Elder care and multilingual senior support across Los Angeles and Orange County

Alzheimer's Los Angeles is a community organization providing free helpline support, care counseling, caregiver education, and support groups for families facing Alzheimer's or other dementias. County Aging materials list it as a local dementia resource.

The free helpline is 844-HELP-ALZ (844-435-7259). Support groups are free for caregivers, family, and friends. Care counselors help with localized education and next-step planning.

Treat this as educational and supportive help, not a medical diagnosis clinic. It is a strong next step after AAA navigation when memory loss is the main strain.

Bet Tzedek Legal Services provides free civil legal help for low-income Los Angeles County older adults, dependent adults, and caregivers, including elder abuse restraining-order help, advance planning, conservatorship-related matters, and Medi-Cal or IHSS advocacy.

City of Los Angeles Department of Aging lists Bet Tzedek as a legal partner and points callers to 323-939-0506 for appointments. Intake screening is required.

This listing is not legal advice. Call for intake when abuse, benefits, or advance planning paperwork is stuck, and keep medical emergencies on 911.

The Center for Health Care Rights is the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program provider for Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles. State-registered counselors give free, unbiased help with Medicare, Medi-Cal coordination, and related insurance questions.

Help is available by phone, at community sites, or virtually. The toll-free helpline is 800-434-0222, with local lines including (213) 383-4519 at 4601 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 160.

Use HICAP when plan comparison feels like a sales pitch. Counseling is educational and does not sell insurance.

The Los Angeles Department of Aging is California's only city-designated Area Agency on Aging (PSA 25). It funds multipurpose senior centers, congregate and home-delivered nutrition, transportation, caregiver resources, and specialized contracted services for City of Los Angeles residents age 60 and older.

The department publishes maps of multipurpose senior centers and dining centers. Main office contact is 221 N. Figueroa Street, Suite 500, at (213) 482-7252.

City residents should start here rather than the County AAA for City-funded programs. Meal contributions are voluntary under Older Californians Nutrition Program rules.

Little Tokyo Service Center provides multilingual social work for seniors, including benefits navigation for Social Security, Medicare, and Medi-Cal, caregiver workshops, and the J-Town Senior Connection activity program at Terasaki Budokan. Call 213-473-3035 for senior social work.

Staff languages listed by LTSC include English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin. A South Bay office at the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute expands access for Nikkei elders at 310-819-8659.

Use LTSC when language match and Japanese American community context matter as much as the benefit form. Ask which site hosts the appointment before you drive Downtown.

Los Angeles County Adult Protective Services investigates reports of abuse, neglect, self-neglect, isolation, and exploitation involving older adults age 60 and older and dependent adults ages 18 to 59. Call 911 for immediate danger.

The Elder Abuse Hotline operates 24/7 at 1-877-477-3646 (1-877-4R-SENIORS). Non-urgent reports can go through the APS web portal. Facility complaints may also go to the Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-800-334-9473.

Use APS for community settings and the ombudsman path for licensed long-term care facilities. Reporting and APS intervention are free.

Los Angeles County Aging and Disabilities is the Area Agency on Aging for Planning Service Area 19. It plans and funds Older Americans Act services for older adults, caregivers, and adults with disabilities throughout Los Angeles County outside the City of Los Angeles, which has its own AAA.

The Information and Assistance Call Center is the front door for meals, caregiver support, HICAP, legal assistance, and other contracted programs. Call (800) 510-2020 or 211, or use the I&A line at (626) 414-6439.

Start here if you live in the county but not in the City of Los Angeles. City residents should use the City Department of Aging instead for City-funded programs.

Los Angeles County's Elderly Nutrition Program funds congregate dining and home-delivered meals for eligible older adults through local providers, including homebound adults age 60 and older. Call Information and Assistance at (800) 510-2020 to be matched to the provider serving your ZIP code.

No one is denied for inability to contribute. Suggested voluntary contributions vary by provider. Group dining and home delivery are both part of the funded menu.

Start with the county I&A number rather than guessing a kitchen name. Your ZIP code determines which contractor delivers or seats you.

The Older Americans Act Title IIIE Family Caregiver Support Program, administered by Los Angeles County Aging and Disabilities, supports unpaid family caregivers with counseling, training, support groups, respite, and limited supplemental services.

Call (800) 510-2020 for provider matching. Listed providers include Chinatown Service Center, Special Services for Groups, Human Services Association, USC/LA Caregiver Center, and Santa Clarita Valley Committee on Aging.

Respite and supplemental help require screening and are not guaranteed. Use the intake call to describe caregiving hours honestly so matching is realistic.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center's Senior Services program serves LGBTQ+ older adults age 50 and older at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Senior Center at 1118 N. McCadden Pl. Offerings include case management, meals, housing navigation, technology access, and group activities.

The center lists more than 85 free activities per month, with hours Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and phone (323) 860-5830. Registration is required for ongoing participation.

Use this when affirming community space matters as much as case management. Confirm which activities need advance signup before you bring a friend.

