Little House offers free help from social workers Little House offers free help from social workers (October 20, 2004)

By Rebecca Wallace
Almanac Staff Writer

Wisdom often comes with age, but that doesn't mean life's questions get any easier.

There's the scared older woman, growing confused and wanting to know the difference between Alzheimer's disease and normal aging. There's the woman seeking hospice care for her ailing husband and a physical therapist for herself.

And the wary children of elderly parents, filled with questions about nursing homes: How do we know which one is reputable? How much should we expect to pay? Which ones have space available?

"The daughter flies out, goes through the phone book and makes hundreds of calls, and it's really not fun," said Wendy Lewis-Rakova, education planner at the Little House Activity Center in Menlo Park, which offers a variety of services and activities for seniors and others.

It's infinitely easier if you have one social worker to listen to your questions and point you in the right direction, Ms. Lewis-Rakova said.

Little House, though, hasn't been able to afford its own social worker for 10 years, she said. So now it's pulling together with other organizations to provide free initial consultations with their social workers.

Little House's collaborators include Rosener House in Menlo Park, the Avenidas senior center in Palo Alto, and Pathways Home Health and Hospice in Mountain View. Each Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon, a social worker will come to Little House from a different one of the organizations.

Anyone can sign up for a free consultation, said Ms. Lewis-Rakova, adding, "Anyone who comes in will get hand-outs by the ton about different senior resources."

To make an appointment, call 326-2025, extension 230. Little House is located at 800 Middle Ave. in Menlo Park.

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