qual i fi ed 

Individual I or “QI.” 

The Qualifi ed Medicare Ben e fi cia ry 

(QMB), the Specifi ed Low-Income 

Medicare Benefi ciary (SLMB), and 

Qualifi ed In di vid u al I programs 

were created by federal law requiring 

that State Medicaid (Medi-Cal) 

pro grams pay Medicare costs for 

certain elderly and disabled persons 

with low incomes and very 

limited assets. 

An individual who has Medi-Cal 

in addition to Medicare is already 

getting the QMB benefi t. Eligible 

individuals do NOT have to pay 

the monthly Medicare premium, 

the deductible for Part A Hospital 

and Part B Medical benefi ts, the 

daily co in sur ance charges for hospital 

stays beyond 60 days, the copayments 

for skilled nursing care 

beyond 20 days and the 20 percent 

co in sur ance for Medicare-covered 

services. In most cases, if you are 

eligible for the QMB benefi t, you 

DO NOT need to purchase additional 

health insurance. 

To be eligible for the QMB benefi t, 

you must be eligible for Medicare 

(age 65 or older; or have been a disabled 

ben e fi cia ry under Social Security 

or the Railroad Retirement 

Board for more than 24 months; 

or on kidney dialysis; or received 

a kidney trans plant) and have an 

income in 2005 of less $798 per 

month if you are single. A mar ried 

couple must have an income less 

than $1,070 per month in 2005. Income 

includes Social Security plus 

any other income sources. 


To be eligible your fi nancial resourc 

es, such as bank accounts, 

stocks, and bonds, cannot exceed 

$4,000 for one person or $6,000 for 

a couple. The home in which you 

live, one au to mo bile, burial plot, 

home furnishings, personal jewelry 

and some life insurance usually do 

not count as resources. 

If you do not qualify for QMB 

as sis tance because your income is 

too high, you may be able to get 

help under the SLMB pro gram. 

The SLMB program is for persons 

whose in comes are slightly higher 

than the national poverty level, 

but not more than 120 percent of 

the Federal Poverty Level. In 2005 

the income level for one person is 

$957 a month and for a couple it 

is $1,283 a month. If you qualify 

for as sis tance under the SLMB 

pro gram, the State is required to 

pay the Medi care Part B monthly 

premium for you. You will continue 

to be re spon si ble for Medi care’s 

deductibles and co in sur ance and 

for charges for health care services 

and items not cov ered by Medicare. 

One other program allows greater 

income limits and has some benefi 

ts of paying all of the Medicare 

Part B premiums. This program is 

known as Qual i fy ing In di vid u al I 

(QI-I). The QI-I in come limit for 

one person is $1,077 and $1,444 

for a couple in 2005. If you have 

ques tions about these pro grams, 

contact the De part ment of Social 

Services. The amount of income 

you may have and be eligible for 

the QMB, SLMB or QI-I programs 

will increase in future years. If 

you have income over the current 

dollar amounts, you should check 

in the future to see if you have become 

eligible. If you think you may 

be eligible for any of these benefi ts, 

contact the County De part ment of 

Social Services. 






681-4401 

www.countyofsb.orgsocialservices 



346-7135 

1100 W. Laurel 


737-7080 

Lompoc Valley Com mu ni ty 

Health Organization 

The Lompoc Valley Community 

Health Organization is a commu 

ni ty-based organization that 

formed in 1995 to assure the quality 

health care services are available 

locally for residents of the Lompoc 

Valley. The Com mu ni ty Health 

Organization works with employers, 

organizations and in di vid u als 

in pro vid ing knowl edge able information 

on available health plans, 

senior HMO’s and needed health 

care services. For questions regarding 

health plans or needed health 

care services, contact Pat Brady, 

Local Co or di na tor at 737-5724. 

Your STAY-at-HOME Alternative 

❖ 15 Years in Business 

❖ Live-in and Hourly Care 

❖ Licensed, Bonded and Insured 

❖ 100% Guarantee of Compatibility 

❖ Free In-Home/Facility Evaluation 

800-707-4855 

805-879-1780 

www.HomeCare-Giver.com 

Providing Care Throughout 

Ventura, Los Angeles & Santa Barbara Counties 

Financial Help with 

Medical Expenses 

In addition to medical costs 

covered by Medicare, Medi-Cal, or 

private in sur ance individuals or 

families, people occasionally come 

up against ex traor di nary health 

care costs that they cannot pay for. 

There are “funds of last resort” 

available through char i ta ble or ga - 

ni za tions in Santa Barbara County. 

The Jefferson Fund 

114 E. De la Guerra St. #3 


963-8822 

This is an endowment fund that 

helps needy people who are not 

on public assistance of any kind. 

Not limited to medical expenses. 

South County only. 

Terri Toon Memorial Fund, Inc. 

P.O. Box 676 


961-2860 

This fund offers financial assis 

tance to persons facing a 

cat a stroph ic illness when other 

sources of funding have been 

exhausted. 


Check Your Credit History 

One of the best ways to protect yourself from 

identity theft is to monitor your credit history. 

Starting December 2004, Californians are able to this 

free of charge. This is the result of federal law which 

allows consumers to get one free credit report each 

year from each of the three national credit bureaus: 

Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. 

Checking your credit reports at least once a year is 

a good way to detect signs of identity theft early. The 

sooner identity theft is discovered, the easier it is to 

clear up. Checking your credit reports also lets you 

identify errors that could be raising the cost of credit. 

California residents can order a free credit report 

through a toll-free phone number, a web site or by 

mailing a standard order form. 

www.annualcreditreport.com, 877-322-8228 

Mail order form to: 

Annual Credit Report Request Service 

P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281 

You will have the option of requesting all three 

reports at once or staggering them. You could create 

a no-cost version of a credit monitoring service. Just 

order a free report from one credit bureau, then four 

months later from another, and four months after 

that from the third bureau. (That approach won’t give 

a complete picture at any one time. Not all creditors 

provide information to all the bureaus. Monitoring 

services from the credit bureaus cost between $44. to 

$100. per year.) 

To check your reports for errors or possible signs of 

identity theft, look particularly at three areas: 

1 Look in the person information or personal data 

section. Look for addresses where you have never 

lived. Make sure your name and any variations of 

it, your social security number and your employers 

are correct. 

2. Look in the Accounts section. Look for any 

accounts you didn’t open. Look for balances on 

your legitimate accounts that are higher than you 

expect. 

3. Look for inquiries or request for your credit history 

that you didn’t make. There are two types of 

inquiries. ‘Regular’ or ‘hard’ inquiries are the ones 

that result when you apply for credit or when an 

account is transferred to a collection agency. This 

is the kind of inquiry you should check as possible 

identity theft or error. The other type, ‘promotional’ 

or ‘soft’ inquiries, would not be an indication of 

problems. This type includes pre-approved credit 

offers, checks for employment purposes, account 

monitoring by your existing creditors and your own 

request for your report. 

You can view sample credit reports, with the 

different sections explained, on the web sites of the 

three credit bureaus: Experian Sample Report, Trans 

Union Sample Report, Equifax Sample Report. 

If you see anything you believe is incorrect, contact 

the credit bureau immediately. You can call the 

telephone number on the report to speak with 

someone at the credit bureau. If you fi nd evidence 

of identity theft, the next steps to take include 

contacting any creditors involved to close fraudulent 

accounts and fi ling a police report. 

Source: Office of Privacy Protection, Dept. of Consumer Affairs, State of California

HICAP can help you with questions 

and problems 

✒ Understanding Medicare Coverage 

✒ Understanding Medicare Prescription Plans 

✒ Understanding and Evaluating Supplemental 

Health Insurance Coverage 

✒ Are You Eligible for an HMO? 

What does the HMO cover? 

✒ Assistance with billing problems 

✒ Assistance with filing claims and appeals 

Speakers are available for groups 

Become a HICAP Volunteer 


Do You Understand 

Medicare, 

Supplemental Insurance 

and HMOs? 

HICAP CAN HELP! 

Free Counseling Available 

Serving all areas of Santa Barbara County 

Long Term Care 

Options 

& Medi-Cal 

HICAP provides free 

and unbiased 

assistance for 

Medicare beneficiaries 

Health Insurance Counseling 

and Advocacy Program 

HICAP 



1-800-434-0222 

805-928-5663 

Sponsored by the Central Coast Commission for Senior Citizens 

with a grant from the Area Agency on Aging and support from United Way 


RECREATION 

There are many special rec re - 

ation activities for seniors. 

A good place to begin fi nding 

out about these ac tiv i ties is 

your nearest senior center. 

Adult education classes offered 

through the high school districts, the 

community colleges and local uni ver - 

si ties are other sources of activities. 

Elderhostel offers a wide variety of 

programs all over the world. 