WISE and Healthy Aging operates the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program for Los Angeles County nursing homes and residential care facilities for the elderly. Certified ombudsmen investigate complaints, educate residents about rights, and make unannounced facility visits.

Central Intake is 800-334-9473, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The After Hours Crisis Line is 800-231-4024. Services are free and confidential.

Use this pathway for facility residents, not for general in-home family disputes. LA County APS also points long-term care facility reports to the same intake number.

ONEgeneration operates a Community Based Adult Services adult daycare program in Van Nuys for adults living with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, post-stroke disability, memory impairment, and other long-term illnesses. The site is at 17400 Victory Boulevard; daycare line is (818) 708-6625.

The provider describes nursing, social work, therapies, meals, transportation options, intergenerational activities, and monthly caregiver support groups. Payer paths listed by the provider include Medi-Cal Managed Care, Regional Center, VA, long-term care insurance, and private pay.

Confirm current licensure, enrollment, and payer acceptance directly before you promise a start date. Valley families often use this for daytime respite while work continues.

Grandparents As Parents is ONEgeneration's kinship program for grandparents and other relatives raising children in Los Angeles County, with English and Spanish support groups, case management, concrete goods, and court navigation help. Call (818) 264-0880 or email GAP@onegeneration.org.

Los Angeles County DCFS lists GAP as a relative-caregiver resource with the same phone and email. Peer support, crisis assistance, linkage services, training, and advocacy are part of the published model.

Legal outcomes are not guaranteed. Contact the program for current eligibility and any costs before you promise court-day support.

Access Services provides ADA complementary paratransit for people whose functional disabilities prevent independent use of fixed-route bus and rail in Los Angeles County. Service generally runs within three-quarters of a mile of fixed-route bus and Metro Rail during operating hours.

Eligibility requires an Access ID and an in-person Transit Evaluation. Age alone does not qualify someone for Access, and eligibility is based on ability to use accessible buses and trains, not solely on diagnosis.

Start the evaluation process before you need regular medical rides. Application materials describe the evaluation process as free of an application fee; trip fares apply after eligibility.

Chinatown Service Center's Supportive Services Program helps adults age 60 and older in Los Angeles County outside the City of Los Angeles remain independent through case management, homemaker and personal care help, in-home respite, and registry services. Call (626) 293-8733 for eligibility.

CSC emphasizes in-language help for monolingual Asian older adults and also provides broader benefits and form assistance from Chinatown and Monterey Park offices. The County Family Caregiver Support provider list includes Chinatown Service Center.

Remember the City of Los Angeles exclusion when you live inside city limits. Eligibility screening and any contribution rules should be confirmed at intake.

The City of Long Beach Healthy Aging Center, in the Department of Health and Human Services, offers public health nursing and social work case management for Long Beach residents age 55 and older. Staff assess needs, educate, advocate, and link residents to transportation, benefits, nutrition, caregiving, and other community resources.

Visits can happen at home, in the office, in the field, or by telehealth. The page also links residents to Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine senior programs at six centers citywide.

The age 55+ threshold is broader than many AAA 60+ programs. Confirm any fees at intake, then ask for both case management and recreation center referrals in one conversation.

Meals on Wheels Orange County is a contracted nutrition provider listed by the Orange County Office on Aging for home-delivered and related senior meal services in much of the county. Call (714) 220-0224 or use mealsonwheelsoc.org after confirming your service area.

South Orange County residents may be routed to Age Well Senior Services at 949-855-9766 instead. The Office on Aging Information and Assistance line can confirm which provider covers your address.

Provider materials describe a voluntary contribution model with no one turned away for inability to contribute. Confirm eligibility and delivery schedule before relatives assume daily meal drop-off.

OC ACCESS is Orange County Transportation Authority's ADA complementary paratransit for riders whose physical or cognitive limitations prevent independent use of OC Bus. Service operates within three-quarters of a mile of fixed-route service during comparable hours.

Applicants complete a paper application and an in-person functional assessment. Reservations are at (877) 628-2232, and eligibility scheduling is at (714) 560-5956 ext. 2. Base fare is listed by OCTA as $3.60 per one-way trip within Orange County.

Confirm the current fare before travel. Eligibility depends on functional ability, not a specific age or diagnosis.

Orange County Adult Protective Services, within the County Social Services Agency, takes 24-hour reports of suspected elder or dependent adult abuse in community settings. Call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.

The APS hotline is 800-451-5155 for community settings. For abuse in a licensed long-term care facility, the County directs callers to the Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 714-479-0107.

Keep the community versus facility split clear when you report. Non-mandated reporters may report by phone.

The Orange County Office on Aging is the designated Area Agency on Aging for Orange County. Its Information and Assistance Call Center connects older adults, caregivers, and people with disabilities to contracted nutrition, caregiver, Medicare counseling, legal, ombudsman, transportation, and adult day services.

Call (714) 480-6450 or toll-free (800) 510-2020 on weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The office is at 1300 S. Grand Ave., Bldg B, Santa Ana, with multilingual customer service assistance available.

Use this as the Orange County front door before you call individual meal or daycare vendors. I&A will match your ZIP code to the right contractor.