Home and Escort Linkage Program (HELP)

About the Program

The Home and Escort Linkage Program (HELP) is a homemaker service designed and sponsored by the Brookline Council on Aging. The goal of this program is to provide affordable, reliable, and flexible home care service to seniors living in Brookline.

Advantages of the Help Program

The program provides an alternative to private home care agencies or state-funded home care, and is more secure than hiring a worker on your own. There is no charge for enrollment in the program and there is no financial gain to the program through filling job requests. However, there is a $15-$17 per hour (with 2 hour minimum) charge for services received by the home care workers. The workers are paid directly by the client.

Services Provided by HELP

Some of the services provided by HELP workers include:

• Companionship or respite care
• Cooking
• Errands
• Escorting to appointments
• Grocery shopping
• Laundry
• Light housekeeping
• Organizing

Services Not Provided by HELP

It is important to note that homemakers hired through HELP do not provide home health care. This means that they are unable to assist with personal care, such as bathing and dressing, or with medications. However, program staff will assist seniors and their families with information and referral to agencies that provide this service.

Additional Information

Referring Residents to HELP

To make a referral, please call HELP at 617-730-2752.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to register for HELP, individuals must be:

• Brookline residents
• Must participate in a home visit with our staff
• Over the age of 60

TTP: Trusted Transportation Partner (formally known as ICARE)

The Council on Aging has again been selected to receive an ITNAmerica "Trusted Transportation Partner" grant, with support from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Through this grant, the COA's HELP program provides free transportation for Brookline residents to scheduled eye care appointments in the Greater Boston area. To access, please contact the HELP line at 617-730-2752 at least 1 WEEK before your scheduled appointment, as a home visit to sign up for the HELP program is required to access this sub-program.

To learn more about ITNAmerica, visit http://itnamerica.org/. To learn more about Regeneron, visit https://regeneron.com/.

PARC: Parking Access for Resident's Caregivers

The PARC Program was developed by the Brookline Council on Aging (COA) in conjunction with the Brookline Transportation Department to address the parking needs of caregivers who serve the residents of Brookline.

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