Travel 

Amtrak, Greyhound, airlines, and 

others have special discounts for 

senior citizens. Check with your 

travel agent or call directly regarding 

special tours and rates for seniors. 

Organizations that offer group 

travel for seniors or handicapped 

persons are available. 

Immunizations for For eign 

Travel 

Santa Barbara Medical 

Foun da tion Clinic 



898-3530 

Free information available on immu 

ni za tion requirements. 

Passport Offi ces 

County Courthouse 

Offi ce of Clerk-Recorder 

1101 Anacapa, 2nd Floor 


568-2280 

County Clerk-Recorder 

511 E. Lakeside 


346-8370 

To apply for your passport, take 

in a certified copy of your birth 

cer tif i cate, two passport photos, 

a Cal i for nia Drivers License or 

Identification Card. The cost is 

$67.00 plus a $30.00 processing 

fee, which must be paid by check 

or money order. Your passport 

will take 5-6 weeks to obtain and 

will be valid for 10 years. 

Free Advice 

“Country Information Notices” offer 

advice about specifi c areas of the world. 

They include facts about currency and 

customs regulation, entry requirements, 

dual nationality, import and 

export controls, vac ci na tion requirements, 

restrictions on photography 

and warn ings on the use of drugs. 

For a free single copy, send a postcard 

to Passport Services, Department of 

State, Wash ing ton, DC, 10524. 

Leisure 

City Parks and Recreation 

De part ments 

City of Carpinteria 



684- 5405 x449 

City of Guadalupe 

918 Obispo St. 


343-1340 Ext 119 


125 W Walnut 


736-6565 

New Cuyama 

4885 Primero 

P.O. Box 270 


661-766-2270 


620 Laguna Street 


564-5418 

City of Santa Maria 

615 S. McClelland St. 


925-0951 x260 

City of Solvang 

1644 Oak Street 


688-7529 

Recreation departments often 

have special programs or fa cil ities 

for seniors. Call for details. 

Senior Centers 

Senior Centers may offer a variety of 

recreational activities. Call the center 

nearest you for specifi c information. 


YMCA 

Young Men’s Christian 

As so ci a tion 

36 Hitchcock Way 


687-7727 

Fax 687-7568 

591 Santa Rosa Lane 


969-3288 

201 W. College 


736-3483 

Fax 737-1822 

3400 Skyway Drive 


937-8521 

Fax 937-7007 

900 N. Refugio Rd. 


686-2037 

Fax 686-1424 

YMCA provide physical ed u - 

ca tion and recreation programs 

and facilities for all ages. 

Other Options 

Entertainment- Golf, Bowling, 

Theatre, Mu se ums 

Senior discounts are offered at many 

facilities. Please check your telephone 

directory for desired entertainment 

in your area. For more information 

about joining a senior citizens club, 

telephone the local senior center. 

Fishing Licenses 

Yearly California fi shing licenses are 

available for $5.25 to seniors who are 

age 65 and over and on SSI, or on 

a limited income (total income no 

more than $651 a month for a single 

person or $1,156 for a couple). If on 

SSI, application must be accompanied 

by form SSA 2458, completed 

by Social Security, to verify income. 

Last year’s license can serve as proof 

of eligibility. The licensing period is 

January 1 through December 31. Reduced-fee 

fi shing license applications 

may be obtained from:

Department of Fish and Game 

3211 “S” Street 


916-227-2245 

Many senior centers have fishing 

license applications, check center 

nearest you. A fishing license 

may also be purchased from any 

tackle or sporting goods store 

that sells them. Senior discounts 

are not offered. 

Camping 

Santa Barbara County Parks may 

be used on a fi rst come, fi rst served 

basis. There are senior rates. Reservations 

are available at the county 

parks for large groups. 

Camping 

Lake Cachuma Rec re ation al Area 

(Highway 154 between Santa Barbara 

and Solvang). Senior dis counts 

available for annual passes, daily and 

weekly campsites, and boat launching. 

Group areas can be reserved: 

686-5054 or 686-5050. All other 

areas are fi rst -come, fi rst -served. 

Day Use Parks 

Group res er va tions are available 

for North County 934-6211; South 

County 568-2460, at a grad u at ed 

fee rate determined by the size of 

the area. All reservable areas have 

BBQ pits, picnic tables, and electrical 

outlets. All areas not subject to 

reservation have picnic tables and 

BBQ pits. A guide, indicating handi 

cap parking, ac ces si ble restrooms, 

volume control phones, and bus 

service if applicable, is available by 

phon ing the park administration 

offi ce, 568-2461, or stop in at 610 

Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara 

(Rocky Nook Park). 

Two all-terrain beach wheelchairs 

are available for use at Goleta Beach 

County Park and Jalama Beach 

County Park. Available at no cost. 

The chairs are not motorized so an 

able bodied companion is needed 

to push. Contact the Ranger staff at 

Goleta Beach (967-1300) or Jalama 

Beach (736-3504) for info and to 

scheudle the use of the chairs. 

State Parks and Recreation 

District Offi ce 

Refugio State Park 

968-1033 

State Park camping reservations 

are made through DESTINET at 

800-444-7275. 

A variety of discount passes are 

available. 

Golden Bear Pass 

This pass is issued at any state park 

for a $5.00 fee and is valid for day 

use only. You must be 62 or older 

and be an SSI recipient or have a 

monthly income of no more than 

$692. (single) or $1,229. (couple). 

Disabled Discount Pass 

This pass is issued at Refugio State 

Park (District Offi ce). The pass is free 

and entitles you to a 50% discount on 

all park uses, all year (except already 

reduced fees and fees under $3.50). 

Disabled Veterans Pass 

Pick up the application at the district 

offi ce or call the district offi ce (one 

can be mailed to you). It must be 

completed and for ward ed to Sac ra - 

men to. If ap proved, you are eligible 

for free camping. No application fee. 

National Parks are usually on 

a fi rst come, fi rst served basis, 

though res er va tions for the most 

heavily used area are handled 

through DESTINET Park Res er - 

va tions, 800-365—2267. National 

Forest Camping in for ma tion can 

be secured from 800-280-2267. 

When you visit a National Park, 

you may request a GOLDEN AGE 

PASS PORT. You must have proof 

of age and be 62 of over. The passport 

gives free ad mis sion to the 

national parks and a fi fty per cent 

discount on fees, such as camping. 

They must be obtained in person. 

More information and ap pli ca tions 

can be obtained from the following: 

RECREATION 

Golden Age Passport 

Los Padres National Forest 

6755 Hollister Ave.,Ste 150 


968-6640 

50% discount on entrance camping 

fees to those 62 and over. 

Call for information to obtain 

Golden Age Passport. Current 

cost is $10. 

Special Needs Rec re ation 

Many recreational activities are available 

to people with special physical 

, psy cho log i cal or neu ro log i cal 

circumstances. These activities are 

often spon sored by specifi c disease 

as so ci a tions such as the Ostomy 

As so ci a tion through Re ha bil i ta tion 

Pro grams, City Recreation pro grams, 

or through Senior Day Care Centers. 

For assistance in fi nding a club, 

sport, or other activities to meet your 

needs, call Senior Connection. 

Hearts Adaptive Riding 

Handicapped Horseback Riding 

Therapy 

PO Box 30662 


964-1519 

A recreational and therapeutic 

horseback riding program 

designed to promote self-confi 

dence and physical fi tness for 

handicapped people of all ages. 

PACE 

People with Arthritis Can Exercise 

892-5556 

937-9750 

736-3493 

688-3793 

www.arthritis.org 

Sponsored the Arthritis Founda 

tion. A land based arthritis 

exercise program which promotes 

balance, co or di na tion and 

strength. Classes are available 

throughout the county. Spanish 

language class available at Guadalupe 

Senior Center. 


SENIOR CENTERS 

Senior Centers serve as focal points of information 

and services for older persons. 

Each senior center has a unique array of services and 

means to respond to the needs of the community. Services 

that are available may include: computer training, senior 

lunch services, in for ma tion, community ed u ca tion, recreation 

activities, so cial iza tion, music, health screening, arts 

and crafts, and health in sur ance counseling. 

The philosophy of the senior center movement is based 

on the following premises: that aging is a normal de vel - 

op men tal process; that human beings need peers with 

whom they can interact and who are available as a source 

of en cour age ment and sup port; and that adults have the 

right to a voice in determining matters in which they have 

a vital interest. 

Buellton Senior Center 

164 West Highway 246 


688-4571 

senior1@hwy246.net 

www.buelltonsc.org 

Carpinteria Senior Center 

941 Walnut Ave. 


684-6090 

Fax 683-8959 

Community Senior Recreation 

Center 

100 E. Carrillo St. 


897-2519 

Fax 897-2520 

www.ci.santa-barbara.ca.us 

Franklin Neighborhood 

Com mu ni ty Center 



963-7605 

Fax 963-7607 

Goleta Valley Senior Center 

5679 Hollister Ave 


683-1124 

goletaseniors@yahoo.com 

www.goletavalleycommunitycenter.com 

Guadalupe Senior Center 

4545 - 10th St. 


