About Benefits CheckUp

Many older people need help paying for prescription drugs, health care, utilities and other basic needs. Ironically, millions of older Americans especially those with limited incomes are eligible for but not receiving benefits from existing federal, state and local programs. Ranging from heating and energy assistance to prescription savings programs to income supplements, there are many public programs available to seniors in need if they only knew about them and how to apply for them.

Developed and maintained by The National Council on Aging (NCOA), BenefitsCheckUp is the nation`s most comprehensive Web-based service to screen for benefits programs for seniors with limited income and resources.

BenefitsCheckUp includes more than 2,000 public and private benefits programs from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, such as:

• Prescription drugs
• Nutrition (including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP)/Food Stamps)
• Energy assistance
• Financial
• Legal
• Health care
• Social Security
• Housing
• In-home services
• Tax relief
• Transportation
• Educational assistance
• Employment
• Volunteer services

Since 2001, millions of people have used BenefitsCheckUp to find benefits programs that help them pay for prescription drugs, health care, rent, utilities, and other needs.

The Cincinnati Bar Association (CBA) has addressed and served the needs of the Cincinnati community. The CBA stands firm in its belief that the law is for the people. By providing legal education, various legal programs, referral services, and many community service projects, the CBA continues its commitment to the legal profession of Cincinnati, and most importantly, to the residents of the Greater Cincinnati community.

This site provides consumer educational materials and allows consumers to file a complaint online. Information is available on a number of topics, including healthcare, funerals, identity theft and scams, and more.

National Do Not Call Registry

The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. Most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days. If they do, you can file a complaint at this Website. You can register your home or mobile phone for free.

Internet Safety

Project GOAL – Internet Safety for Older Adults: Challenges and Solutions

Online safety tips

Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati provides legal representation, information, advice and referral for people in need of legal help.   Legal Aid Society is affiliated with the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio, LLC, and also coordinates services with the Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP).  Lower-income residents of Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, Highland, and Warren Counties are eligible for Legal Aid services. Services available in any language.  For Ohio Relay Services, call 1-800-750-0750

Additional locations:

Butler County:
10 Journal Square
Hamilton, OH 45011
513-241-9400

Clinton County:
117 N. South Street
Wilmington, OH 45177
513-241-9400

The mission of Legal Services Corporation is to promote equal access to justice in our nation and to provide high quality civil legal assistance to low-income persons.

This website provides access to helpful information and forms to help individuals and families in planning for their healthcare needs and wishes. 

Mission
National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) exists to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning. NHDD is an initiative to encourage patients to express their wishes regarding healthcare and for providers and facilities to respect those wishes, whatever they may be.

Overview
NHDD exists as a 50-state annual initiative to provide clear, concise, and consistent information on healthcare decision-making to both the public and providers/facilities through the widespread availability and dissemination of simple, free, and uniform tools (not just forms) to guide the process. NHDD entails 50 independent, but coordinated, state and local events (necessitated by the difference in state laws and dynamics) supported by a national media and public education campaign.

In all respects, NHDD is inclusive and brings a variety of players in the larger healthcare/legal/religious community together to work on a common project, to the benefit of patients, families, and providers. NHDD is not prescriptive; it allows for and fosters creativity.

A key goal of NHDD is to demystify healthcare decision-making and make the topic of advance care planning inescapable. On NHDD, no one in the U.S. should be able to open a paper, watch TV, view the internet, see a physician or lawyer, or go to a healthcare facility without being confronted with the topic of advance care planning. Among other things, NHDD helps people understand that advance healthcare decision-making includes much more than living wills; it is a process that should focus first on conversation and choosing an agent.

Vision
Across the country, every healthcare facility will participate as the flagship venues for the public engagement. Other participating organizations/facilities that have their own physical spaces will engage in activities as well. Those organizations that lack physical spaces will work in conjunction with others or at non-healthcare venues (libraries, grocery stores, drug stores, etc.) to support the initiative. A variety of churches, synagogues, and mosques around the country will also support the effort by highlighting the importance of advance care planning with their congregations.

