Senior Citizen Resources

Soaring Prescription-Drug Costs

Read information regarding this important issue on Rep. Gordon's Web site »

Staying in Touch: A Comprehensive Resource for Senior Citizens

I've compiled this guide of helpful phone numbers and Web sites to assist senior citizens with locating resources. These local and national resources provide help with:

• Medicare
• Social Security retirement benefits
• Survivor's benefits
• Death benefits
• Food stamps
• TennCare
• Low-income home energy assistance
• Weatherization assistance
• Emergency services
• Volunteer and employment programs
• Meals on Wheels
• Commodities
• Homemaker aide program
• Elderly chore services
• Nutrition
• Transportation
• Nursing Homes
• Direct marketers
• Private drug assistance programs
• Social Security Benefits - For questions concerning Social Security retirement benefits, survivor's benefits, disabled widow's benefits and death benefits, call the following Social Security Administration district offices:

Murfreesboro (Cannon and Rutherford counties)

615-895-5790

Gallatin (Macon, Sumner, Trousdale and Wilson counties)

615-230-7602

Cookeville (Clay, Jackson, Overton, Putnam and Smith counties)

931-528-9765

McMinville (DeKalb County)

931-473-1575

Tullahoma (Bedford County)

931-455-3795

Columbia (Marshall County)

931-381-5832

Nashville (Robertson County)

615-781-5796

People can also obtain information by contacting the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or online at the agency's Web site.

For questions concerning Social Security disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), call the Tennessee Disability Determination Services at 1-800-342-1117.

Medicare - For questions concerning Medicare, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or go to the federal Medicare Web site. Side-by-side comparisons of Medicare health-plan options and nursing-home options available in Tennessee also can be found at this site.

For information on the QMB/SLMB (Special Low Income Medicare Beneficiary) program that helps low-income seniors with Medicare premiums, deductibles and co-payments, contact the TennCare program at 1-800-624-5547.

For information on Medicare Supplemental or Medigap Insurance, call the Tennessee Insurance Assistance Office for Seniors at 1-800-525-2816.

U.S. Administration on Aging - The U.S. Administration on Aging's Eldercare Locator is a nationwide toll-free service to help older adults and their caregivers find local services for seniors, such as Alzheimer's hotlines, adult day care and respite services, nursing home ombudsman assistance, consumer fraud, in-home care information, tax assistance and transportation. Call toll free at 1-800-677-1116, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. or go online at this Web site.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) provides programs designed to help senior citizens with their Medicare premiums and co-payments, food stamps, and Medicaid (TennCare). For information about these programs, call the following DHS county offices:

Bedford - 931-685-5006

Cannon - 615-563-4051

Clay - 931-243-3183

DeKalb - 615-597-4725

Jackson - 931-268-0235

Macon - 615-666-4041

Marshall - 931-380-2568

Overton - 931-823-5695

Putnam - 931-528-7487

Robertson - 615-382-2402

Rutherford - 615-848-5153

Smith - 615-735-9740

Sumner - 615-451-5814

Trousdale - 615-374-3513

Wilson - 615-443-2746

TennCare - For TennCare, call the TennCare hotline at 1-800-669-1851 or 615-741-4800.

Food Stamps - For food stamp issues, call the Tennessee Food Stamp Hotline at1-800-342-1784 or the Food Stamp Fraud hotline at 1-800-241-2629.

Home Health - For licensed home care agencies in Tennessee call the Board for Licensing Health Care Facilities at 615-741-7221, or go to this Web Site. 

The Home Health Agency Complaint Hotline is 1-800-541-7367.

State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program - Another helpful phone number is the Long-Term Care Ombudsman. The ombudsman is an advocate for nursing home, assisted living and mental health group home residents. For the ombudsman in your area call:

Nancy Hedricks at 931-432-4210 (Macon, Clay, Smith, DeKalb, Cannon, Putnam, Jackson, Overton, Rutherford)

Cheryl Lynn Vallance at 931-433-7182, extension 103 (Marshall and Bedford)

Jean M. (Sue) Chascsa Prince at 615-850-3922 (Robertson, Sumner, Trousdale and Wilson)

The following community-based organizations provide a variety of services for seniors, such as low-income home energy assistance (LIHEAP), weatherization assistance, emergency services, volunteer and employment programs, Meals on Wheels, commodities, homemaker aide program and elderly chore services, nutrition, and transportation: (Services may vary from county to county)

Mid-Cumberland Community Action Agency can be reached at 615-742-1113 or 1137. The agency serves Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Trousdale and Wilson counties.

Mid-Cumberland Human Resource Agency can be reached at 615-331-6033. The agency serves Rutherford, Sumner, Trousdale and Wilson counties.

Caney Fork Development Corporation can be reached at 931- 473-3194. The agency serves DeKalb and Cannon counties.

South Central Community Resource Agency can be reached at 931-433-7182. The agency serves Bedford and Marshall counties.

Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency can be reached at 931-528-1127. The agency serves Cannon, DeKalb, Overton and Putnam counties.

Cordell Hull Economic Opportunity Corporation can be reached at 615-666-2992. The agency serves Clay, Jackson, Macon and Smith counties.

Reduce Telemarketing Calls And Junk Mail -You can reduce the volume of telemarketing calls and junk mail you receive by signing up for the following opt out services:

To put your phone number on the national Do Not Call List, contact the Federal Trade Commission at its Web Site or call toll-free at 888-382-1222.

The FTC also has an on-line consumer fact sheet notifying people how to stop unsolicited mail, telemarketing calls or junk e-mail at its Web Site.  Or call the FTC hotline at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

To put your phone number of Tennessee's Do Not Call List, contact the Tennessee Regulatory Authority at its Web Site, by phone at 1-877-872-7030, or write the agency at 460 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN, 37243.

The state also has a Do Not Fax program to reduce unsolicited faxes. For information visit the TRA Web site or e-mail the agency at Tennessee.Do-Not-Fax@state.tn.us.

Drug-Assistance Programs - Medicare is the primary program senior citizens rely on for their health care. Although Congress is considering adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, currently seniors must rely on other programs and insurance mechanisms for drug coverage. Some pharmaceutical manufacturers offer assistance programs that can reduce the cost of prescription drugs. For more information on Medicare or other drug programs, please contact my Murfreesboro office at 615-896-1986.

Federal Agency Assistance - My staff and I have helped thousands of Middle Tennesseans cut through government red tape, track down lost Social Security checks, get lost passports reissued, locate veterans' records and solve other problems. If you ever need help with a matter involving the federal government, please feel free to call or write my Murfreesboro office, located at 106 South Maple Street (zip code: 37130), at 615-896-1986 (fax: 615-896-8218), my Cookeville office, located at 15 South Jefferson Street (zip code: 38501), at 931-528-5907 (fax: 931-528-1165) or my Springfield office, located at 101 5^th Avenue West Suite D (zip code: 37172), at 615-382-9712.

I hope this information is useful to you. My staff and I are always eager to help in any way we can. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I ever can be of service to you or your family.