343-2525 

Fax 343-7786 

Lompoc Valley Community/ 

Senior Center 

1501 East Ocean Ave 


735-3001 

Fax 875-8345 

www.cityofl ompoc.com 

Louise Lowry Davis Recreation 

Center 



897-2568 

Luis OASIS Senior Center 

420 Soares Ave/POB 2637 

Orcutt, CA 93457 

937-9750 

Fax 937-0440 

luisoasis01@aol.com 

Los Alamos Senior Center 

690 Bell St./POB 344 

Los Alamos, CA 93440 

344-2208/344-4965 


Santa Maria Senior Center 

Elwin E. Mussell Center 

510 E. Park St. 


925-0951 x207 

www.ci.santa-maria.ca.us 

Santa Ynez Multipurpose 

Center/Senior Center 

1745 Mission Dr. 


688-3793 

Fax 688-1792 

solvangseniors@aol.com 

Valley of the Flowers Half 

Century Club 

341 North “N” St. 


736-6669 

Westside Community Center/ 

Senior Center 

423 W Victoria St. 


963-7567

Introduction 


Support groups consist of people 

with similar needs or goals who 

have come together to share 

information, coping skills and 

offer each other emotional support. 

Some support groups are 

“self-help” and do not in clude 

professional helpers. These groups 

depend ex clu sive ly on the expertise 

developed by the people involved 

in the group, people who have 

ex pe ri enced a particular life challenge 

in common. 

Other groups are organized by profes 

sion al organizations, and meetings 

and other support services are 

facilitated by staff. 

Support groups have grown in 

popularity with the idea that people 

who have ex pe ri enced a similar 

diffi culty, problem or challenge 

can most effectively help others in 

the same situation. 

As the value of support groups has 

become more widely known and 

appreciated, groups that address a 

variety of issue have evolved. There 

are groups for persons dealing 

with a wide range of life challenges, 

or for the people who support or 

care for them. 

Support groups can be a valuable 

emotional support network. In the 

right group, you will fi nd many 

people who have ex pe ri enced the 

same problems, frus tra tions and 

anxieties you may fi nd yourself 

feeling from time to time, or all the 

time. Very often someone in the 

group has dis cov ered a resolution 

or effective coping tool and they 

are happy to share with everyone 

what has worked for them and 

what may work for you too. 

Support groups will help you feel 

less alone. It may be helpful just 

knowing that others understand 

your dif fi cul ties and can be there to 

offer en cour age ment and support. 

The following is a list of support 

groups throughout Santa Barbara 

County. Some times, the day, time 

or location of a meeting changes so 

it’s best to call the contact person 

for current in for ma tion; sometimes 

the contact person changes, 

but you can still fi nd the group at 

the place, day and time listed. All 

groups listed offer free or low cost 

services. New groups are always 

forming. If you wish to fi nd out if 

there’s a support group not listed 

here, please call Senior Con nec tion 

at 800-510-2020. 

Gay & Lesbian 

Gay & Lesbian Resource Center 

Transgender Group 

Day Tuesday 

Time 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. 

Place 126 E. Haley St. 

Suite A-12, Group Room 

Men’s Therapy Group 

Day Thursday 

Time 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. 

Place 126 E. Haley St. 

Suite A-12, Group Room 

Sexual Addicts Anonymous 

961-2591 

Call 963-3636 x130 for more 

information 

Alcohol 

Alcoholics Anonymous 

For those who desire to stop drinking. 

Call for information regarding 

meetings, times and locations: 

Lompoc 737-1101 

Santa Barbara 962-3332 

Santa Maria 925-3782 

Solvang 688-4304 

Al Anon 

For family and friends of al co - 

hol ics. 

Lompoc 733-1237 


Solvang 688-4304 

SUPPORT GROUPS 

Alzheimers Disease 

Early Memory Loss Group 

For individual’s with newly diag 

nosed memory impairment, 

in clud ing Alzheimer’s Disease and 

other memory challenges. 

Santa Barbara 

563-0020 

Spouse Caregiver of recent 

diagnosis in the Family 

For spouse caregivers whose, 

husband.wife has received a recent 

diagnosis. This group offers ed u - 

ca tion, insight, helpful tips and 

re sourc es. 

Santa Barbara 

563-0020 

Santa Maria 

636-6432 

Spouse Caregiver Support 

Group 

For spouse caregivers to share 

in for ma tion, develop caregiving 

skills, and provide mutual support 

in a small group setting 

Santa Barbara 

563-0020 

Santa Maria 

636-6432 

Adult Child Caregiver 

For adult children whose dual caregiving 

roles (parents and children) 

contribute to unique challenges. 

Santa Barbara 

563-0020 

Santa Maria 

636-6432 

General Interest Support 

Group 

For family and friends interested 

in general information, resources 

and support. This group is not 

ap pro pri ate for those with memory 

loss. 

Santa Barbara, Solvang and Lompoc 

563-0020 

Santa Maria 

636-6432 



Arthritis 

Arthritis and Lupus Sup port 

Groups 

The Arthritis Association offers 

several support groups for people 

with arthritis and other rheumatic 

dis eas es. New members are always 

welcome. 

Call the Arthritis Foun da tion for 

further information at 892-5556 or 

800-954-2873. 

Bereavement 

Lompoc 

Starbuck-Lind Mortuary spon sors 

a 11 week class on dealing with 

the pain, loneliness, and isolation 

that ac com pa nies the loss of a 

loved one, a divorce, the loss of a 

job, retirement and loss of health. 

The class is presented twice a year, 

usually January - March and September 

-No vem ber. In for ma tion 

on en roll ment, cost and dates at 

735-3773. Contact Agnes Leistico. 

Bereavement Support Groups 

Primarily for older people who 

have lost a spouse. 

Santa Barbara 

Widow and Widower Group 

Day 1st & 3rd Thurs day of 

each month 

Time 2:00 - 3:30 p.m 

Place Grace Lutheran Church, 


Contact Hospice of Santa Barbara 

563-8820 

Widow and Widower Support 

Group 

Day Every Thursday 

Time 1:00 - 3:00 p.m 

Place Luis Oasis Sr. Center 

420 Soares St. Orcutt 

For those who work during the 

day, who have lost a parent, sibling 

or close friend. 

Family Bereavement Group 

Day 2nd & 4th Thursdays 

Time 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. 

Place 520 W Junipero St 

Contact Hospice of Santa Barbara, 

563-8820 

General Bereavement Group 

Day 2nd & 4th Wednes days 

Time 10-11:30 a.m. 

Place The Good Shepard 

Church on Fairview Ave., 

Goleta 

Contact Visiting Nurse & Hospice 

Care, 965-5555 x201 

Spanish Speaking Bereavement 

Group 

Contact Mario Cepeda, Visiting 

Nurse & Hospice Care, 

690-6272 

Loss of Family and/or Friends 

Day 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 

Time 4-5:30 p.m. 

Place 222 E. Canon Perdido St. 

Contact Visiting Nurse & Hospice 

Care, 690-6201 

Santa Maria 

Grief Recovery Group 

Day Every Tuesday 

Time 7:00 p.m. 

Place Marian Cancer Center 

210S Palisades, # 200 

Contact 739-3780 

Suicide Survivors Group 

For anyone who is grieving a death 

by suicide. 

Day 1st & 3rd Wednes day of 

each month 

Time 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. 

Place 222 E. Canon Perdido St. 

Contact Hospice Services of Santa 

Barbara, 965-5555 

Parent Bereavement Group 

Day 1st & 3rd Tues days 

Time 6-7:30 p.m. 

Contact Hospice of Santa Barbara, 

563-8820 


Blindness 

Braille Institute.For information call 

Merideth Bell, 682-6222 

Cancer 

Brain Tumor Support Group 

For patients, families and friends 

of people with brain tumor. 

Day 2nd Thursday 

Time 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. 

Place 300 W. Pueblo Street 

Contact Mary Solis, Cancer 

Center of Santa Barbara 

682-7300 

Cancer Victors and Friends 

For people needing information 

about alternative therapies for 

cancer and/or degenerative disease. 

Guest speakers. Public welcome. 

Day Most 4th Tues days of 

each month 


Place S B City Rec re ation Center 

100 E. Carrillo St. 

Contact John Fink, 969-9157 

Prostate Cancer Group 

Santa Barbara 

Meets Quarterly 

Place Cancer Center 

Conference Room 

300 W. Pueblo 

Contact Mary Solis, Cancer 

Center of Santa Barbara 

682-7300 

Santa Maria 

Day 2nd & 4th Wednesday of 

each month 

Time 8-9 a.m. 

