Information & Referral

The Council on Aging is able to direct callers to the appropriate resources and answer questions about a variety of services. In many cases, the Council on Aging makes the referral for those seeking assistance and provides follow-up to insure that the needed assistance has been rendered. We can provide referral information for the following types of services

  • Attorneys
  • Alcohol and Drug Treatment
  • Consumer Advocacy
  • Electricians
  • Home Repair
  • Home Health Agencies
  • Housing Authorities
  • Plumbers
  • Private Pay Homemaking and Personal Care
  • Mental Health
  • Small Contractors
  • Snow Removal
  • Taxi Service
  • And more…

For more information, please call the COA office at 781-659-7878.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE

Regardless of age, it is important to take steps to protect ourselves and loved ones while we are still alive. Some items that everyone should have include;

  • An up-to-date will
  • A Health care Proxy
  • Power of Attorney
  • Homestead Act

These documents can be initiated by you and/or your attorney. For more information about these documents, assistance in completing a form or a referral to a local attorney, call the COA office at 781-659-7878.

HEALTH CARE PROXY

A Health Care Proxy is a simple legal document that allows you to name someone you know and trust to make health care decisions for you, if for any reasons and at any time, you become unable to make or communicate those decisions. It is an important document, however, because it concerns not only the choices you make about your health care, but also the relationship you have with your physician, family or others who may be involved with our care. For more information about health care proxies or to find a copy of form, visit the Mass Health Decisions website.

HOMESTEAD ACT

(Excerpts taken from the Plymouth Country Registry of Deeds website)

An Estate of Homestead is a type of protection for a person’s residence, in the form of a document called a “Declaration of Estate of Homestead.” The form is filed at the Registry of Deeds in the county where the property is located, referencing the title/deed to the property. It allows homeowners in Massachusetts to protect their property up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000)* of the value per residence, per family.

The Homestead protection is not a substitute for home insurance or any other type of liability insurance. These are separate and distinct types of protection. The Homestead protection will be effective after any liability insurance is used to pay for any judgments that are related to liability incurred under that particular insurance policy (e.g. home, automobile, etc.)

Click for a copy of the Declaration of Homestead form (this is a PDF file and requires Adobe Acrobat to open). Copies may also be are available at the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds or their satellite office located at 900 Hingham St. in Rockland or by calling their office at 781-792-2800. The fee for filing is $35 and $1 return mail fee, and should be made payable to the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds. Forms may be mailed to:

Plymouth County Registry of Deeds
50 Obery Street
Plymouth, MA 02360

For more information about a Declaration of Homestead, visit the Registry of Deeds website.

NOTARY PUBLIC

A certified notary public is available at the Senior Center by appointment.

NORWELL FOOD PANTRY

The Norwell Food Panty is available for those individuals and families in need. The Food Pantry is located at:

Norwell Town Hall Gymnasium
345 Main Street
Norwell, MA 02061

Mailing Address: PO Box 644, Norwell, MA 02061
Pick up hours:Thursdays, 2:00 - 4:00 PM

Donations may be dropped in boxes located at:

  • Norwell Post Office,
  • Hannaford’s Supermarket, or  
  • In the Town Hall, just outside the gym (Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Friday, 8:00am to 12pm)

Click to visit the Norwell Food Pantry website.

911 EMERGENCY SERVICE ON CELL PHONES

Are you concerned about your safety while driving or on vacation? Did you know that you don't need to have a service contract to make a 9-1-1 emergency call on a cell phone?  

The Federal Trade Commission (FCC) requires that consumers be able to make free 9-1-1 calls on any deactivated cell phone. In order to make calls, the phone must be charged. This is a great way to make use of cell phones that are no longer being used.

Ask your friends and family if they have a phone you can use.

SOUTH SHORE ELDER SERVICES

South Shore Elder Services, Inc. (SSES) is a private non-profit agency, designated by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs as an Area Agency on Aging and an Aging Services Access Point. Funding is provided through a combination of state funds and private donations.

SSES’ mission is to promote and maintain an optimal level of elder independence through the coordination of resources, advocacy and caregiver support. Some of their services include:

  • Caregiver support/respite
  • Money Management Assistance
  • Senior Dining Centers
  • Home Delivered Meals
  • Educational Seminars
  • Homecare Services of Eligible Elders
  • Nursing Home Ombudsman
  • and more...

SSES serves the city of Quincy and ten local towns including Braintree, Cohasset, Hingham, Holbrook, Hull, Milton, Norwell, Randolph, Scituate and Weymouth.

For more information on SSES programs and services, visit the SSES website or call their Information and Referral Department at 781-848-3910.

PROTECTIVE SERVICES/ELDERS AT RISK

South Shore Elder Services is the state mandated agency to provide the Protective Services and the Elder At Risk Programs. The Protective Service unit is responsible for assisting elders who have been neglected, physically, emotionally or sexually abused and financially exploited by a caregiver or someone with whom the elder has a personal relationship. The Elder At Risk program is for the most vulnerable self-neglecting elders, who are at serious risk of becoming homeless, or have a life threatening untreated medical or mental illness. To file a Protective Service report or to make a referral to the Elder At Risk program call on of the following numbers:

  • South Shore Elder Services: 781-848-3910, 159 Bay State Drive, Braintree, MA  02184
  • After 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday, weekends and holidays call: Elder Abuse Hotline 1-800-922-2275