Elder Law Handbook

(Tarrant County, Texas)

Resources and Forms

(if you know what you are looking for, use your web-browser to search for keywords in this document)

• Assistance for Caregivers

• Useful Websites for Seniors

• "Advanced Directive", Form

• "Medical Power of Attorney", Form

ASSISTANCE FOR CAREGIVERS  

CONSUMER INFORMATION NUMBERS

Office of the Attorney General, State of Texas:

• Consumer Protection Division .......(800) 621-0508 or (800) 337-3928

• Crime Victim’s Compensation Division ....... (800) 983-9933

• Elder Law & Public Health Division ....... (800) 806-2092

• Consumer Affairs Office ....... (817) 870-7572  

• Federal Trade Commission (Regional Office) ....... (214) 979-0213

• Insurance Board (consumer complaints) ....... (800) 252-3439

• National Fraud Information Center....... (800) 876-7060

• Postal Inspection Service (Public Information Division) ....... (800) 353-8011  

COUNSELING

• Azle Pastoral Counseling Center  ....... (817) 444-2929

• Baptist Marriage and Family CAPS (Children of Aging Parents) .......  (800) 227-7294

• Catholic Social Service  ....... (817) 921-5381

• Counseling Center  ....... (817) 921-8790

• Counseling House  ....... (817) 483-8460

• Family Services, Inc. ....... (817) 927-8884

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

• Medicaid  ....... (800) 252-8263

• Medicare  ....... (800) 633-4227

• Veteran’s Assistance  ....... (800) 827-1000

FOOD SERVICE

Meals on Wheels, Inc:

• Arlington  ....... (817) 277-3705

• Fort Worth  ....... (817) 336-0912

• Northeast Tarrant County (Metroport Meals on Wheels) ....... .(817) 491-1141

• Senior Citizen Services, Inc.  ....... (817) 338-4433  

GENERAL INFORMATION

Area Agencies on Aging:

• Collin County Committee on Aging  ....... (972) 562-6996 (home-delivered meals, congregate meals, transportation, homemaker)

• Erath County Senior Citizens, Inc.  ....... (254) 965-3510 (home-delivered meals, congregate meals, transportation, homemaker)

• Hunt County Committee on Aging (Serves Hunt & Rockwall Counties) ....... (903) 454-1444 (home-delivered meals, congregate meals, transportation, homemaker)

• Kaufman County Senior Citizens, Inc. (Serves Kaufman & Navarro Counties ....... (972) 563-1421 (home-delivered meals, congregate meals, transportation, homemaker

• Meals on Wheels of Johnson County  ....... (817) 558-2840 (home-delivered meals, transportation, homemaker)

• North Texas Central Texas Area Agency on Aging  ....... (800) 272-3921 (Serves Collin, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, and Wise Counties.) (Information and assistance, benefits counseling, legal assistance, ombudsman, case management, money management)

• Palo Pinto County Community Services, Inc. ....... (940) 325-6943 (home-delivered meals, transportation, homemaker)

• Parker County Committee on Aging  ....... (817) 594-7419 (home-delivered meals, congregate meals, transportation, homemaker)

• Somervell County Committee on Aging ....... (254) 897-2139 (home-delivered meals, congregate meals, transportation, homemaker)

• SPAN ....... (940) 382-2224  (serves Denton County) (home-delivered meals, congregate meals, transportation, homemaker)

• Tarrant County Area/Committee on Aging ....... (817) 258-8100 (home-delivered meals, congregate meals, transportation, homemaker)

• Wise County Committee on Aging  ....... (940) 627-5329

• AARP (formerly American Association of Retired Persons) ....... (214) 265-4060

• Crisis Intervention  ....... (817) 927-5544

• Drug Abuse and Victim Hotline ....... .(800) 607-0300

First Call for Help:

• Arlington ....... (817) 274-2534

• Fort Worth  ....... (817) 258-8100

• Northeast  ....... (817) 282-7565

• Fort Worth Public Health Department  ....... (817) 871-7200

• Health Department (for rating Nursing Homes) ....... (817) 261-2911

• Legal Hotline for Older Texans  ....... (800) 622-2520

• Probate Clerk’s Office ....... (817) 884-1254

• Senior Information Services of America  ....... (800) 800-2545

• Tarrant County Bar Association Speakers Bureau  ....... (817) 338-4092

• Relay Texas TDD (Operators who can help relay calls for hearing impaired) ....... (800) 735-2989

