Bay Area · 9 counties · open to everyone
Help for older adults & caregivers
The support around an older patient going home — and the family caring for them. Your county's Area Agency on Aging is one call that opens many doors; there's also help at home, support for caregivers, and the safety lines that matter if something goes wrong at a facility. This is information, not advice.
Start here
Aging & Disability Resource Connection (your Area Agency on Aging)
- For what
- The single front door to services for older adults and people with disabilities in your county — in-home help, meals, transportation, caregiver support, and benefits, all in one call.
- How to use it
- Call the California Aging & Adult Information Line to reach your county's Area Agency on Aging, or look up your county online.
Checked 2026-06-09.
Friendship Line (for older adults)
- For what
- A free, 24/7 warm line and check-in service for adults 60+ (and adults with disabilities) who are lonely, isolated, anxious, or grieving — non-crisis emotional support.
- How to use it
- Call any time to talk, or sign up for regular check-in calls.
Checked 2026-06-09.
Support at home & for caregivers
Meals on Wheels / home-delivered meals
- For what
- Home-delivered meals (and often a daily safety check) for homebound older adults who can't easily shop or cook after a hospital stay.
- How to use it
- Find your local program by ZIP code, or ask your county Area Agency on Aging to connect you. Many programs are free or by donation.
Checked 2026-06-09.
California Caregiver Resource Centers
- For what
- Free help for family caregivers — counseling, training, planning, and respite (a break from caregiving) — for those caring for an adult with a chronic or disabling condition.
- How to use it
- Find your regional Caregiver Resource Center online and reach out for free support.
Checked 2026-06-09.
Safety & rights
Long-Term Care Ombudsman
- For what
- A free advocate for residents of nursing homes and assisted-living/board-and-care. If something is wrong at a facility — care, dignity, an unsafe discharge — the Ombudsman investigates and helps resolve it, confidentially.
- How to use it
- Call the statewide CRISISline any time, or ask for the local Ombudsman that covers the facility.
Checked 2026-06-09.
Adult Protective Services (APS)
- For what
- For when an older adult or dependent adult may be being abused, neglected, or financially exploited — at home or in a facility. Reports can be made by anyone, confidentially.
- How to use it
- Call the statewide APS line any time; it routes you to your county's 24/7 APS.
Checked 2026-06-09.
Programs and local providers vary by county; your Area Agency on Aging can connect the pieces. If you ever believe an older adult is in immediate danger, call 911 — and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman and Adult Protective Services lines above are there when something isn't right.