Place Marian Cancer Center, 

210 S. Palisades 

Contact Kendra Stevenson, 

739-3780

Sharing 

For cancer patients and families or 

friends. 

Santa Maria 

Day 2nd & 4th Tuesdays 

Time 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 

Place Education Dept. Confer 

ence Room 


Contact Marian Cancer Center, 

736-3780 

Community Care Group 

Day 2nd & 4th Thursday 

Time 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. (brown 

bag lunch group) 

Place 526 Pueblo, Santa Barbara 


Ovarian Cancer Support Group 

Day 4th Wednesday 

Time Noon - 1 p.m. 

Place Cancer Center of 

Santa Barbara 

300 W. Pueblo 

Contact Mary Solis, 682-7300 

Lung Cancer Support Group 

Day 4th Thursday 

Time 4-5:30p.m. 

Place 526 Pueblo St 

Contact Cancer Center of Santa 

barbara, 682-7300 

Lymphedema Support Group 

Day 2nd Sunday 

Time 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. 

Place Pueblo Commons 

2320 Bath St. #107 

Contact Laura Baker, 

967-2018 or 682-7300 

Cancer Support Group 

Lompoc 

Day 2nd & 4th Thursdays 

Time 1-3 p.m. 

Place 928 E Fir Ave. 

Contact American Cancer Society, 

736-2610; Joyce Morey, 

736-8661 

Santa Maria 


Time 11 - 12:30 p.m. 

Brown Bag Lunch 


210 S. Palisades, # 200 

Contact Kendra Del Giorgio, 

739-3780 

Solvang 


Time 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. 

Place 2040 Viberg Rd. #140 

Solvang 

Contact Anna Ventura, 686-5370 

Breast Cancer Support Group 

Day 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 

Time 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 


210 S. Palisades # 200 


I Can Cope Series 

For newly Diagnosed Cancer Patients 

Day 2nd & 4th Fridays 

Time 10 a.m. - Noon 


210 S. Palisades # 200 

Contact Debbie Schoebel, R.N., 

739-3780 

Nutritional Counseling for 

Cancer Patients 

Day Every Wednesday 

Time 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. By appoint 

ment 


210 S. Palisades #200, 

Santa Maria 

Contact Stephanie Nunes, RD., 

739-3780 

Cerebral Palsy 

Santa Barbara 

Peoples First Advocacy Meeting 

Adult discussion group for anyone 

with develop.m.ental disabilities. 


Day 2nd Friday 

Contact For further in for ma tion 

call Marty Kinrose, United 

Cerebral Palsy Assoc., 

566-9000 

Chronic Fatigue 

Santa Maria 

Chronic Fatigue & Fibromyalgia 

Syndrome Sup port Group 

For anyone with chronic fatigue or 

fi bromyalgia syndrome. 

Day 2nd Sunday 

Time 2-3 p.m. 

Place French Hospital 


If unable to attend support groups, 

for information on chronic fatigue 

and fi bromyalgia, send self addressed 

5 stamps envelope to: Central 

Cal i for nia CFIDS Foun da tion, 

POB 43, Santa Maria, CA 93456. 

Diabetes 

Insulin Pump Support Group 

Santa Barbara 

Day 1st Wednesday 


Place Sansum-Santa Barbara 

Medical Foun da tion 

3rd Floor Conf Rm 


Contact Sydney Bush, 681-7619 

Diabetes Support Group 

Day 1st Friday 

Time Noon- 2 p.m. 

Place Sansum Medical Research 

Institute 

2219 Bath St., Santa 

Barbara 

Contact Hazel Froscher, 566-4775 

For adults with diabetes or concerned 

about it, and rel a tives and 

friends. New mem bers welcome. 

Bring lunch if desired. 



Domestic Violence 

Santa Barbara 

Shelter Services and Sup port 

Groups for Women 

For any woman still in, or out of, 

an abusive relationship. 

24 Hour Hot Line: 964-5245 

Elder Abuse Survivors 

Survivors listserve designed to provide 

peer-to-peer emotional support 

for elders who have been abused, 

neglected, exploited or self neglected. 

To participate in the Survivors’ 

listserve, you need to have an email 

address and access to a computer 

where you can check for incoming 

mail.Librarians at most public 

libraries can help you to obtain 

both for free. 

To fi nd out more about the listserve 

or to sign up, go to the webpage, 

www.ASAAPS.or/aboutus/ 

listserves_sub.php 

Epilepsy 

Epilepsy Resource Coalition 

For anyone with epilepsy or seizure 

disorder call Epilepsy Resource 

Center for in for ma tion. Call Linda 

Liker, 967-8140 eve 

Gambling 

Santa Barbara 

Gamblers Anonymous 

For people who wish to stop gam bling 

Day Fridays 

Contact Greg, 688-4298 

Day Saturday 

Time 2 p.m. 

Day Saturday 

Time 2 p.m. 

Place 1669 Fir Ave, Solvang 


Day Thursday 

Time 7 p.m. 

Place 115 S. Benwiley 

Santa Maria 


Hearing 


People (SHHH) 

For hard of hearing people, their 

relatives, friends, and anyone in ter - 

est ed in hearing impairment. 

Santa Barbara 

Day 4th Monday of each 

month (except July, August 

& December) 


Place Louise Lowry Davis Center 

Contact Dorothy Holland, 

969-4090 

Heart Disease 

Mended Hearts, Inc. 

For anyone with heart disease, 

families or friends. Also have visiting 

program. 

Day 1st Tuesday 

Place Elks Lodge, Goleta 

Contact Bob Wilkie, 968-0583. 

Or Call American Heart 

As so ci a tion 


Santa Barbara 963-8862 

Lompoc 733-1847 

Huntingtons Disease 

No support groups at this time. 

Please contact 800-345-HDSA for 

the Huntington’s Disease Society 

of Amer i ca, 

Language Disorders 

Aphasia Support Group 

Santa Barbara 

Day 2nd &4th Mondays 

Place Burtness Auditorium 

Cottage Hospital 


Lung Disease 

Better Breathers Club 

For adult lung disease patients. 


Lompoc 

Day 1st Tuesday 

Time 12:30 p.m. 

Place Lompoc HealthCare District 

Library 

Contact Heather Johnson, Ameri 

can Lung As so ci a tion, 

928-3233. 

Santa Barbara/Goleta 

Day 2nd Tues day 

Time 1- 3 p.m. 

Place New Horizons 

250 Moreton Way, Goleta 

Contact Jayne Brechwald, Ameri 


963-1426 

Santa Maria 

Day 2nd Tuesday 


Place Mairan Pulmonary Rehab,1406 

E. Main St. 

Contact Heather Johnson, Ameri 


928-3233. 

Mental Disorders 

Family Support Group 

For families and friends of people 

with mental illness 

Santa Maria 

Day Thursdays 

Time Noon 

Day 1st & 3rd Mondays 


Place Mental Health Services 

Clinic 

500 W Foster Road 

Contact Russ Garrison, 

934-6384 

Day 2nd Monday 

Time 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. 

Contact Alliance for the Mentally 

Ill, Mary Ivora 938-0546 

Multiple Sclerosis 

Santa Barbara 

Call Jeanette Chian682-8783 

Living with change, support and 

wellnesss group meetings.

Muscular Dystrophy 

Santa Barbara 

Muscular Dystrophy Support 

Group 

For individuals who have been 

di ag nosed with one of the 40 neuro 

mus cu lar diseases and for their 

families. 

Day 1st Saturday 


Place Cot tage Hospital 

Contact Muscular Dystrophy Asso 

ci a tion, 563-0456 

Ostomy 

Santa Barbara Chapter of 

Amer i can Ostomy Association 

For Ostomy patients and their 

families. 

Santa Barbara meetings are occassional. 

Contact Joanne Uhl, 964-1873 

Santa Maria/Lompoc Chapter of 

United Ostomy Association 

For Ostomy patients and their 

families. 

Lompoc/Santa Maria 

Day 1st Wednesday every 

other month 


Place Marian Extended Care 

Center 

Contact Sandy La Polla, 934-2006 

Frank Coyes, 925-1976 

Parkinson’s 

Parkinson’s Support Group 

For people with Parkinson’s and 

their families, friends, and caregivers. 

Santa Maria 

Day 4th Thursday of each 

month (except No vem ber 

and De cem ber) 

Time 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. 

Place Grace Baptist Church 

121 West Alvin St. 

Contact Stan Boswell, 937-7776 

Santa Barbara 

Day 2nd Tuesday 


Place First Christian Church 

1915 Chapala Street 

Contact Parkinson’s As so ci a tion, 

683-1326, Jan Birzer 

Sit and Get Fit 

Day Wednesdays 

Time 8:45-9:45 a.m. 

