Golden Resources for The Golden Years
Is retirement in the offing for you? Then, by all means, consider Pittsburgh. In his book, Retire in Style: 60 Great Places Across the United States and Canada, California State University Professor, Robert Bland ranks Pittsburgh 7th out of the 60 great places to retire. In fact, the ‘Burgh scored high in qualities like quality of life, health care, and cultural and recreational activities. Greater Pittsburgh offers senior citizens some of the best resources found anywhere.

Pennsylvania is the only state in the United States to designate lottery earnings for older residents. Since Pennsylvania’s lottery started in 1972, the state has kicked in $17.4 billion for programs that help senior citizens with meals, housing, transportation, and prescription drugs. And the Pennsylvania Property Tax Relief Act, signed into law by Governor Rendell in 2007, has, among other things, expanded the Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program for senior citizens. Older residents have begun to see increases in these services and programs with a reduction in their local taxes.

The Best in Senior Living
Pennsylvania has more than 650 full-and part-time senior centers located throughout the Commonwealth, with many in Greater Pittsburgh. If you’re a newcomer searching for senior resources in Greater Pittsburgh, start with the website of the Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), http://www.p4a.org/agencies.htm#R8, created by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging to connect seniors with resources in their local communities. AAA comprises 52 advocate organizations in eight regions to help seniors live healthy, independent lives. They will explain what resources are available to you and your family.

To locate specific advocate organizations, check out the website of the Area Agencies on Aging. You’ll find a
color-coded map of Pennsylvania divided into eight regions. When you scroll down the page, you’ll see which AAA’s fall into which regions. Except for Butler County, all of the AAA’s in Southwestern Pennsylvania are located in region seven. Butler County is in region eight.

The Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging makes available services to adults 60 years of age and over to assist them in maintaining independence and safe, healthy lifestyles. At the Allegheny County Department of Human Services website, http://www.alleghenycounty.us/dhs/olderadultweb.aspx, you can access information on a wide array of senior-related services. While there, be sure to check out the section on “Web Sites of Interest,” where you can access links to a number of helpful sites ranging from the Pennsylvania AARP, the Administration on Aging, and the Center for Healthy Aging to name just a few.

The Westmoreland County AAA website, www.co.westmoreland.pa.us/aging/, also contains a wealth of practical information including senior employment and volunteer opportunities.

For people 60 years of age and older, the City of Pittsburgh conducts a program called SeniorInterests. This is a good place to learn about activities and events that take place at many senior centers within the city limits, and the variety of resources available for older residents such as transportation, prescription drugs, meals, and the like. At the Senior Interests websitehttp://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/parks/html/seniorinterests.html#centers, you’ll find a list of 15 senior centers with addresses and telephone numbers. To get involved, call 412-422-6405.

Also, the Pennsylvania Department on Aging provides information on just about everything seniors need to know about living in Pennsylvania. Visit the website at http://www.aging.state.pa.us.

Finding a Caring Facility In Southwestern PA
There’s no substitute for visiting a facility personally when searching for a retirement community or a nursing home for a parent or loved one. And nothing gives you the clarity like getting answers to tough questions and reading inspection reports.

Besides the AAA’s mentioned earlier, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, through its website, http://www.ins.state.pa.us/ins/site/default.asp, serves as a gateway to other sources. To locate information on Continued Care Retirements Communities, enter “Continued Care Retirement Communities
in the “Search” link. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department licenses and regulates these facilities.
They offer an independent-living lifestyle for individuals who do not need constant physician or
nursing supervision.

While at the website, you can search CCRC’s in each county within Pennsylvania. The site lists descriptions of the facilities, contact numbers, current resident populations, minimum-age requirements and sample costs. To reach the Pittsburgh regional office, call 412-565-5020.mg