Family Caregiver Resources for Missouri

Caregiving may be one of the most important, and challenging, roles you’ll ever take on. No matter where you are in your caregiving journey — starting to plan; taking care of a family member in your home, in a facility, or from a distance; or managing end-of-life caregiving responsibilities — having resources at your fingertips will make the process easier.

AARP developed this family caregiver guide with you, the caregiver, in mind and as a starting point to help you find the services and support you might need throughout your journey.

To order a print copy of this online guide, call the toll-free AARP Family Caregiving Resource Line at 877-333-5885 and indicate which state(s) you would like to receive. A copy will be mailed to you.

General Resources

• Supporting Family Caregivers in Your State
  
  • AARP has a website dedicated to providing you with information about how we’re advocating for caregivers in your state.

• Missouri Association of Area Agencies on Aging (AAA)
  
  • Missouri has 10 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), which provide a variety of resources and services ranging from caregiver support to Medicare assistance. For more information and local programs/resources, contact the nearest AAA:
    
    • Albany: Young at Heart Resources (888-844-5626)
    • Kirksville: Northeast MO AAA (800-664-6338)
    • Kansas City: Mid-America Regional Council (800-593-7948)
    • Warrensburg: Care Connection for Aging Services (800-748-7826)
    • Columbia: Central Missouri AAA (800-369-5211)
    • St. Louis: Aging Ahead (800-243-6060)
    • Cape Girardeau: Aging Matters (800-392-8771)
    • Springfield: Senior Age (800-497-0822)
    • Joplin: Region X AAA (417-781-7562)
    • St. Louis city: St. Louis Area AAA (877-612-5918 toll-free)
    • Headquarters: 1616 Southridge Drive, Suite 203 Jefferson City, MO 65109
      

• Missouri Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) (800-445-8106 | info@caregiver.org)
  
  • FCA works at the local, state and national levels to improve the quality of life for family caregivers of adults with cognitive and physical disabilities through services, education, advocacy and research.

• SeniorResource.com (seniorresourcecom@gmail.com)
  
  • SeniorResource.com provides a comprehensive source of relevant information and services for seniors and their caregivers.

Health Resources

• Alzheimer’s Association– Greater Missouri Chapter (800-272-3900)
  
  • The Alzheimer’s Association provides resources for caregivers that include what to expect and how to prepare as a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s.
    
    • St. Louis: 9370 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132 (800-272-3900)
    • Springfield: 3645 South Ave., Springfield, MO 65807 (417-866-2199)
    • Columbia: 2609 E. Broadway, Suite 119, Columbia, MO 65201 (573-443-8665)
    • St. Joseph: 927 Fararon P.O. Box 1241, St. Joseph, MO 64501 (816-364-4467)
    • Prairie Village: 3846 W. 75th St., Suite 4126, Prairie Village, KS 66208 (800-272-3900)
    • 24/7 Helpline greatermissouri-helpline@alz.org
      

• The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS)
  
  • The DHSS manages public health and services for older and disabled Missourians. 912 Wildwood, P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570
    
    • Adult Abuse and Neglect Hotline (800-392-0210)
    • Social Services 855-343-4636
    • Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program 800-309-3282

• CLAIM (800-390-3330)
  
  • CLAIM is Missouri’s official State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Agency. CLAIM provides free Medicare counseling in communities, online and over the phone. 1105 Lakeview Ave., Columbia, MO 65201

Home- and Community-Based Resources

• Missouri Care Planning Council (MoCPC) (800-989-8137)
  
  • MoCPC lists companies and individual providers on its website who help families deal with the crisis and burden of long-term care.

Financial Resources

• NCOA BenefitsCheckUp
  
  • Connects older adults with disabilities with benefit programs that can help pay for food, medicine, health care, utilities and more.
    

• Missouri Community Action Network (CAN) (573-634-2969)
  
  • Missouri CAN has 19 Community Action Agencies covering Missouri that provide direct services to low-income Missourians. 3337 Emerald Lane, Columbia, MO 65109

Legal Resources

• Legal Aid of Western Missouri (816-474-6750)
  
  • Legal Aid of Western Missouri provides free legal aid for those who have nowhere else to turn. For eligibility requirements or more information, please contact Legal Aid of Western Missouri.
    
    • Central office: 4001 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Suite 300 Kansas City, MO 64130

• Legal Services of Southern Missouri (800-444-4863)
  
  • Legal Aid of Southern Missouri provides free legal aid for those who have nowhere else to turn. For eligibility requirements or more information, please contact Legal Services of Southern Missouri.
    
    • Central office: 809 North Campbell, Springfield, MO 65802

• Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (314-534-4200 | 800-444-0514)
  
  • Legal Services provides free legal help to low-income individuals/ families with civil issues. For eligibility requirements or more information, contact Legal Services of Eastern Missouri.
    