Place Schott Center 

310 W. Padre St 

Contact Parkinson’s As so ci a tion, 

683-1326 

Stroke 

Santa Barbara 

Stroke Support Group 

For stroke patients, families or 

friends. Also provides once-yearly 

in depth training on stroke and 

stroke recovery and can also 

provide vol un teers to work with 

stroke recovery in the home (upon 

phy si cians rec om men da tions). 

Day Ev ery Friday (except 

Holidays) 

Time 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. 

Place 1232 De la Vina St. 

Contact Mrs. McNiece, 682-3432 


Santa Maria 

Stroke Support Group 

For stroke patients, families or 

friends. Also brain injured and 

brain tumors. 

Day 3rd Tuesday 

Time 5:00 -6:00 p.m. 

Place Cardiac Rehab Center 


Contact Carrie Smith, 739-3591 

Co-sponsored by Marian Hospital 

and The City of Santa Maria 

Weight Control 

Take Off Pounds Sensibility 

For people who want to lose or 

maintain weight by cutting down 

without cutting out, and by using 

good nutrition 

Location Santa Barbara, Santa 

Maria, Orcutt, Solvang, 

Lompoc, Vandenberg, 

Goleta, and Carpinteria 

Contact For in for ma tion on day, 

time, and location call 

800-932-8677 


TRANSPORTATION 

Transportation is the link 

to services and programs 

for many older Amer i cans. 

Since vision prob lems and other 

physical lim i ta tions can prevent 

older adults from trans port ing 

them selves, trans por ta tion services 

become a vital tool for linking older 

and disabled persons to services 

and main tain ing their involvement 

in the social activities of the community. 

Transportation Services 

Transportation systems vary 

con sid er ably in the structure and 

fl exibility of the services offered. 

Fixed Route Service means a transpor 

ta tion system that has a pre de - 

ter mined route with specifi c stops 

that conform to a timetable. The 

entities that provide this service 

have available pamphlets explaining 

the detail of each route. 

Door-to Door Service is a trans por - 

ta tion system that will pick you up 

at a location determined by you 

and will take you to the location 

on your choice. Res er va tions are 

usually required. 

Fixed Route Service 

Metropolitan Transit District 

( MTD) 



Fax 962-4794 

www.sbmtd.gov 

scservice@mtd.gov 

MTD Information 

683-3702 

Fees: Adult Basic fare is $1.25; 

Senior (62+) and disabled, .60; 

seniors may be asked for proof 

of age. A special ID is required to 

qualify for reduced fare. Legally 

blind persons may ride for free. A 

personal care attendant may ride 

with their charge for the same 

reduced fare. 

Santa Maria Area Transit 

1303 Fairway Dr 


928-5624 

Both fixed route and door-todoor 

service (for elderly and 

hand i capped) is available. Fare 

is $1.25 one way (half price for 

seniors and disabled). 

Service Hours: Monday – Friday 

5:45 a.m. - 7:15 p.m. 

Sat. & Sun. 8:15 a.m. - 6:15 p.m. 

Guadalupe Transit 

509 W. Morrison Ave. #A 


922-8476 

Guadalupe is served Monday 

through Friday,6:15 a.m. to 6: 

16 p.m. & on Saturday from 8: 

15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Guadalupe 

Flyer operates between Guadalupe 

and the Town Center. Fares 

on the Guadalupe Flyer is $1.00, 

with half price fares for seniors 

and disabled. In addition, within 

Guadalupe, a shuttle service 

operates from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

with $0.25 general public and 

senior fare of $0.10 . 

All fixed route service is wheelchair 

lift equipped. 

Door-to-Door Service 

If you need special transportation 

to take you to the doctor, the market 

and other important places, 

and you are unable to ride the 

bus, you may be eligible for these 

specialized trans por ta tion programs 

for seniors and handicapped 

individuals. These special services 

are called “para-transit” and they 

use vans with lifts for wheelchair 

users and volunteers. 

Services of this type are limited in 

this county, and so these agencies 

are often booked far in advance. 

It is best to plan ahead as much as 

possible and for medical appointments, 

try to coordinate you visit 

with a time that transportation is 

available. 



1432 Chapala 


963-1576 

Fax 963-6093 

426 E. Barcellus Ste. 306 


922-2354 ext.3 

www.cancer.org 

Provides transportation to treatments 

and therapy for ambulatory 

patients. Two days advance 

notice re quired. 

Easy Lift Transportation 

53 Cass Place #D 


681-1181 

Fax 681-1184 

www.easylift.org 

info@easylift.org 

Curb-to-curbservice for frail elderly 

citizens and handicapped persons 

who are unable to use existing 

fi xed route transportation. Service 

is available Monday through 

Friday 5:40 a.m. to 11 p.m.. Saturday 

service is available from 6:30 

a.m. to 10:20 p.m.. Sunday service 

is available from 6:30 a.m to 9:20 

p.m. Vehicles are wheel chair acces 

si ble. Serves area from Carpinteria 

to Win ches ter Can yon. Special 

group charter available upon 

request. Res er va tions are taken between 

8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and can be 

made up to two weeks in ad vance. 

The fare is $2.00 per one-way trip. 

Ticket books are avail able by advance 

purchase at a cost of $20.00 

for 10 tickets. 

Help of Carpinteria, Inc. 

Shepard’s Place 

1069 Casitas Pass Road 


684-0065 

An agency compromised of volun 

teers entirely, that offers doorto-door 

transportation services. 

Res er va tions can be made up 

to two weeks in ad vance. However, 

im me di ate rides are almost

always available. Offering service 

within the city limits of Carpinteria, 

and medical and social 

service visits to Santa Barbara. 

Do na tions are en cour aged. Suggested 

donation of $1.00 in Carpinteria 

only, $2.00 in extended 

Carpinteria and $6.00 to Santa 

Barbara and $10. to Shephards 

Mesa and Polo Fields. 

COLT ( City of Lompoc Transit) 

1300 W. Laurel 

Lompoc, CA 

736-7666 

Fixed route and Door-to-door 

service is available from 6 a.m. to 

8 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 

p.m. One-way fare in the City of 

Lompoc is $1.00 and .50 cents 

for seniors/disabled; one-way 

fare to Mission Hills and Vandenberg 

Village is $1.50 and .75 

cents for seniors. All buses are 

wheelchair lift equipped. Call at 

least 24 hours ahead for door to 

door. Bus to Santa Barbara on 

Tuesaday & Thursday at cost of 

$4.00 each way. 

Santa Ynez Valley Transit 

688-5452 

Fax 688-5383 

Door-to-door service provided 

Monday thru Friday 7 a.m. to 

6 p.m. in Los Olivos, Solvang, 

Buellton, and Santa Ynez. Res er - 

va tions may be made up to three 

weeks in advance. Seniors and 

the disabled can ride for $1.50 

per one-way trip. 

Santa Maria Area Transit 

928-5624 

Offers door-to-door service for 

ADA eligible individuals to appointments 

in Santa Maria and 

Orcutt. New riders are en cour - 

aged to call for ADA applications 

and details. Fare is $0.75 per 

ride. Res er va tions are taken up 

to 7 days in advance. All busses 

are wheelchair accessible and lift 

equipped. Service is offered Mon- 

day through Friday, 6:00 a.m. 

to 7:15 p.m. and Saturday 8:15 

a.m. to 6:15 p.m. 

American Medical Response 

866-889-8422 (toll free) 

Provides transportation services 

for Medi-Cal patients from their 

home to medical appointments 

and back home when ordered by 

primary care physician. Available 

Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

throughout County. 

SMOOTH Senior Dial A Ride 

509 W. Morrison Ave. Suite A 


922-0146 

Door to Door service available 

for seniors 60 years or greater to 

Nu tri tion Program sites, medical 

ap point ments, hair appointments, 

shopping, etc., within 

Santa Maria and Orcutt areas. 

Requested fair is $2.00 per trip, 

$4.00 per round trip. All vehicles 

are wheelchair accessible and 

lift equipped. Service hours are 

from 9a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday 

through Friday. Two-day notice is 

re quest ed for reservations. 

Service to Santa Barbara from 

any place in North County is 

available Monday, Wednesday 

and Friday for medical ap point - 

ments to County Clinics only. 

Santa Barbara County-Health 

Clinic Transportation 

C/O SMOOTH, Inc. 

509 W. Morrison Ave. Suite A 


922-0146 

Door to Door service from north 

Santa Barbara County for clients 

of County Health Services to 

appointments in Santa Barbara, 

Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 


Long Distance Travel 

Greyhound Bus Lines 

Greyhound provides nationwide 

bus service. They provide a discount 

to seniors (65+) of 5% off the 

regular fare. This discount does 

not apply to special fares. They 

also have a helping hand program: 

a handicapped person’s escort 

can ride free with a doctor’s note. 

