Broward County Senior Services Directory: Who to Call for What

Who do I call when I do not know where to start?

When you have no idea what your parent needs or which senior services exist, call the Elder Helpline run by the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Broward County, known as the ADRC. It is the county’s official front door for senior resources. You do not need to know the names of any programs before you call. Describe what is happening, and the specialist helps sort it out.

Expect a structured conversation rather than a transfer line. The specialist may ask about your parent’s age, living situation, income range, and daily struggles, then help screen for relevant programs. Those may include subsidized meals, in-home support, transportation, caregiver respite, and long-term care programs.

Set aside twenty to thirty minutes for the first call. If you are still trying to name the problem itself, our guide to choosing the right elderly parent care can sharpen what you say when the specialist answers.

Who answers Medicare questions without trying to sell me something?

For Medicare questions, call SHINE, Florida’s free Medicare counseling program. SHINE counselors are trained volunteers who provide free, unbiased, and confidential help. They do not sell insurance or earn commissions.

Call SHINE when you are comparing plans, sorting out what Medicare covers for home health, or untangling a confusing bill. Call the plan itself for questions only that plan can answer, such as whether a particular doctor is in network. SHINE is one of the most useful senior services for families who want an explanation without a sales pitch.

You can also use Medicare.gov as the official federal source for Medicare coverage information.

Who do I call when my parent needs meals?

If your parent is skipping meals or living on toast and coffee, call Meals on Wheels South Florida. Its Home Delivered Meal Program serves eligible Broward County adults who are homebound or unable to shop for and prepare meals safely.

The meal matters, but so does something families often overlook: delivery provides regular human contact and a safety check. For a daughter in another state, that knock on a door in Pompano Beach can be worth almost as much as the food.

Apply early because eligibility reviews, funding limits, or waitlists may affect how quickly senior services begin. While you wait, ask the ADRC about other food programs and consider whether grocery delivery plus a companion who prepares meals could bridge the gap. Medicare generally does not cover home-delivered meals as an Original Medicare home health benefit.

Who provides rides when my parent cannot drive anymore?

When driving is no longer safe, contact Broward County Transit about TOPS paratransit. TOPS provides shared, door-to-door transportation for eligible people whose disabilities prevent them from independently using the fixed-route bus system.

TOPS is not a same-day taxi. Eligibility requires an application and medical verification, and the process may include an in-person functional assessment. Broward County’s application states that completed eligibility decisions are generally made within 21 days, so it helps to start before the car keys become an emergency.

Once approved, rides are scheduled ahead and pickup windows may be broad, so build time into medical appointments. Some families combine public senior services with companion transportation for appointments where someone should walk the parent inside, listen to instructions, and report back.

Who do I call when I am worried about memory loss?

If you are noticing repeated questions, missed bills, or a parent who got lost on a familiar route, call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline. It is free and staffed around the clock. You do not need a diagnosis to call; describe what you are seeing and ask what kind of evaluation or support may be appropriate.

The helpline provides information about memory loss and dementia, care planning, safety concerns, communication strategies, caregiver stress, and local senior services.

If the concern develops into a diagnosis, our guide to dementia care at home in Broward County walks through the decisions that may follow.

Who do I call when I suspect abuse, neglect, or a scam?

If you know or reasonably suspect that a vulnerable adult is being abused, neglected, self-neglected, or financially exploited, contact the Florida Abuse Hotline. The hotline accepts reports twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. You do not have to conduct your own investigation before calling; the hotline counselor determines whether the information meets the criteria for a report.

Trust the instinct that made you look up this section. Families often hesitate because the suspected person is a relative, a new “friend,” or someone their parent defends. A hotline counselor can tell you what information is needed and what happens next.

Who do I call when no one has answered the phone all day?

If you believe your parent may be injured or in immediate danger, call 911 and provide the exact address. If you are concerned but it does not appear to be an immediate emergency, call the Broward County Regional Communications non-emergency number or the local police department for the city where your parent lives. Ask whether a welfare check is appropriate.

Before or alongside that call, contact anyone who is regularly in the home. If a home care agency visits your parent, the caregiver may have seen them that morning and can help distinguish a dead phone battery from a genuine concern. Our guide to emergency planning for seniors can help families prepare for these moments before they happen.

Who do I call when my parent needs actual care in the home?

Public senior services solve specific needs on set schedules: a meal at noon, a ride on Tuesday, or help understanding Medicare. When your parent needs a trained person in the home for personal care, skilled nursing, therapy, medication teaching, homemaker help, or companionship, talk with a licensed home health agency about which level of care fits.

When you interview agencies, ask about licensing, caregiver screening, supervision, backup coverage, and after-hours support. If you live out of town, add two questions: How will you keep me updated, and how often? Who exactly do I call after hours when something changes? Our list of questions to ask a companion care agency provides a practical starting point.

Patient Resources Company is a licensed home health agency in Plantation, Florida. Its team works with Broward County families and can explain where professional care fits alongside public senior services.