Resources
Poster promoting the North Bethesda Trolley Trail
Staying Active – A Key to Successful Aging
People are living longer and with longevity comes the desire to be active and engaged for as long as possible. The term “successful aging” includes more than a discussion about one’s health status. In fact, considerable research shows that three keys to successful aging are especially important: :
effectively managing disease and disability
high mental health and physical functioning
active engagement with life
Montgomery County has numerous resources to encourage and support successful aging. County government resources include those offered by the Area Agency on Aging, the Volunteer Center, and the Recreation and Library Departments. Other organizations offer numerous opportunities to stay engaged and involved. Below is a brief listing of resources in Montgomery County to help those aged 50+ remain active, engaged, and able to continue in their successful aging journey.
Montgomery County Resources
Montgomery County Government Resources for Seniors
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/senior
Montgomery County Recreation Activities
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec/activitiesandprograms/seniors
Montgomery County Library Services and Programs for Seniors
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/for-you/seniors.html
Suburban Hospital Community Health and Wellness
Holy Cross Health
Holycrosshealth.org/healthandwellness
Jewish Council for the Aging
Senior Beacon Resource Guide 2020
https://www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/silver-pages-directory
Active Aging Help Guide
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/alzheimers-dementia-aging/staying-healthy-as-you- age.html
50+Volunteer Network
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/volunteercenter/volunteers/50Plus.html
Lifelong Learning Opportunities
Lifelong Learning Institute at Montgomery College
OASIS Lifelong Learning (a variety of classes for all interests)
https://washington-metro.oasisnet.org
Live and Learn Bethesda (classes on a range of topics for an affordable fee)
https://liveandlearnbethesda.org
Senior Planet (free exercise, education, and technology programs for seniors)
https://seniorplanet.org/locations/montgomery-county
Assistance for Life’s Challenges
Focus on Senior Citizens. Website for people aged 50 plus https://montgomerycountymd.gov/senior. On the website, a user clicks on topics of interest, which include: in-home care, caregiving, food/nutrition, transportation, housing, recreation, keeping people safe, 50 + Volunteer Network, Sr. Newsletter, and Adult Protective Services, and cable TV show for seniors (channel 996).
Jewish Council for the Aging: Senior Help Line: 240-290-3311 or 703-652-1515.
The helpline offers free personalized information and referral services on such topics as housing, homecare, home repair/maintenance, shopping assistance, geriatric assessments, and recreation.
Paying for Senior Care, https://www.payingforseniorcare.com, 650-312-7100
The web site, owned by a private company, Caring, LLC, in Charlotte, NC, offers general and specific state information on a wide range of financial, practical issues of concern to senior citizens, including health care expenses, living costs, and product reviews of items like hearing aids and senior care loans.
Crisis Hot Lines and Mental Health Resources. Abused Persons Program, Montgomery County DHHS Building, 1301 Piccard Drive, Rockville MD, Crisis Hotline: 240-777-4673; Victims Services: 240-777-4195. Program offers safe shelters, advocacy in court, psychiatric consultations, and medical assistance.
Adult Protective Services, 401 Hungerford Drive, Rockville MD, 240-777-3000. Services are available 24 hours /7 days a week. They include assessments, case management, and investigative services for vulnerable and disabled adults.
Child Protective Services, 1301 Piccard Drive, Rockville MD, 240-777-4417. Phone number should be used to report suspected abuse or neglect of children.
Kensington/Wheaton Youth Services, 3950 Ferrara Drive, Silver Spring MD, 301-933-2808. The organization provides prevention education, mental health and support services to youths and their families, including short-term counseling; workshops, and youth development services, such as therapeutic recreation and afterschool programming. Services are provided in English and Spanish.
EveryMind, 1000 Twinbrook Parkway. Rockville, MD 20851, 301-424-656 | info@Every-Mind.org. For 60 years, EveryMind has provided community education, advocacy, and direct services to empower individuals of all ages to reach optimal mental wellness. Specific services include a 24/7 hotline, 301-738-2255 for help with any issue; identification and case management for at-risk children and families, and support for military personnel and veterans.
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)Montgomery County, 9210 Corporate Blvd. Suite 170, Rockville, MD 20850, 301-949-5852,www. nami.org. The organization provides free crisis mental health counseling through its National Help Line, 800-950-NAMI (6264), its Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 988 |, and its texting program: Text “NAMI” to 741741 for 24/7, confidential, free crisis counseling. It also offers support groups for individuals with mental illness as well as for family members and friends, targeted educational classes target on various mental health issues, and a website, www.nami.org, with information on more services, such as disabilities and vocational programs.
Transportation for Disabled Individuals and Seniors
CAR (Connect-A-Ride), 301-738-3252, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5p.m., connecataride@AccessJCA.org. CAR, funded by the Montgomery County Government and operated by the Jewish Council for the Aging, is a free referral service that provides adults over 50 and adults with disabilities information about their transportation options for medical services, errands, social activities and more. CAR links callers with public, private, and volunteer transportation services, including escorted transportation. In addition, the program assists callers with their applications for transportation programs like Call-n-Ride (https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-transit/seniors.html#Call-n-Ride) and Metro Access (https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-transit/seniors.html#metroaccess.
1) CAR also offers free workshops on how to use public transportation. Ride-on Buses and select metro buses are free to anyone showing a Senior SmarTrip cards or a reduced fare SmarTrip Card (formerly known as a Disabled card) when boarding. Current routes can be seen at:
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-transit/seniors.html.
2)JSSA (Jewish Social Services Agency) Medical appointments transportation, 240-800-5772
This program provides free transportation to and from medical appointments through Brenner Escort. The user must first get approval by completing a form that can be downloaded from https://www.jssa.org/services/aging-in-place/transportation/
3) National Aging and Disability Transportation Center, https://www.nadtc.org. This nationwide center focuses on availability and accessibility of transportation options for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers
More Help for Additional Challenges
Catholic Charities 12247 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, (301) 942-1790, https://www.catholiccharitiesdc.org/catholiccharitiescenter. Working with other Montgomery County organizations, Catholic Charities offers a wide range of services, including crisis intervention and referral services, affordable pre-natal care, a share food network, clothing/shoes/diapers distribution, parent education (Abriendo Puertas), financial education classes, rent/mortgage/utility assistance, and immigration legal help.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC): https://consumer.ftc.gov
The website offers alerts on consumer scans, which an individual can also receive regularly via email.
Montgomery County Customer Service Center 311 or 240 777-0311. One of these phone numbers should be used for all non-emergency requests for information and/or services.
VASP (Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Programs), 1301 Piccard Drive, Rockville, MD, 240-777-1355, www.vasap.org, the 24-hour crisis line, 240-777-4357. Part of the Montgomery County government, the program offers rape crisis/crime victim counseling/assistance, hospital outreach for rape and sexual assault victims, family counseling/advocacy, and assistance in obtaining crime compensation funds.