Frequently Asked Questions

Our primary goal is to keep eligible seniors and disabled individuals safe and independent at home for as long as possible. We do this by providing and facilitating in-home and community services. We are the Aging Services Access Point (ASAP) and Area Agency on Aging (AAA) responsible for Berkshire County. We are regulated and funded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs. We also receive grants and private donations, which enable us to offer additional programming.

ASAPs and AAAs are agencies like ours, which coordinate and in some cases provide services to seniors, individuals with disabilities, and caregivers in communities across the Commonwealth. Elder Services of Berkshire County covers 32 cities/towns: Adams, Alford, Becket, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Dalton, Egremont, Florida, Great Barrington, Hancock, Hinsdale, Lanesborough, Lee, Lenox, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Ashford, New Marlborough, North Adams, Otis, Peru, Pittsfield, Richmond, Sandisfield, Savoy, Sheffield, Stockbridge, Tyringham, Washington, West Stockbridge, Williamstown, and Windsor.

No, Elder Services of Berkshire County does not employ the workers who provide care to seniors in their homes. While case managers and other staff from Elder Services conduct home visits, those visits are solely for assessment and follow-up purposes. Elder Services has contracts with the local approved homecare vendors whose employees provide services to local seniors through those contracts.

No, Elder Services of Berkshire County does not provide protective services for Berkshire County. An affiliate of Lifepath, Inc., which has offices in Pittsfield, administers protective services for Berkshire County residents. If you need to make a report for yourself or someone you know, Elder Services’ Information and Referral Department can assist with that or you can file a Protective Services Report by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.

The process works like this:

• Contact us by phone and talk with staff in our Information and Referral Department. Tell us about your situation. If you are interested in services, then we may ask you additional questions related to your needs.
• Once the referral is made, one of our case managers will contact you or a designated contact person within a few days to set up a time to visit your home for an assessment. During the assessment, the case manager will explain our eligibility standards, which include age, residency, income, and level of impairment.
• If you are eligible to become a client of Elder Services of Berkshire County, the case manager will explain the services that you may be eligible for. With your input, we will develop a service plan.
• Once services begin, your case manager will provide you with ongoing support and conduct a periodic in-home assessment to monitor your well-being. Your case manager is your main contact person for the services you receive and other concerns you may have.

Yes. Individuals under 60 years old with a physician’s documented diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, a related disorder or dementia are eligible for home care services as long as they meet all other eligibility criteria.

Many of our community-based programs (i.e. SHINE, Matter of Balance, Caregiver Support Groups, Technology Help Groups, etc.) are free. As it relates to home care services, some of our consumers pay a monthly fee based on their income. The income scale is developed by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs and is usually updated every year. Consumers who have MassHealth coverage are not charged a fee; otherwise, seniors pay a sliding fee based on annual gross income by family size. Please contact us with any questions.