Senior Services Division
131 Coventry Street
Hartford, CT 06112
(860) 757-4738
Hours of Operation: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Division Manager, Elby Gonzalez-Schwapp

The mission of the Senior Services Division is to enhance the quality of life for adults age 55 and over by promoting and providing services that promote social interaction, good health, safety, education, and leisure recreational activities, while increasing the confidence and independence of members.

The Senior Services Division provides the following services:

SENIOR CENTERS & SERVICES

The Senior Centers are managed by the city and community based agencies,  offer services Monday-Friday that include, but are not limited to evenings and weekends as needed.

• Health Screenings- blood pressure; cholesterol; diabetes; medication management; depression; and podiatrist.
  
• Recreation- games, arts & crafts, sewing, quilting, bowling, ceramics intergenerational activities, outings and trips.
  
• Information- senior & benefit entitlements, eligibility, health awareness, presentations, consumer & credit counseling and income tax.
  
• Outreach- access for the homebound and frail elderly; male participation and reaching diverse senior groups.
  

• Nutrition- on-site meals, healthy cooking tips and classes.
  Benefits Counseling- age appropriate benefits and programs.

• Senior centers vary in their hours of service as well as programming. They offer a wide variety of programming that attract participants of many ages and backgrounds.

      Senior Center Services and Activities:

• Recreational activities such as card playing, board and card games,  dancing, field trips, health and wellness activities such as exercise, aerobics, fall prevention classes, tai Chi, health screenings and health support, information and referral, meals, transportation  

• Educational classes-computer, book discussion groups, library services and special events

  There are five (5) Hartford Senior Centers  The location and phone number of the centers are as follows:

  
All senior centers operate all year round. 

For more information about the Senior Centers and its services contact Nydia Massey at 757-4738, or send an email by clicking on her name. 

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COMMISSION ON AGING 

The City of Hartford Commission on Aging:  The Commission on Aging shall study continuously the conditions and needs of elderly persons in the community in relation to housing, economic employment, health, recreational and other matters.  It shall analyze the services for the aged provided by the community, both public and private agencies, and shall make recommendations to the mayor and the council.

For more information about the Commission on Aging, contact Veronica Tate, at 860-757-4700, or send an email by clicking on her name.

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DIAL-A-RIDE Eligibility Services Reservations/ Cancellations

Hartford Dial A Ride (DAR) is a service intended to reduce the isolation of seniors and promote independent living.  During 25+ years of operation the program has delivered more than two million trips.  Any Hartford resident who is over the age of 60 or who has a disability is eligible for Dial A Ride.  Allowable trip purposes are listed in priority order: medical; food/nutrition; senior center activities; religious activities; and personal trips.  Trips are restricted to the City limits, except for medical trips that are allowed on Monday and Wednesday. 

Demand-response (24 hours in advance) and pre-scheduled (ongoing medical and congregate meal participation) trips are provided seven days a week.  Medical trip requests are taken up to 14 days in advance.  Trip requests for senior center meal programs and grocery shopping may be made up to three days in advance.  Personal trips for banking, visiting, etc., are made three days in advance. 

Out of the approximately 1,500 Dial-A-Ride pass-holders, almost 70% are female, (half of whom are age 70 or older), 45% live alone and 54% are members of low-income ethnic minority groups.  The service population tends to be quite frail and relies on Dial-A-Ride to meet their transportation needs for medical, nutrition, grocery shopping and personal trips.  Safe and reliable access to community services is essential to the utilization of supportive social services upon which many elderly residents depend.

Eligibility

Any resident of the City of Hartford who is 60 years of age or older and any adult resident (age 18 or above)  who has a permanent disability (such that the effective use of existing mass transit is very difficult or impossible because of their mobility impairment) is eligible to use Dial-A-Ride services.  Persons with hidden disabilities such as epilepsy, lung or heart disease are also eligible to use Dial-A-Ride services.  Persons with temporary disabilities will be transported by Dial-A-Ride on a case-by-case determination.  Senior citizens and persons with disabilities vacationing or visiting the City of Hartford are also eligible to use DAR services.  Application for a temporary Dial-A-Ride pass can be made by calling the Customer Service Representative at 722-8473.  Eligible persons with automobiles or who are able to drive and have access to an automobile are asked to not use Dial-A-Ride.  Also, if a person can easily get to a destination using Connecticut Transit, she/he should do so.

