Delaware’s population is getting grayer every year.
By the year 2030, one in four Delawareans will be sixty years of age or older. That statistic, according to the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, is one reason the agency compiles its free “Guide to Services for Older Delawareans and Persons with Disabilities.”
The 2014-2015 edition is now available and contains information on resources from legal and medical services to how to get financial assistance.
Carol Barnett, a senior planner with Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities, says the guide is a comprehensive directory of services available to First State residents.
“So we’re hoping that if you have this information before you might need it, you’ll know what to do and how to do it and you can make good decisions and not wait until you’re in a crisis mode,” said Barnett.
Barnett adds a phone call from a retiree who had just moved to the First State is a good example of why the state produces the guide. The woman reached out when her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimers.
“tThe wife called me and they don’t know anybody. They have no family in Delaware, they’re not affiliated with a church, they don’t know any of the support groups; nothing," said Barnett. "So it made me realize that people need to somehow stay connected with the community and using the information in this book would at least be a place to start.”
Barnett adds the guide also has many resources for caregivers.
To view or download the free guide, go to the division's website