• United Way Helpline (statewide) .......  (800) 835-5948

• Veteran Affairs  ....... (817) 347-7302

HEALTH ISSUES

• Alzheimers Association-Tarrant County ....... (817) 336-4949
  Arlington office  ....... (817) 460-7001

• American Cancer Society  ....... (817) 737-9990

• American Diabetes Association  ....... (800) 342-2383

• American Heart Association  ....... (817) 315-5000

• American Lung Association ....... (817) 332-4549

• M.D. Anderson Cancer Centers-Fort Worth ....... (817) 923-7393

• Mobil Vision Care, Dallas .......  (800) 876-4421

• Pet Assisted Therapy (Paws Across Texas) ....... (817) 577-1103  

HOSPICES

• American Hospice, Inc. ....... (800) 689-1024

• Columbia Plaza Medical Center ....... (817) 870-2795

• Community Hospice of Texas ....... (800) 226-0373

• Family Hospice ....... (817) 232-3492

• Hospice Preferred Choice-DFW ....... (972) 256-3492

• Huguley Hospice Care ....... (817) 558-8302

• Samaritan Care Hospice ....... (800) 669-3695

• Vitas Healthcare Corp. ....... (817) 870-7000

INFORMATION & REFERRAL

• Aging Information Line ....... (817) 258-8180

• First Call for Help (United Way) ......  (817) 258-8100 

LEGAL SERVICES

• Dispute Resolution ....... (817) 877-4554

• Lawyer Referral Service ....... (817) 336-4101

• Legal Hotline for Older Texans ....... (800) 622-2520

• Tarrant County Criminal DA’s Office ....... (817) 884-1623

• Tarrant County Bar LegalLine (2nd & 4th Thursday of each month, 6-8pm) ....... (817) 335-1239

• West Texas Legal Services  ....... (817) 336-3943

LONG TERM CARE

• Regulatory Division Arlington ....... (817) 792-7270

• TDHS Long Term Care Hot Line (Austin) ....... (800) 458-9858 or (512) 834-6770

• Long Term Care Services ....... (817) 625-2161 or (817) 927-2834

• Long Term Ombudsman ....... (817) 335-5405

• Office of State Long Term Ombudsman (Hotline for complaints or to check on facility) ....... (800) 252-2412

• Nursing Home Advocacy Project ....... (888) 343-4414  

SENIOR CITIZEN SERVICES

• Senior Citizens Services of Tarrant County ....... (817) 338-4433

• Nursing Home Advocacy Project ....... (888) 343-4414  

SOCIAL SERVICES

• Access and Assistance-Case Managment Services ....... (817) 258-8081

• Social Security Administration Information ....... (800) 772-1213 or (817) 263-5861
  (Office of Hearing & Appeals) ....... (817) 334-2641

• Texas Advocates for Nursing Home Residents ....... (214) 371-6330

Texas Department of Human Services (Regional) ....... (817) 649-5154

• Arlington ....... (817) 460-6491

• Cleburne ....... (817) 295-7601

• East Lancaster ....... (817) 535-3353

• Jacksboro Highway ....... (817) 625-2161

• South Riverside Drive ....... (817) 335-5171

• Weatherford ....... (817) 441-5171

• Texas Department of Protective Services ....... (817) 264-4000

• Texas Insurance Counseling and Assistance ....... (800) 252-9240

• Texas MHMR ....... (800) 252-8154

• Texas State Survey Agencies (inspections) ....... (512) 834-6650  

TELEPHONE ASSURANCE

(Programs designed to provide homebound persons with a telephone call on a regular basis from trained volunteers.)

• Bethlehem Community Center ....... (817) 332-7911

• Crisis Intervention ....... (817) 927-5544

• Maddox Community Center ....... (817) 926-5329

• Mid-Cities Care Corps.  ....... (817) 282-0531

• Polytechnic Community Center ....... (817) 531-2803

• University Baptist Church ....... (817) 926-8205

TRANSPORTATION

(For medical purposes, to health & social service agencies, weekdays. Call at least two days ahead. Most transportation programs are very busy, so call as far in advance as possible. Donations accepted.)

• Care Corps ....... 817) 282-0531

• Handitran (Arlington) ....... (817) 459-5390

• MITS ....... (817) 332-4444

• WHEELS .......(817) 227-7669

VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS

• Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) ....... (817) 884-1200

• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly ....... (888) 227-7669