Buses are not equipped with wheelchair 

lifts. 

Greyhound Terminals 

34 W. Carrillo St. 


965-7551 

755 W. Cypress 


925-8841 

Spanish: 800-531-5332 

TDD: 800-231-2222 

Amtrak 

Amtrak is a nationwide train 

service. Persons who are 62 or 

older, have a visible handicap or a 

doctor’s note indication that they 

are handicapped, can obtain a 15% 

discount off the regular fare when 

riding Amtrak. Trains that stop 

at staffed stations are wheel chair 

accessible. 

General Information and Res er - 

va tions: 800-872-7245 

209 State St 


963-1015 

600 Guadalupe St. 


800-872-7245 

Airlines 

Many airlines offer substantial 

discounts to seniors. Contact your 

travel agent for more information. 

Central Coast Shuttle 

805-928-1977 

www.cclax.com 

Five round trips to LAX per day, 

seven days a week. Two person 

discount of $10 off per round 

trip. Charter services available. 



Coastal Express 

800-438-1112 

www.goventura.org 

Bus service from Ventura to 

South Coast (Carpenteria, Santa 

Barbara & Goleta) 

For transportation to local airports 

or to LAX, see the “Airport 

Trans por ta tion Service: listing in 

the Yellow pages of your telephone 

book. 

Other Related Services 

Traffi c Solutions 

222 E. Anapamu St.. #24 


963-7283; 963-SAVE 

Fax 961-8901 

www.traffi csolutions.info 

Offers information and matching 

for ride sharing, car and vanpools 

countywide. Can buy tickets 10 

rides at a discount. 

Clean Air Express 

963-7283 

Fax 961-8901 

www.cleanairexpress.com 

Bus service from Santa Maria to 

Santa Barbara and from Lompoc 

to Santa Barbara. Subscription 

bus service for $130.00 per 

month. 

Ride Share Hotline 

568-3308 

Offers information on city street 

conditions and closures. 

Handicap License Plate/Placard 

For those who have a handicap and 

use an automobile, specialized license 

plates, and handicap placards 

are available through the Department 

of Motor Vehicles. If you wish 

to apply for a placard or plate, call 

the DMV in your area to obtain an 

application form and to fi nd out 

what you need to bring with you in 

order to apply for a placard and/or 

plate, depending upon your disability, 

you may be required to get a 

doctor’s au tho ri za tion. 

55 Alive/Mature 

Driving Course 

The National Retired Teacher Asso 

ci a tion and the American Association 

of Retired Persons developed 

this course especially for older 

drivers. It will give you a chance to 

brush up on existing driving skills 

and pick up some new ideas about 

how to drive safely and defensively. 

The course is conducted throughout 

the county by trained volunteer 

instructors in two four hours 

ses sions and costs $10.00. An ad di - 

tion al benefi t will be a reduction in 

your car insurance since insurance 

com pa nies are required to give a 

discount to seniors who have taken 

this and other approved courses. 

To qualify for this discount all covered 

licensed drivers over 55 in the 

family must complete the course. 

To locate a class in your community, 

telephone 888-227-7669 

and follow the prompts. Be ready 

to provide your 5-digit postal zip 

code. A local volunteer will call you 

back within 

3-5 business days to provide you 

with the information about the 

nearest class. 

Local areas with known classes 

can be ascertained by contacting 

Erick Herner at 966-5304 or 

herner@cox.net. 


Warning Signs for Drivers 

1. Have you noticed any of the follow 

ing warning signs? 

2. Is there a change in frequency of 

severity of these warning signs/ 

3. Do the circumstances and 

se ri ous ness of the warning signs 

warrant con tin ued close mon i - 

tor ing, driving mod i fi ca tion or 

an immediate end to driving? 

• Incorrect signaling 

• Trouble navigating turns 

• confusion at exits 

• Moving into a wrong lane 

• Parking inappropriately 

• Hitting curbs 

• Failing to notice traffi c lights 

• Driving at inappropriate speeds 

• Delayed responses to unexpected 

situations 

• Not anticipating potential danger 

ous situations 

• Getting lost in familiar places 

• Near misses 

• Scrapes or dents on the car, 

garage or mailbox 

• Stopping in traffi c for no apparent 

reason 

• Car accident 

• Ticked moving violations or 

warnings 

Consider an “Agreement with 

My Family about Driving” as a 

way to balance independence 

and safety. For a copy of an 

Agreement, contact Senior Connection 

at 800-510-2020

A 

wide variety of human 

service programs rely on 

volunteers. Opportunities 

exist in any fi eld in which you have 

training, talent or interest. Almost 

all of the pro grams in this directory 

use volunteers. 

Listed below are agencies that serve 

as a clearinghouse of volunteer oppor 

tu ni ties. It is a place for you to 

begin. You may also want to consider 

auxiliary services at almost 

any hospital or clinic, or docent 

op por tu ni ties at most mu se ums; 

or contact the organization that is 

of interest to you and ask if they 

have a need for volunteers. Many 

schools have community service 

op por tu ni ties for their students. 

Retired and Senior Volunteer 

Program ( RSVP) Santa 

Bar bara 



963-0474 

Fax 963-0475 

rsvpsb@yahoo.com 


Program (RSVP) Santa Maria 

104 A E. Boone St. 


922-9931 


Program ( RSVP) Lompoc 

1011 North A St. 


Involves seniors in the com mu ni ty 

through placement in schools, 

service agencies, hos pi tals, senior 

centers and other community 

agencies. Recruits and places 

seniors in a variety of community 

organizations that can benefit 

from senior vol un teers. 

GenSpan Foundation 

1414 E. Main St. Suite 102 


614-4968 

Develops programs to unite the 

gen er a tions in work, play and 

lifelong learning. Recruits local 

adults, primarily retired people, 

to volunteer in classrooms- serving 

as mentors, teachers’ assistants, 

tutors and friends. 

VOLUNTEER 

Create A Safer Environment 

For people with memory loss and confusion, home can offer safety 

or it can be confusing and dangerous. The following tips will help 

you create a living space that is safe and secure. 

1. Focus on Prevention 

• Try to prevent problems before they happen, but remember that 

some accidents are not avoidable. 

• Allow plenty of time. Accidents may happen if the person is 

rushed. 

• If the person smokes, supervise cigarettes and matches. 

2. Use Safety Devices 

• Put gates at the top of stairways and secure banisters. 

• Install safety latches or locks on cabinets where dangerous items 

such as knives and cleaning products are stored. 

• Put guards around radiators and other heaters. 

• Use safety covers for doorknobs to prevent wandering. 

3. Keep Things Simple 

• Keep the environment simple and consistent. Don't rearrange 

furniture unless necessary. 

• Remove all unnecessary furniture and clutter including 

knickknacks. 

• Keep items used often in the same place. 

• Put away items that may cause confusion. For example, don't 

leave the shaving cream next to the toothpaste. 

4. Remove Hazardous Items 

• Check all household items for potential dangers. Lock up or 

remove medications, cleaning supplies and insecticides. 

• Remove poisonous house plants. 

• Put small objects which may be swallowed out of sight and lock 

up all sharp items. 

• Lock up or remove all fi rearms. 

• Put appliances and tools, such as razors, hair dryers and sewing 

machines, in a safe place. 

• Secure outdoor appliances such as power tools and lawn mowers. 

• Make sure electrical cords are secured and cannot be tripped over. 




925-9554 or 965-3288 

Fax 925-9555 

E-mail: seniors@kcbx.net 

We appreciate your feedback on the 2005-2007 Senior Resource Di rec to ry. 

This form is provided for that purpose. Fill in, tear out and mail back. 

Thank you. 

Senior Resource Directory Survey 

What I found useful about this Directory ____________________________________________________ 

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What I would like to see included in the next Directory _________________________________________ 

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The following organization has an incorrect phone number or other in for ma tion. Please include correct 

in for ma tion, if known. 

