Iowa Department on Aging

 

 

 

 

 

Terry Branstad, Governor
Kim Reynolds, Lt. Governor
Donna Harvey, Director


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Elder Advocacy & Assistance

Click links to jump down to information on:

Legal Assistance | Elder Abuse Prevention | SMP | Older Iowans Legislature | Benefits for Veterans


Legal Assistance- Under the Older Americans Act, state units on aging ensure that a legal assistance and referral program is available to persons over the age of 60. IDA's legal services developer serves provides leadership for the coordination & provision of a statewide legal assistance program. Follow the link above for more information on legal assistance.


Elder Abuse Prevention- An important function of IDA is to provide education and develop programs and policies aimed at preventing elder abuse. Elder abuse appears in many different forms, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, or abandonment. If you suspect elder abuse in the community, contact the Iowa Department of Human Services at 1-800-362-2178 and your local law enforcement. If you suspect abuse in a care facility, call the Department of Inspections and Appeals at 1-877-686-0027 and your local law enforcement.


Iowa SMP - SMP is a program funded through a grant from the Administration on Aging. The purpose of the program is to detect and recover Medicare dollars lost to waste, fraud, or abuse. SMP has recruited and trained retired individuals to provide community education presentations, individual counseling for Medicare beneficiaries in cooperation with the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP), and advocacy by Resident Advocate Committees. These volunteers help Medicare enrollees to better understand their Medicare Summary Notices, detect and resolve unintended errors, protect themselves from identity theft including their Medicare ID number, and get answers to their questions. Contact the hotline at 1-800-423-2449 if you have concerns or issues related to Medicare waste, fraud, or abuse. If you have questions about what constitutes Medicare fraud, refer to the Iowa SMP website at http://www.stopmedicarescams.org/.

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Older Iowans' Legislature (OIL) - is a non-profit organiation whose primary mission is to advocate for seniors within the state of Iowa. It is located at 5835 Grand Avenue in Des Moines. Phone 1-800-747-5352.

For more information about O.I.L., refer to Older Iowans Legislature

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Benefits for Veterans - Benefits for Veterans- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs web site includes the 2010 edition of the handbook, "Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors." It contains eligibility criteria, a description of the benefits, and updates the rates for certain federal payments. It also includes contacts for additional resources and who to contact if you have questions. You can review this handbook by clicking on the following link: http://www.va.gov/opa/publications/benefits_book.asp

Veterans living in a care facility who have not applied for benefits should contact the Iowa Commission of Veterans Affairs at the following link to determine if they are eligible for benefits and for assistance in applying for those benefits: http://www.va.iowa.gov/

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