Free directory has answers to senior citizens' questions:
By UNDA BRYANT Staff Writer

LIONS HEAD VILLAGE — The Council on Aging of Greater Nashville has published 28,000 free copies of a 245-page directory of services for senior citizens.
The book — which is published every two years — is a proven tool for senior citizens, their families and helping professionals such as social workers and physicians, said Maribeth Farringer, executive director of the Council  on Aging.
"It's important to get this infor-mation," Farringer said. "Seniors are the fastest-growing segment of the population."
It's common for seniors to get frustrated when trying to find answers to their questions about how to get help with their prob-lems and needs, said Diane Schlaufman, program coordinator with the Greater Nashville Area Agency on Aging & Disability.
Schlaufman says the directory is a big help.  "It's a wonderful overview of services in our community," she said. "Information about services is really hard to get. It's typical for people to not know where to start with their issues. All they know is that things just aren't working out."
The directory is jampacked with contact numbers for hundreds of organizations and services. It includes information about emergency assistance, legal matters, insurance and benefits, transportation, elder abuse, Medicare and housing, to name just a few.
The directory is available at no cost to seniors and their families. It can be picked up at local public libraries and senior centers; at the office of the Council on Aging, 95 White Bridge Road, Suite 114; or at the Greater Nashville Area Agency on Aging & Disability, 501 Union St., sixth floor.
Advertisements from local agencies and businesses such as assisted-living communities and funeral homes covered most of the costs of printing the book.
It is also available free to seniors and their family members in 12 other Middle Tennessee counties. The other counties covered are Cheatham, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Stewart, Simmer, Trousdale, Williamson and Wilson.

Information services for senior citizens
The Council on Aging of Greater Nashville, at 95 White Bridge Road, Suite 4t4, pubishes a biannual Directory of Services for Senior Citizens arid maintains a Web Directory of Senior Services at www.councilonaging-midtn.org. For more information, call 353-4235.
Senior Solutions, another local information service for seniors, operates a 24-hour information line. The number is 255-1010. Trained information specialists link callers with appropriate resources. The toll-free number is 1-877-973-6467. The Web site is at: www.kormet.org/sensol/.

 Common questions asked by seniors and their families

How do I file for Social Secu-rity or other benefits?
Where can I rent a wheel-chair for my grandmother who is coming to visit?
What services are available for my parents who are living by themselves?
What types of housing are available for seniors?
How can I get my aging aunt out of the house to be with other people?