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A 

AAA 17 

AARP 17 

AARP Community Presence Team 17 

AARP Home Equity Infomation 

Center 61 

AARP Tax Aide Program 36 

ABLEDATA 42 

Accessible Environments, Inc 43 

ACCESS TEAM 8 

Addus HealthCare 56 

Adult & Aging Network 18 

Adult Day Care 39 

Adult Literacy Program 24 

Adult Protective Services 8,27 

Adult School 24 

Adventures in Caring Foundation 57 

Airlines 93 

Alcoholics Anonymous 87 

Allan Hancock College 24 

Alzheimer's Association 24 

Alzheimer’s Association 39 

Alzheimers Disease 87 

Al Anon 87 

Amdal In Home Care 91 

American Association of Retired 

Persons 17 

American Cancer Society 42,46,92 

American Indian Health & 

Services 19,44 

American Medical Response 93 

American Red Cross 9,25,45 

Amtrak 93 

Animal Control 14 

Area Agency on Aging (AAA) 17 

Arthritis 88 

Artor View Retirement 

Community 63 

Assemblyman Pedro Nava 16 

Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee 16 

Assessors Offi ce 35 

Assistive Technology Center 43 

Atria Maria Del Sol 66 

At Home Senior Services 58 

B 

Bereavement 88 

BestCare Central Coast Home Health 

Agency 50,52,55 

Better Business Bureau 20 

Blindness 88 

Board of Optometry 20 

Board of Pharmacy 20 

Board of Registered Nurses 20 

Board of Supervisors 15 

Braille Institute of America 42,49 

Breat Resource Center 46 

Brown Bag Program 38 

Bureau of Automotive Repairs 21 

C 

Cable Television Discounts 66 

California Advocates for Nursing 

Home Reform 39 

California Commission on Aging 18 

California Poison Control System 10 

California Retired Teachers 

Association 18 

California Rural Legal Assistance 67 

California Senior Legislature 18 


Program 42,48 

CalJOBS 28 

Calle Real Clinic 76 

Camping 85 

Cancer 88 

Carbajal, Salud 15 

Caregiver UniversityAlzheimer’s 


CareLine 57 

Casa Dorinda Retirement Facility 63 

Casa Esperanza 10 

Casa Serena Senior Apartments 59 

Castillo Homes 59 

Catholic Charities 9 

Catholic Charities - Older Adult 

Services 50 

CA Rural Legal Assistance 64 

Cemetery and Funeral Bureau 20,22 

Centeno, Joseph 15 

Center for Employment Training 28 

Central Coast Commission of Senior 

Citizens 17 

Central Coast Dental Society 46 

Central Coast Headway 12 

Central Coast Literacy Council 24 

Central Coast Shuttle 93 

Cerebral Palsy 89 

Charles Golodner Counseling 

Group 12 

CHC 59 

Chronic Fatigue 89 

City of Lompoc Transit 93 

City of Santa Barbara City Hall 66 

Clean Air Express 94 

Coastal Express 94 

Coastal Properties 33 

INDEX 

Coast Caregivers Resource Center 55 

Coast Caregiver Resouce Center 40 


Center 39,50,76 

COLT 93 

Comcast Cable Co. 66 

Commission on Law & Aging 62 

Community Action Commission/ 

Energy Services 9,65 

Community Affairs Board Senior 

Escort Program & Senior Friendship 

Program 56 


Division 21,58 

Community Health Centers 44 

Community Housing Corporation 59 

Community Mediation Program 19 

Community Partners in Caring 56,58 

Complaint Unit Medical Board of 

California 47 

Congregational Health Care 50 

Congressman Elton Gallegly 16 

Congresswoman Lois Capps 16 

Congress of California Seniors 18 


Services 32,62 

Consumer Mediation Program 20 

Continuing Education Div. 

