1. Make the call. Call the Community Care Access Centre (905-523-8600), VON (905-522-0053) or your local community services or seniors' centre for information. One call and you could be getting a lot more help at home with meals, bathing or transportation.

2. Exercise. Exercise. Exercise. Many seniors swear by it, even a few gentle stretches a day can work wonders for your overall physical health.

3. Go for a tour. Check out apartments, retirement homes, nursing homes in your community. Pick one and move before you must.

4. Find a friend. Enjoy the company. Trade services -- one can drive, the other can clean. Call VON/community services for a friendly visitor or get connected to its Tele-Touch service, offering friendly daily phone calls (905-522-9567 in Hamilton).

5. Be safe. Go through a police security checklist on your home and review tips on how to avoid being a victim of a scam. Check with the Hamilton Police Senior Support Program at 905-529-4925. Catholic Family Services offers help for seniors who are victims of abuse. Call 905-527-3823

6. Fall-proof your home. Make changes to key trouble spots: the bathroom, the stairs, the kitchen. (Check out the graphic on these pages.) Halton has published a seniors' directory, and a booklet entitled Is Your Home Suitable for You Now and In The Future? Download the directory at www.halton.ca/SCS/seniors/ESAC/pdf/Seniorsdirectory.pdf or phone 905-825-6000 or 1-866-4HALTON (1-866-442-5866). Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation offers a program called Home Adaptations for Seniors. Call 1-800-704-6488.

7. Several readers recommend the Alzheimer's Society as a great resource for those coping with family members who have dementia or Alzheimer's. There are also adult day-care centres for those with dementia, offering caregivers some respite. Alzheimer's Society of Hamilton and Halton: 905-529-7030, alzheimer.interlynx.net. Haldimand Alzheimer's Society and Caregivers' Centre 905-765-6591. St. Matthews House on Barton Street runs a seniors drop-in centre. Call 905-523-5546. Macassa Lodge Adult Day Program: 905-546-2800 ext. 1627. St. Joseph's Villa Seniors Day Program: 905-627-3541 ext. 2282.

8. Consider making an appointment to get a geriatric assessment if you've experienced any changes in behaviour, mood or health. The assessment may help guide you to services or health care you don't realize you need. (St. Peter's Hospital Geriatric Assessment Clinic: 905-777-3837 ext. 12294)

9. Let someone else screen the handyman for you. If you still live in your own house and need some home maintenance work or housekeeping, St. Joseph's Home Healthcare runs an excellent brokerage service listing private, local companies which charge reasonable rates for housekeeping, minor house repair or yardwork (905-522-6888 ext. 2240). Ancaster and other community service agencies will do the same.

10. Snag a lifeline. For a monthly fee, you can buy a service offering a medical alert emergency response system. There are a number of private companies which offer this service, as does the Hamilton branch of the Canadian Red Cross. Phone 905-522-8485.