PA Navigate is an online service that's incredibly easy to use.

You can go online to pa-navigate.org, and once you're there, you can type in your zip code, and they can click on food, transportation, housing, or any other services that they might need access to.

So I would urge any older adult that just wonders if some particular thing is available in their community, go to the website and check it out.

If an older adult realizes that they would benefit tremendously from a home repair, maybe they just need a simple accommodation in their bathroom to make it just a little bit easier for them to navigate in their own home, or they're realizing that they're struggling this month to have enough food on the table.

We have community-based organizations, food pantries, transportation services, all of those folks have an account on PA Navigate.

We're starting to have more and more hospitals and doctor's offices actually have it integrated into their medical record, into that electronic medical record, and it'll just be a game changer for folks because their caregivers, whether it's a personal caregiver or their medical providers can be connected in this way.

It's a system that's unique in the United States and really at the forefront of making certain that older adults and other individuals with needs can get the services that they need locally in their communities.

So many older adults have individuals that are helping care for them.

It could be a family member or someone that comes in, a neighbor, a friend that assists them.

And so obviously those caregivers can use PA Navigate to help identify resources for the older adult that they're caring for.

But sometimes those caregivers need resources themselves.

They might need help with transportation or some respite care or some food assistance.

And so anybody can use PA Navigate.

That's really the beauty of this system.

Not only can the older adult use it for themselves, but the people caring for that older adult can use it as well.

And sometimes there are food banks or community groups or walking clubs or, you know, things that you didn't even know existed literally just a couple blocks away.

What we find is when people do access the site, they're really pleasantly surprised at how much is available right there in their region.

If you have a need, we're going to try to find a way to fill that need.

As long as you are an older adult, we can work with you.

As long as you're somebody that self-identifies that you have a disability, we're not looking for paperwork or anything like that, we can work with you.

Of course, there might be a referral that is sent that might have some of those requirements.

But for us to talk with you, it's really open to absolutely anybody that needs the service.

So what we try to do is we bring it down to a local level, which is what's kind of nice about PA Link, is it's a statewide program, of course, and we have link coordinators across the state.

But what each link coordinator is supposed to do at the local level is really learn about what is available, what resources are out there, who the right people are in the community.

If they need help filling out their property tax rent rebate and they're not sure how to do that.

If someone is a veteran and they don't feel that they're getting all the services they need or maybe it's a neighbor that's a veteran and you think that they're not getting everything that they might be entitled to, they can contact PA Link and we should be able, we will be able to connect them to some different resources and things available.

Right now, food insecurity is a big issue.

Call PA Link, we can get you in touch with a food bank that can provide a delivery because we understand that transportation can be an obstacle as well.

You know, a lot of times a family will call because they're contemplating a placement to a facility, personal care, nursing home.

But if we're able to step in and provide them some other resources that they can investigate that might keep mom or dad at home, that can be a cost savings for one thing but just an empowerment savings too for that senior to know that they're cared for.

I understand that the system is hard to navigate.

There's support out there.

PA Medi is part of a federal program to help people with Medicare.

We frequently have adult children who are not yet on Medicare trying to help a parent and they want to know, where do I start?

I would say, make an appointment, come to see us.

We can help you with the foundation of Medicare that give you that understanding and then talk about the specific needs and challenges that your parent is facing.

Many times when people come to us, they are overwhelmed with the situation.

The stories sometimes are heartbreaking and we can help them sort of filter through to understand what their best next steps are.

We help them understand how best to manage the costs that they're going to incur when they're in Medicare.

The key is to be not afraid to ask a question.

People come and say, well, feel that they should know something.

No, this is complicated.

You go into Medicare.gov, you set up an account, your username, your password, you enter your drug list, pharmacies you'd like to shop at, and you can see what potential costs would be and what your options are for plan.

You can actually put three plans side by side to compare.

The best thing about PA Medi is that they are your ally and the services are free.

We're here in your community.

We're members of your community that can help you with this.