Local, State & Federal Resources

State Resources

Elder Hotline

Finding the answers to questions about elder issues can sometimes be confusing. The Attorney General's Office has a statewide, toll-free telephone hotline to assist individuals on a wide range of elder issues.

Phone Numbers:

• 1-888-AG-ELDER or 888-243-5337
• TTY: 617-727-4765

The Elder Hotline is available to callers Monday through Friday, from 10 am to 4 pm. The hotline provides a valuable service to Massachusetts' senior citizens, their families, and others seeking information about elder-related issues and programs throughout the Commonwealth. The hotline, which is staffed by senior volunteers, provides dispute resolution services and is a comprehensive resource for information and referral on a full range of concerns. Common concerns include:

• Debt and debt collection practice
• Health insurance
• Home improvement
• Landlord / tenant issues
• Long-term care insurance
• Scam awareness
• Telemarketing
• Pension Assistance Project

The New England Pension Assistance Project

The New England Pension Assistance Project provides assistance to individuals having trouble understanding or obtaining their pension benefits. It serves the six states in the region: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

You can contact the New England Pension Assistance Project:

• If you currently live or work in New England
• If you lived or worked in the region while earning a pension
• If the company or pension plan is headquartered or has operations now in New England
• If it had operations in the region when the pension was earned.

The Project's functions are as follows:

• Offering individual counseling and assistance
• Helping negotiate layers of bureaucracy
• Helping locate pension funds
• Explaining the benefits and rights under your pension plan
• Supplying referrals to attorneys
• Supplying a listing of financial advisers
• Providing speakers on pension issues

Contact Information

• Phone: 617-287-7307 or toll free 888-425-6067
• Fax: 617-287-7080
• Email The New England Pension Assistance Project
• Mailing Address:
  New England Pension Assistance Project
  Gerontology Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston
  100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125-3393

Office of Elder Affairs

The information on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs website is designed to assist elders and their families with answers to questions about services and opportunities available to seniors and their caregivers in Massachusetts. 

You can obtain information on:

• Caring for an aging parent 
• Securing help for an elderly neighbor  
• Getting nutritious meals delivered to a senior's home 
• Getting help parenting a grandchild  
• Learning more about prescription drug programs for elders

Through the statewide elder network, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs provides services locally via Aging Services Access Points (ASAP), Councils on Aging (COA), and senior centers in communities across the Commonwealth. 

This network reaches out to elders in need of services that include: 

• Home care and caregiver support,
• Nutrition programs  
• Protective services 
• Health and wellness services 
• Housing options
• Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders (SHINE) counseling 
• Counseling services for elders with limited English proficiency. 

Visit the Office of Elder Affairs website for more information. 

800ageinformation

This website is designed to assist consumers and caregivers as well as professionals seeking information and resources on elder care services. The site lists information on approximately 40,000 services and programs in Massachusetts for elders. Visit the 800ageinformation website for more information.