By law, the Attorney General is the chief law officer for the state of Ohio. The Office protects Ohio families from predatory financial practices through enforcement authority in the areas of consumer protection, antitrust, charitable organizations, and health care fraud.

The office offers services to protect the most vulnerable Ohio citizens, including children, the elderly, victims of crime and those who are preyed upon by greed in its many forms: unfair, illegal or shady business practices, criminal conduct and abuse of power and corruption. Programs are also available to support veterans, active duty military, and their families.

The Consumer Protection Section protects Ohioans from predatory and illegal business practices. With authority granted by the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act and other statutes, the section enforces laws that prohibit unfair and deceptive practices including but not limited to: false advertising, shoddy workmanship, and failure to perform services or to deliver goods.

Consumers can file a complaint online or by calling 800-282-0515.

The OCC has many free publications on a variety of utility related topics available to assist you in learning about your utilities.

The OSBA provides a great deal of general information about all aspects of the law for members of the public, including handbooks, pamphlets, newspaper columns, programs, and information about attorneys. This information is offered free of charge and can be downloaded off of the website.  The LawFacts pamphlet series provides general information for consumers about the most commonly encountered legal issues such as advanced directives, wills, bankruptcy, DNR orders, guardianships, living trusts, living wills, probate, etc.

Pro Seniors is a contracted provider of Council on Aging offering the following services: 

• legal assistance
• ombudsman services

More about Pro Seniors

Founded in 1975, Pro Seniors is a non-profit organization that provides free legal and long-term care help to older adults.  Pro Seniors offers Ohio residents age 60 and older the advice and information they need to solve their legal and nursing home, adult care facility, and home health care problems.

The Pro Seniors Mission
Pro Seniors is dedicated to helping older adults maintain their independence by empowering them, by protecting their interests, and by helping them access resources.

What Pro Seniors Offers
Pro Seniors Legal Hotline serves the State of Ohio.  By calling the Pro Seniors Legal Hotline, Ohio residents age 60 or older can receive free assistance over the telephone with a variety of legal or long-term care problems. In Greater Cincinnati, the number to call is (513) 345-4160.  In other parts of Ohio, call (800) 488-6070.  Find more information on the Legal Hotline by selecting the Legal Hotline link.

Legal Help
If you have a legal problem that cannot be resolved over the telephone, the Legal Hotline may refer you to a Pro Seniors staff attorney if you live in Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton or Warren County. Pro Seniors' staff attorneys handle problems that many private attorneys do not, such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, other government benefits and pensions.  The Legal Hotline may also refer you to a private attorney who has agreed to accept cases at a reduced fee for clients with limited income.

Legal Information Pamphlets
Pro Seniors provides pamphlets on a variety of subjects, from Medicare and Medicaid to consumer fraud and food stamps.  You can find a complete list by selecting the Pamphlets link.

Long-term Care Ombudsmen
If you have a complaint about a nursing home, Pro Seniors can help.  The long-term care ombudsmen will investigate and work with you to resolve your concerns about nursing facilities in Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, and Warren counties.  Pro Seniors ombudsmen also handle complaints about home care and adult care facilities.  You can find more information about the Ombudsman program by selecting the Ombudsman link. The Ombudsman can also help you choose the right care facility to meet your needs.

Volunteer Opportunities
If you are interested in assisting older people and have a few free hours each week, Pro Seniors offers a variety of volunteer opportunities.  For more information about our volunteer Ombudsman Program, select the Ombudsman  link.  If you are concerned about fraud and waste in the health care system, select the Ohio Seniors Fight Fraud  link to learn more about volunteering for this project.  If you are an attorney, you can assist callers to the Legal Hotline or conduct legal research.  Paralegals can provide valuable support to our legal staff. Volunteers also are needed to assist staff with mailings and other office projects.