 

Services

Dial-A-Ride will serve most trip purposes within the City.  All allowable trips;  (medical, nutrition, grocery shuttle, etc.)  may be reserved up to (7) seven days in advance, but no later than (1) day in advance.

Saturday reservations will be taken for medical appointments, grocery shopping and religious services as noted above, upon availability.

Nutrition Site - This service is only available to those sites which are City sponsored and receive public funding.  These sites must be open to any elderly Hartford resident.

Social Group Trips - Hartford senior centers and elderly housing complexes may be authorized to schedule social group trips using the Dial-A-Ride service.  All Special and Social Group Trips may be considered at the discretion of the Program Administrator and the availability of funds.  These trips will be scheduled on an as-available basis only.

Grocery Shuttle - Dial A Ride operates a Grocery Shuttle bus service Monday through Saturday in the Asylum Hill, Westend, Northend, Downtown and Southend areas of Hartford.  No reservation is required.  The service operates on a fixed route and set schedule.  A Dial A Ride pass must be shown before boarding the bus.  Dial A Ride serves the following grocery stores:  Super Stop & Shop (Hartford, Bloomfield & Wethersfield), Shaws (West Hartford). 

                  Service will not be available on the following holidays

Reservations/Cancellations

Dial-A-Ride transportation is generally limited to points within the Hartford City limits. Reservations outside of the Hartford area can be made only for medical appointments and only on Mondays and Wednesdays.  The towns to which Dial-A-Ride may travel for such trips are :

Reservations and Cancellations for the Hartford Dial-A-Ride service are taken Monday - Friday between the hours of  8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. at 860-251-8261. 

In order to free up phone lines so others may also call, customers may reserve a maximum of two round-trips per call.  Customers may call as many times as they like each day.

For more information about Dial-A-Ride and its services contact James Johnson, Jr., Project  Manager at (860) 757-4724, or send an email by clicking on their name. 

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GRANDPARENTS PROGRAM

Are you a grandparent with permanent legal custody of your grandchild? Are you interested in subsidized housing? Click here to learn more about the grandfamilies Housing Community or call Broad Park Development @ (860) 249-0649

The mission of the Grandparents Program is to strengthen family relations for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren and to provide grandparents with information on programs and services that will support their family needs.

The Grandparents Program is designed to provide social support services to grandparents who are raising their grandchildren.  As you balance your new life and personal concerns you are presented with changing times that make parenting different today.  You may have lots of questions that we can help you find the answers to.

The Grandparents Program has the following six components:

1.      Grandparents Support Network

2.      Grandparents Task Force

3.      Grandparents Commission

4.      Grandparents Housing Initiative

5.      Grandparents Services

6.      Community Events

In addition, the Grandparents Program offers educational activities in in the following areas:

• Child Development

• Understanding Guardianship

• Parenting Techniques

• Financial Subsidies

• Recreation

If you are interested in the Grandparents Program, please call Milagros Acosta at (860) 757-0853.  

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HOME HELP PROGRAM

The Home Help program program is designed to give seniors the help they need to remain living in the community.  Services provided are- chore, homemaker services, home repair, companion, social support service and benefits counseling. 

The goal of the program is to improve the quality of life at home and, when possible, prevent early institutionalization of chronically ill and frail elderly.  The Home Help program improves home safety and provides services for household tasks that place older persons at risk of accident, injury or health problems.

The Home Help program also maintains, strengthens and safeguards household functioning and independent living for participants who need either temporary assistance due to illness or long-term assistance due to chronic disabling conditions. 

The primary criterion for eligibility for services are 60 years of age or older and Hartford residency.

       
For more information on the Home Help program contact Nydia Massey,  at *(860) 757-4738, or send an email by clicking on her name.

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RENT REBATE

Tax Relief Program (Rent Rebate program) provides low income disabled and senior renter’s a tax rebate of their annual rent payments.  

To be eligible for the Rent Rebate program you must meet all of the following eligibility guidelines:

• a resident of the City of Hartford;
• 65 years old by December of the previous year, or 18 years old and receiving Social Security Disability
• a person renting an apartment or house  in the City of Hartford income guidelines apply.

The Department of Health & Human Services processes Elderly/Disabled Renters Tax Relief Program applications from May thru September. 

City Of Hartford---Senior Services Division

If any questions, Please call (860) 757-4738

 If you are homebound and unable to leave your home without assistance, a family member or friend may act as your agent and process your application at a scheduled site. 

 * RESIDENTS ONLY*

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