Local help in Erie, Niagara, and Orleans: meals, rides, respite, support groups, and who answers the phone

Two numbers that reach everything

NY Connects, 1-800-342-9871, is the state's free front door for long-term care; it is answered by your county's Office for the Aging and the counselor knows what exists locally, including programs that do not need Medicaid. 211 WNY, dial 211 or 888-696-9211, is answered around the clock for food, housing, utilities, legal help, and mental health referrals across Erie, Niagara, Orleans, and four more counties; you can also text your zip code to 898-211 on weekdays.

Erie County

Erie County Department for the Aging, (716) 858-8526 (also the NY Connects line), 95 Franklin Street, Buffalo. Programs on the county's pages:

• Home-delivered meals: one call to (716) 858-8526 starts an in-home evaluation. Volunteers deliver two meals around midday, Monday through Friday, with special diets on a doctor's note. Suggested contribution $3.50 a meal; nobody is refused. Delivery partners include FeedMore WNY, (716) 822-2002, Amherst Meals on Wheels, (716) 636-3065, and Ken-Ton Meals on Wheels, (716) 874-3595.
• Going Places van service: curb-to-curb rides for residents 60 and older who cannot use regular transportation. Call (716) 858-RIDE, (716) 858-7433, weekdays 8:30 to 4:20. Book medical trips two weeks ahead and other trips one week ahead. Suggested contribution $8 one way; wheelchair vans on request.
• Stay Fit Dining: lunch at senior centers around the county; the department posts a senior center location list.
• Caregiver support through the National Family Caregiver Support Program: counseling, training such as Powerful Tools for Caregivers, support groups, home safety checks, and respite. Call the NY Connects line, (716) 858-8526.
• HIICAP Medicare counseling, an annual Elder Law Day, HEAP heating help, and a Telephone Assurance Program for people living alone.

Niagara County

Niagara County Office for the Aging, (716) 438-4020, 111 Main Street, Suite 101, Lockport.

• Home-delivered and congregate meals, aide services, case management, legal assistance, and insurance counseling.
• Rides to medical appointments for residents 60 and older; call the office to schedule well ahead.
• Caregivers Program: for family and friends caring for a county resident 60 or older. Respite in the home or through a short stay in a facility, adult day services, and caregiver information. The county page is candid that information and respite are the two things caregivers ask for most.

Orleans County

Orleans County Office for the Aging, (585) 589-3191, 14016 Route 31 West, Albion.

• Meals on Wheels: a hot meal around noon, with a cold supper or frozen weekend meals when a case manager approves. Suggested contribution $3.50 for the noon meal. Call (585) 589-5424, option 5.
• Volunteer Transportation: for residents 60 and older who cannot use public transportation; book at least a week ahead at (585) 589-3191.
• Lifeline personal emergency response buttons at a monthly cost, home care aides on a sliding fee, case management at no charge, and outreach visits to homebound elders.
• Caregiver assistance: information, counseling, training, respite, and support groups, plus help with the move from home care to a facility. Caregiver Connections, a community respite program with the Alzheimer's Association, meets in Albion on the first and third Wednesday of the month.

Dementia support, all three counties

The Alzheimer's Association Western New York Chapter, 6400 Sheridan Drive, Suite 320, Amherst, serves all eight WNY counties with education, care consultations, and support groups. The 24-hour helpline is 800-272-3900. In-person caregiver groups listed on the chapter's page include Amherst (Dent Neurologic Institute, second Tuesday evening) and Buffalo (Delavan Grider Community Center, second Friday morning), with more around the region and online; call 800-272-3960 to register. The Erie County Caregiver Coalition also lists local agencies.

Legal help

The Center for Elder Law and Justice provides free legal services to older, disabled, and low-income adults in Western New York, with a senior legal advice helpline, 1-844-481-0973, weekday mornings. The New York State Bar Association's referral line is 1-800-342-3661.

State and federal lines

• HIICAP Medicare counseling: 1-800-701-0501.
• NYS Medicaid Helpline: (800) 541-2831.
• Long Term Care Ombudsman, for problems inside a nursing home or adult care facility: 1-855-582-6769.
• Adult Protective Services: 1-844-697-3505.
• NYS Department of Veterans' Services: 1-888-838-7697.
• Eldercare Locator, for a relative in another state: 1-800-677-1116.
• Social Security: 1-800-772-1213.
• Medicare: 1-800-633-4227.

If a number has changed

We checked each one against the official page on September 27, 2026. Programs and phone numbers move. If one is wrong, tell your advisor or write to hello@thecardinalgroup.org and we will fix it.