Ask our AI Assistant, the Houston Help Bot, any question you have regarding local community resources and you will receive a detailed answer.
If you still have questions after using the Houston Help Bot, you can ask your question in the comments below and I will follow up with you.
Editor’s Note: If you do need more hands-on case management you can find a list of Houston nonprofits and government organizations to help you here.
I am looking for apartment for my 80 year old brother B G Hudson who has a sex offender charges is over 25 years. Looking for 1 bedroom on North side
If you are worried that his record will cause problems consider a place called Done Deal Cosign. They have connections with apartments that will work w people with criminal records.
https://www.donedealcosign.com/
Here is another article about Second Chance apartment locators. They also specialize in helping people find apartments in Houston if someone has a criminal record. They will even pay you $50 if they connect you to an apartment. They have connections with landlords all over Houston.
I need to find emergency shelter for a dear friend of mine, she’s currently using drugs and she is off her medication. She is an abusive relationship and always threatened to be kicked out. They have no water there and the house is infested with bugs and rats. She needs help immediately. I am in recovery myself so I am more versed in where to look for help. She doesn’t know where to turn to and asked me for my help. Please let me know if there is anything you can tell me that can help. She is barely able to talk on the phone due to the abusive situation.
A place called the Re Center might be a good option. They offer housing/apartments for individuals like your friend. Its a good resource because they can help with the housing part and helping her to overcome her addition issues.
https://recenterhouston.com/
Another option to help her get inpatient substance abuse is called The Council on Alcohol and Drugs. They will assess her and let her know where she can go for assistance based on her income (or lack of income) and insurance.
https://www.councilonrecovery.org/
Again I would say start with Re Center because they offer housing for individuals with addition. I’m not sure if they have waitlists though.
Need help getting my id card please I been in Houston tx for 8 years now and I don’t know what to do
Hi Bernard, hope all is well my man!
If your situation is that you are missing a birth certificate or Social Security card needed to get an ID consider a place called Texas ID connect. They are really good at helping people navigate the process.
If you have all your documents and just need to know where to get your ID card from checkout this guide. It will show you how to get an ID in Texas online or in person.
Let me know if you have more questions,
Nick
I am about to be appointed guardianship for my aged aunt. I am looking for reputable “case” managers to interview who would oversee services my aunt receives from healthcare providers. I am hoping you have a short best list.
Hi David, I don’t know of any personal geriatric case managers, but a good place to start this search is a website called Aging Life Care Association.
The Aging Life Care Association (ALCA) is a professional organization for geriatric care managers, also known as aging life care professionals. ALCA members are experts in the field of aging, and they provide a wide range of services to older adults and their families. These services may include assessing care needs, developing care plans, coordinating care and services, managing medical appointments and medications, and advocating for the needs of the older adult.
If you’re looking for a geriatric care manager for your aunt, ALCA may be a helpful resource. The organization has a “Find an Aging Life Care Expert” tool on their website, where you can search for a care manager by zip code, city, or state. It looks like Houston has about 24 geriatric case managers listed.
https://www.aginglifecare.org/ALCAWEB/What_is_Aging_Life_Care/Search/Find_an_Expert.aspx
Hope that helps you and your aunt. Let me know if you need any more information.
Take care,
Nick
I have been trying to get an in person appointment to get Medicare for the last two years at a local Social Security office. I applied for Medicare because I am ESRD. Have been on dialysis for almost 2 years now. After sending in forms, waiting for calls to set phone call appointments, and then finally reaching someone at the Medicare office who told me that my claim for Medicare never made it on file when I applied in year one, I have no idea what else to do. I had a call on march 21 2023 with a nice woman from medicare who told me that the local Stancliffe office in Houston would call me to set up a phone call appointment. I keep my phone one every day. always charged. i listen to every voicemail, and nothing. It’s now May 8 2023, and I just found this site and hope someone can help. My dialysis center is demanding payments I can’t make. I don’t work and because I was a stay at home mom i can’t get disability to help my husband. Please help me find someone who can get me in to see someone so I don’t die before I can even get approved for Medicare.
HI Adela, I’m so sorry to hear about your struggles and the urgency of your situation considering the dialysis treatments.
Here are a few thoughts:
Consider contacting the Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman or MBO. This is an office that helps Medicare beneficiaries with complaints related to Medicare. Although technically you may not be a Medicare beneficiary yet, I would still reach out to them to see if they can help you expedite getting your Medicare benefits. If you have had dialysis for 24 months, it should be time for you to be approved for Medicare. Probably even sooner with ESRD. You can reach the MBO by calling 800.MEDICARE and asking them to submit a complaint to the MBO. You can learn more about this office here.
Another option is calling an organization called Kepro. This is whats called a Quality Improvement Organization. They also take Medicare complaints and advocate for beneficiaries. Normally its for Medicare patients who are in the hospital who want to appeal discharges, but I would also consider reaching out to them to see if they can help you expedite the process of getting approved for Medicare. You can reach them at 888.315.0636. You can also visit the Kepro website here.
State Health Insurance Assistance Programs or SHIPs may also be abled to guide you. These agencies provide counseling to Medicare beneficiaries regarding their coverage. To reach the Texas SHIP call 800.252.9240, you can get more information about the SHIP in Texas here.
Hopefully your dialysis center continues to provide treatment, but if you need to find dialsis someone where else you may want to look at the Harris Health System’s Riverside Clinic. Its a clinic that provides dialysis for clients who have the Gold Card. If you are not familiar with Harrish Health System its the network of county clinics that treat individuals who are uninsured. Again to get treatment here you will need to apply for the Gold Card, also known as Harris Health Financial Assistance Plan. If you need more information about this, just let me know and I can provide more details.
Are there any social workers at your dialysis clinic?
Adela, I’m very sorry about your situation, but hopefully, Medicare can get you squared away soon. Let me know if you have more questions, I’m happy to help.
Nick
Hi. I am searching for help for my sister who, after years of poor choices due to drug addiction, landed a good paying job and looked forward to a brighter future. She started having severe back pain, had to pay out of pocket for an MRI and has learned that she has a large cyst in her spine and needs surgery. She makes too much money to qualify for medicaid (by about $70 a month) but not enough to afford private healthcare (she is a single parent to 2 children). According to an orthopedic surgeon, surgery will cost between $10,000-$13,000. He suggested a “go fund me”! We didn’t know about open enrollment for Marketplace and she has had the job since January. Can you offer any guidance? She needs help urgently as she is in constant pain and so afraid of losing her job – it’s getting harder and harder just to walk even short distances.
I’m really sorry to hear about your sister’s situation. It sounds like she’s been through a lot and is facing a challenging time. It’s understandable that she is concerned and looking for solutions.
If she cannot get coverage through her employer, one potential option for her could be applying for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, as you mentioned, especially since she has a job. While the open enrollment period for each year is typically only a few weeks, there are Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) that can be triggered by certain life events, such as losing health coverage, moving, getting married, having a baby, or adopting a child. Depending on her situation, she may qualify for a SEP.
Another possible avenue for healthcare coverage could be the Harris Health System Gold Card. This program offers a safety net for individuals in Harris County, Texas who have low income and don’t qualify for Medicaid. Their website includes an eligibility calculator that can provide a better idea of the potential cost of treatment through this program. Harris Health System is typically where residents go if they cannot afford health coverage and need sometype of surgery. Treatment isnt free, but they may be more willing to work with your sister’s situation. To apply for Harris System Gold Card, she will need to find an eligibility center to get help applying for coverage.
Let me know if you have any more questions I’m happy to help.
Nick