OMEGA 24 

Cooperative Extensions/Farm & 

Home Advisor 25 

Coroner’s Offi ce 23 

Cottage Hospital. Community 

Outreach/Parish Nursing 47 

Cottage Hospital Lifeline Service 56 

Cottage Outpatient Center of Santa 

Maria 11 

County Coroner’s Offi ce 23 

County Health Clinic 48 

County Health Clinics 43 

Cox Communications 66 

Cozy Creek at Vista del Monte 56 

Curb to Curb 93 

D 

Day Use Parks 85 

Dental Board of California 20 

Denti-Cal Dental Care Dentist 46 

Department of Fish and Game 85 

Department of Motor Vehicles 20 

Department of Social Services, Santa 

Barbara County 9 

Department of Veteran’s Affairs 31 


INDEX 


Rehabilitation 28,45,48 

Diabetes 89 

Diabetes Resource Center 43 

Disabled Discount Pass 85 

Disabled Veterans Pass 85 

District Attorney’s Offi ce Elder Abuse 

Prosecution Unit 27 

DMV 20 

Domestic Violance Solutions 9 

Domestic Violence 90 

Door-to-Door Service 92 

Do Not Call 21 

E 

Early Memory Loss Group 87 

Easy Lift Transportation 92 

Economic Opportunity 

Commission 64 

EDD 28 

Edgerly Apartments 59 

Elderhostel 24 

Elder Abuse Survivors 90 

Employment Development 

Department 28 

Employment Discrimination 29 

Epilepsy 90 

Eye Clinic 49 

F 

Fair Employment & Housing 

Department 29 

Fair Employment and Housing 

Dept 64 

Fair Housing Enforcement 

Program 19 

Family Service Agency 50,54,64,76 

Federal Trade Commission 21,22 

Fellowship Club 77 

55 Alive/Mature Driving Course 94 

Filipino Community Association 18 

Filipino Community Center 19 

Financial Planning Associates 34 

Firestone, Brooks 15 

Fishing Licenses 84 

Fixed Route Service 92 

Food Bank of Santa Barbara 

County 38 

Food Stamps 31 

Franchise Tax Board 35,36 

Friendship Adult Day Care Center 56 

Friendship Manor 61,62 

Funeral Consumers Alliance 22 

G 

Gambling 90 

GAP 46,50,76 

Garden Court on de la Vina 61 

Gatekeeper Program 25 

Gay & Lesbian Resource Center 87 

Gay Santa Barbara 19 

GenSpan Foundation 95 

Geriatric Assessment 

Program 46,50,76 

Golden Age Passport 85 

Golden Bear Pass 85 

Golden State Mobile Home Owners 

League 19 


Lifeline Service 56 

Good Samaritan/Recovery Point 12 

Good Samaritan Shelter 9 

Governor 15 

Gray, Joni 15 

Gray Panthers 18 

Greyhound Bus Lines 93 

Grocery Resources 38 

Guadalupe Transit 92 

H 

Hancock, Allan College 24 

Handicap License Plate/Placard 94 

HART 14 

Health Insurance Counseling and 

Advocacy Program 21 

Hearing 90 

Hearts Adaptive Riding 85 

Heart Disease 90 

HELPLINE 12 

HELPLINE 2-1-1 76 

Help of Carpinteria, Inc 92 

Heritage House 60 

HICAP 21,31,39,83 

Homemaker Service 53 

Homeowner’s Property Tax 

Exemption 35 

Home Care-Giver Services 82 

Home Instead Senior Care 52 

Hope Center 9 

Hospice of Santa Barbara 25,54 

Hospice Partners of the Central 

Coast 55 

Hospitals & Emergency Services 43 

Hospital Meal Discounts 38 

Housing Authority for the City of 

Santa Barbara 59 


Housing Authority for the County of 


Housing Rehabilitation Loan 

Program 65 

Housing Rehabilitation Revolving 

Loan Program 65 

Humane Animal Rescue Team 14 

Humane Society of Santa Barbara 14 

Humane Society of Santa Maria 

Valley 14 

Huntingtons Disease 90 

I 

IHSS 53 

ILRC 42,47 

Immunizations 84 

In-Home Care Network 57 

In-Home Supportive Services 53 


Center 42,45,47 

Internal Revenue Service 36 

International Cemetery and Funeral 


In Home Care Network 54 

In Patient Hospice Service 43 

J 

Jewish Family Services 54 

L 

Labor Standards Enforcement/ 

Industrial Relations 29 

Laguna Cottages for Seniors 59 

Language Disorders 90 

Language Ministry Program 24,72 

Lawyers Referral Service 67 

La Casa de la Raza 19 

La Vista Foundation 42 

League of Women Voters 18 

Legal Aid Foundation 67 

Legal Aid Foundation of Santa 

Barbara County 64 

Libraries 16 

LifeSteps Foundation 51 

Linkages Program 51 

Lions Sight Conservation 

Foundation 49 

Literacy Council 24 

LivHOME 29 

Loan of Medical Equipment 42 

Lompoc Clinic 76 

Lompoc District Hospital Lifeline 56

Lompoc Valley Community Health 

Organization 82 

Lompoc Valley Community 

Kitchen 38 

Lompoc Valley Haven 56 

Lompoc Valley Home Health 50,53 

Long Term Care Ombudsman 9,21 

LTC Ombudsman Services 57 

Lung Disease 90 

M 

Maravilla 63 

Maravilla Senior Living 

Community 62 

Marian HomeCare & Hospice 55 

Marian HomeCare Services 54 

Marian Hospital HomeCare 53 

Marian Hospital Home Care 45,50 

Marian Medical Center 45,46 

Marian Residence 56,65 

Maria Del Sol 66 

Market Van 38 

Marks House Transitional Shelter 10 

Mayor Dick De Wees 15 

Mayor Edwin Skytt 15 

Mayor J. Bradley Stern 15 

Mayor Jean Blois 15 

Mayor Larry Lavagnino 15 

Mayor Lupe Alvarez 15 

Mayor Marty Blum 15 

Mayor Russ Hicks 15 

Meals 37 

Meals-on-Wheels 37 

Medical Board of California 20 

Medicare 30 

Mental Disorders 90 

Mental Health Assessment Team 8 

Metropolitan Transit District 92 

Mobile Dental Unit 46 

Mobile Home Ombudsman 19 

Mobile Home Registration - 

Titling 20 

MSSP 51 

MTD 92 

MTD Information 92 

Multiple Sclerosis 90 

Multiple Sclerosis Society 42 

Multipurpose Senior Service 

Program 51 

Muscular Dystrophy 91 

Muscular Dystrophy Association 42 

N 

National Association of Retired 

Federal Employees 18 

National Center for Home Equity 

Conversion Mortgage 62 

National Eye Care Project 49 

National Insurance Consumer 

Helpline 21 

Nicotine Anonymous Meetings 49 

North American Cemetery Regulatory 

Assoc 22 

North County Rape Crisis & Child 

Protection Center 8 

Nursing Home Administrator 

Program 20 

Nutrition Sites 37 

O 

Oak Knoll Haven 59 

OAS 50 

OASIS Catholic Charities 57 

Older Adult Services 50 

One Legacy 23 

One Stop Career Centers 28 

Organ Donation 23 

Ostomy 91 

P 

PACE 85 

Pacifi c Gas & Electric 65 

Pacifi c Pride Foundation 19 

Parish Nursing 50 

Parkinson’s 91 

Passport Offi ces 84 

Pilgrim Terrace Cooperative 

Homes 59 

Poison Education Materials & 

Programs 10 

Preventative Health Care for the 

Aging 46 

Project Re-Entry 45,57 

Public Administration, Santa Barbara 

County 23 

Public Defender 67 

Q 

QI 81 

QMB 81 

Qualifi ed Individual I 81 

Qualifi ed Medicare Benefi ciary 81 

INDEX 

R 

Rainbow Plaza 59 

Real Help 54 

Regional Occupational Program 28 

Rehabilitation Institute at Santa 

Barbara 44 

Rental Housing Mediation Task 

Force 19,64 

Renter’s Assistance 35 

Renter’s Credit 35 

Respite Care Grants 56 


Program 95 

Retired and Senior Volunteer Program 

Lompoc 95 

Retired and Senior Volunteer Program 


Return Program 58 

Reverse Equity Mortgage Counseling 

Program 62 

Ride Share Hotline 94 

Roberta R. Weisglass 35 

ROP 28 

Rose, Susan 15 

RSVP, Lompoc 95 

RSVP, Santa Barbara 95 

S 

Salvation Army 10 

Samarkand 63 

Santa Barbara - Ventura Dental 

Society 46 

Santa Barbara City College 24 

Santa Barbara Co. Medical Society 44 


Hospital 8,11,76 

Santa Barbara Council on Alcoholism 

and Drug Abuse 11 

Santa Barbara County-Health Clinic 

Transportation 93 

Santa Barbara County Bar 


Santa Barbara County Clerk Recorder 

15,23 


Guardian 68 

Santa Barbara County Public Health 

Dept 48 

Santa Barbara Health Authority 80 

Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center 8 

Santa Maria Area Transit 92 

Santa Maria Clinic 76 


INDEX 

Santa Ynez/Buellton Humane 

Society 14 

Santa Ynez Valley People Helping 

People 10,38 

Santa Ynez Valley Transit 93 

SBCC 64 

SB Medical Foundation Clinic 49 

SB Veteran’s Service Offi ces 31 

Secretary of State 68 


People 48 

Senator Abel Maldonado 16 

Senator Barbara Boxer 16 

Senator Dianne Feinstein 16 

Senator Tom McClintock 16 

Senior Centers 84 

Senior Escort Program 56 

Senior Friendship Program 56 

Senior Living Consultants 64 

Senior Outreach Program 50 

Senior Peer Counseling Program 77 

Senior Planning Services 53 

Senior Resource Directory Survey 96 

Senior Substance Abuse 13 

Serenity House 54 

SHHH 48 

Sign Language Classes 47 

SLMB 81 

Small Claims Advice 72 

SMOOTH Senior Dial A Ride 93 

Social Security Administration 22 

Social Security Disability Benefi ts 30 

Social Security Offi ces 31 

Social Security Retirement Benefi ts 30 

Social Security Survivors Benefi ts 30 

Solvang Friendship House 62 

Solvang Lutheran Home 63 

Southern California Gas Company 65 

Specifi ed Low-Income Medicare 

Benefi ciary 81 

SSI 30 

St. Johns Regional Medical Center 76 

State Controller 36 

State Dept. of Consumer Affairs 20 

State Dept. of Health Services 58 

State Parks and Recreation District 

Offi ce 85 

Stroke 91 

Supplemental Security Income 

Program 30 

T 

Tax Collector’s Offi ce 66 

Tax Counseling for the Elderly 36 

TCE 36 

Telemarketing Sales Rule 21 

Terri Toon Memorial Fund, Inc 82 

The Jefferson Fund 82 

Traffi c Solutions 94 

Transition House 10 

Travel 84 

Tri-Counties Blood Bank 45 

Tribal Health Clinic 19 

Tri Counties Regional Center 8 

Turpin, David C., Attorney at La 69 

U 

UCSB 63 

Union Plaza 59 

United States Citizenship and 

Naturalization 72 

United States Consumer Product 

Safety Commission 20 

United States Department of J 

ustice 73 

University of California, 


V 

V.A. Health Clinic 44 

Valley Haven Senior Day Care 

Center 56 

Valle Verde 63 

Veterans Administration 22 

Veterans Administration/Ambulatory 

Care Center 47 

Veterans AdministrationOutpatient 

Clinic 22 

Veterans Affairs and Outpatient 

Clinic 81 

Veterans Service Offi ces 22 

Vial of Life 10 

Victim Witness Assistance Program 9 

Villa Alamar 41 

Visiting Care & Companions 55 

Visiting Care and Companions 53 

Visiting Nurse & Hospice 

Care 45,50,51,53,55 

Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care Loan 

Closet 43 

Visiting Pet Program 14 

Vista del Mar Hospital 76 

Vista del Monte 63 

VITA 36 


VIVA 14 

Volunteers for Intervalley Animals 14 

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance 36 

Voter Registration 15 

W 

Wagging Dog Tales 14 

Weight Control 91 

Westmont College 63 

Wisdom Center 56 

Wood Glen Hall 62 

Work Training Program 28 

Y 

YMCA 84 

Young Men’s Christian Association 84 

Z 

Zona Seca 12

For Free 

Information 

and Referrals 

1-800-510-2020 

CentralCoastSeniors.org 

Linking People and Services 

in Santa Barbara County 


LINKING PEOPLE & SERVICES 

Senior Connection assists you in locating and understanding 

programs and services available to senior citizens and caregivers. 

✦ Home Care ✦ Transportation 

✦ Housing ✦ Mental Health 

✦ Home Repair ✦ Legal Services 

✦ Home Delivered Meals ✦ Health Services 

Visit us at our office 

528 South Broadway · Santa Maria, CA 93454 

funded by

Staffed by caring professionals, each organization is committed to meeting the needs 

of body, mind and spirit for those served. We invite you to visit this distinguished group 

of nonprofit communities and experience the warmth and vitality each has to offer. 

Casa Dorinda 

300 Hot Springs Road 

Montecito, CA 93108 

805-969-8011 

www.casadorinda.com 

RCFE #421700160 

The Samarkand 

2550 Treasure Drive 


805-687-0701 

www.covenantretirement.org 

RCFE #421702848 

Solvang Lutheran Home 

636 Atterdag Road 


805-688-3263 

www.peoplewhocare.com 

RCFE #421700369 

LOS PADRES REGION 

California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging 

Our Members have Provided Quality, 

Innovative Care and Services to 

Santa Barbara Residents for Over 40 Years. 

Solvang Friendship House 

880 Friendship Lane 

P.O. Box 486 


805-688-8748 

friendship.house@gte.net 

RCFE #421703158/421704056 

Wood Glen Hall 

3010 Foothill Road 


805-687-7771 

www.woodglenhall.org 

RCFE #421700457 

Vista del Monte 

3775 Modoc Road 


805-687-0793 

www.frontporch.net 

RCFE #421700426 

Valle Verde 

900 Calle de los Amigos 


805-687-1571 

www.valleverdesb.com 

RCFE #421700411 

CAHSA Los Padres Region retirement communities do not disciminate on the basis of 

race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or age in the provision of services or employment. 

EQUAL HOUSING 

OPPORTUNITY

Senior Resource Directory Senior Resource Directory

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