    • Central office: 4232 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108

Workplace/Employer Resources

• Supporting Caregivers in the Workplace
  
  • AARP offers valuable resources to help employers create a caregiver friendly workplace.
    

Transportation Resources

• OATS Transit (888-875-6287 toll-free)
  
  • OATS Transit offers a shared-ride, door-to-door transportation to 87 counties in Missouri. Transportation is available to all, regardless of age, race, gender, color, religion or national origin. 2501 Maguire Blvd. Columbia, MO 65201

• SMTS Connect (800-273-0646 | 573-783-5505 | contactus@ridesmts.org)
  
  • Southeast Missouri Transportation Service offers door-to-door transportation to everyone in 21 Missouri counties. Vehicles are handicap accessible to accommodate individuals in wheelchairs. 700 E. Highway 72 P.O. Box 679, Fredericktown, MO 63645

Housing Resources

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (800-955-2232)
  
  • HUD provides housing and community development assistance, based on income/eligibility.
    
    • Kansas City Regional Office (covers western MO)
      
      • 400 State Avenue, Room 200, Kansas City, KS 66101-2406
      • KS_Webmanager@hud.gov
    • St. Louis Field Office (covers eastern MO)
      
      • 1222 Spruce Street, Suite 3.203, St. Louis, MO 63103-2836
      • MO_Webmanager@hud.gov
        

Specific Audience Resources

• AARP Caregiving Guides
  
  • AARP offers free caregiving guides for specific audiences, including guides for military families and LGBT individuals. The guides, also offered in Spanish and Chinese, are designed to help develop and implement a caregiving plan.

Care for Caregivers

• AARP Friendly Voice
  
  • AARP Friendly Voice is a program with trained, caring volunteers on the other end of a phone line who are ready to chat, listen or just say hello. Phone: Call 1-888-281-0145 for English or 1-888-497-4108 for Spanish, leave your information and you will get a return call.

• Create the Good
  
  • Create the Good connects people with volunteer opportunities and project ideas to share their life experiences, skills and passions in their communities.

AARP Resources for Family Caregivers

• AARP Family Caregiving Website (en español: aarp.org/cuidar)
  
  • AARP’s Family Caregiving website is your one-stop shop for tips and tools to help you care for a loved one. It has valuable information about handling medical issues, health records and advance directives, home safety, financial and legal issues, caregiver life balance and much more.

• AARP Family Caregiving Resource Line (877-333-5885 toll-free, en español: 888-971-2013 toll-free)
  
  • Connect with a real person and learn how to access local resources via our toll-free family caregiving hotline.

• AARP Family Caregivers Facebook Group
  
  • Join the AARP Family Caregivers Discussion Group on Facebook to connect, ask questions and share ideas with other family caregivers.

• Community Resource Finder
  
  • Community Resource Finder, a joint service from the Alzheimer’s Association and AARP, is a database of dementia- and aging-related resources powered by Carelike. The online tool makes it easy to find local programs and services.

• I Heart Caregivers
  
  • Join the thousands of family caregivers who have shared their experiences through AARP’s storytelling initiative, I Heart Caregivers. Your story will help AARP continue to fight for more support for family caregivers.

• AARP Online Caregiving Community
  
  • Join our community and connect with other caregivers like you.

• AARP HomeFit Guide
  
  • The AARP HomeFit Guide can help individuals and families make their current or future residence age-friendly. It can also help elected officials, policymakers and local leaders learn about and advocate for the types of housing features and designs that communities need so that their residents can live safely and comfortably and thrive.

• National Resources for Family Caregivers
  
  • A listing of national agencies, groups and organizations that can connect family caregivers with direct services and supports.
    

• AARP Financial Workbook for Family Caregivers
  
  • This guide will help you get organized and capture the essential information you need to manage the complex responsibilities of caregiving. 

• AARP Foundation Connect2Affect
  
  • AARP Foundation Connect2Affect offers resources to meet the needs of anyone who is isolated or lonely and helps to build social connections for older adults.

• AARP Health Benefits Navigator
  
  • The Health Benefits Navigator is a tool to help veterans and their family members find and obtain service-related benefits provided through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD).

• AARP Job Board
  
  • AARP Job Board helps connect job seekers with employers who value experience and are committed to an age-diverse workforce.

• AARP Medicare Enrollment Guide
  
  • The AARP Medicare Enrollment Guide offers guidance on key decisions you'll need to make about enrolling in Medicare for the first time, as well as personalized information that is carefully tailored to you.

• AARP Resume Advisor
  
  • The AARP Resume Advisor offers a free résumé review to help highlight your skills as a professional by providing personalized feedback.

If you have thoughts about how AARP can improve this resource guide, we invite you to go to aarp.org/preparetocaresurvey (en español: aarp.org/encuestacuidador).