The Washington D.C.-based National Council on Aging is making it easier for aging Americans or their caregivers to find information about food assistance programs nationwide.

The enhanced online help may be of particular use to those caring for an Alzheimer’s disease patient. Alzheimer’s is an irreversible decline of cognitive ability caused by the build up of plaque in the brain. Symptoms include dementia, loss of speech, deteriorating motor skills and, eventually, death. Alzheimer’s patients require increasing levels of care, eventually reaching full-time care, which can be an emotional and financial burden on the caregiver, often a family member.

The National Council on Aging has improved its Benefits Check Up service with an enhanced website making it easier to find information about food stamp programs in every state. Those programs are now called SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The improved web presence is timely, according to the National Council on Aging, as the current economic situation is forcing cut backs in human service programs nationwide. To help, NCOA has added the SNAP Application Forms Service to its Benefits Check Up site. In addition to food programs, the site offers help for older Americans who want to find other benefits programs for heating bills, housing, property tax relief and prescription and medical costs. The service is free.

The enhanced service allows users to find information on food programs state by state and includes eligibility requirements and application forms. Access to the information is user-friendly with an interactive map of the United States that lets you point and click to your state.

The Benefits Check Up site went live in 2001.