Home care in Leonia

Leonia's senior bus is free and door to door for borough residents who are 60 or older, or 18 and over and on Medicare disability. The Senior Services office publishes the trips each month, and riders register and book ahead: three days for shopping and Leonia Walks outings, five business days for a medical appointment.

One rule matters for a lot of families. Anyone who needs help getting on and off the bus, or who has memory loss, has to ride with a family member, a neighbor or an aide. A caregiver can be that person, and can help your mother get ready beforehand and settle back in at home. When the bus isn't going where she needs to be, the caregiver can drive her instead.

Bergen County Meals on Wheels delivers a mid-day meal on weekdays in Leonia to residents 60 and over who are homebound and can't shop or cook for themselves. Its rules say a participant receives no more than four hours of in-home help during the day, so if you're planning longer days of care, check with the county first. A caregiver can cook her lunch instead, or we can plan the hours around the delivery.

Operation Blue Angel, run by the Leonia Police Department with the Senior Center, gives a free combination lockbox for a spare key to residents 55 and over, or anyone medically impaired and often alone, so emergency crews can get in if she can't open the door. It's a sensible thing to set up alongside care, especially for the hours when nobody is with her.