How to Start a Miami-Dade Aging and Caregiver Needs Screening
Use one local intake call to describe the whole situation and ask which aging, in-home, meal, respite, or long-term-care routes fit.
Start here
Call the Alliance for Aging Elder Helpline at 305-670-HELP (4357). Ask for a needs screening for a Miami-Dade resident and describe the hardest daily tasks, the unpaid help available now, and what recently changed.
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Open Alliance contact informationWhat to have ready
- The person’s age, Miami-Dade ZIP code, phone number, and living arrangement
- A short list of help needed with bathing, meals, movement, medicine, memory, or supervision
- What family or unpaid help exists and whether it can continue
- Recent falls, hospital stays, caregiver loss, or other urgent changes
Words you can use
“I need a needs screening for someone in Miami-Dade County. I do not know which program fits. Please screen for in-home help, meals, respite, transportation, and long-term-care options, and tell me which referrals are actual applications.”
Steps in order
- 1
Lead with the most unsafe task or recent change, not only the diagnosis.
- 2
Ask which programs the screening covers and whether a separate Medicaid long-term-care screening is appropriate.
- 3
Write down the screener’s name, each referral, and whether there is an assessment or waitlist.
- 4
Ask when to follow up and what change should trigger a new screening.
If the first answer is no or wait
Ask whether a different funded program can address the urgent task while the preferred program is unavailable. Call back after a major health, housing, or caregiver change.
Official sources
Sources checked August 9, 2026. Confirm eligibility, hours, cost, service area, and current availability directly.
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