Resources

We seniors are fortunate to live in a city that offers so many services targeted to our needs, many of them free. And the web has given us access to an abundance of local and state as well as national and international resources. This section of the LiveAgeWell website offers you four ways to become familiar with them.

The first table lists local and national organizations providing services to seniors and links to their websites. 

The second table, "Needs You May Have," lists some common needs of seniors and directs them to services and organizations that can help. The table provides a link to each one that will bring you directly to the resource(s) that can help.

Following the second table is a series of "mini-articles" likely to be of interest to you. There's one on a new Illinois law that allows you to renew a driver's license if you're under 87. Another is helpful if you need to acquire certain medical equipment, or want to pass on something you no longer need to someone who does. One article informs you of your rights and obligations in the event of an ICE raid, and there's also information about your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

The third table, "Nearby Exercise Opportunities for EBA Residents," gives you some organizations, some within walking distance of the EBA, offering activities designed with us seniors in mind.

The fourth table, "Helpful Tech Devices for Seniors," provides a list of high-tech devices that you may wish to investigate. 

Remember to check the Bulletin Board section on the EBA Building Link for services shareholders are offering to other shareholders.

And check out the article from the Chicago Tribune on scammers who target your Medicare card.

RENEWING AN ILLINOIS DRIVER’S LICENSE

According to a new Illinois law that will take effect in July 2026, seniors 87 and younger renewing a driver’s license will no longer need to take a driving test.

Passing a vision test at a Secretary of State DMV facility will still be required. Therefore, in-person renewal will be necessary, but on a walk-in basis.

Seniors seeking to renew a driver’s license with no changes of name or address will need only to present their current license for renewal. Note: This is for license renewal only. More documentation is needed to apply for a Real ID. See the Illinois Secretary of State’s website for details: go to ilsos.gov and select Real ID from the menu under Senior Services.

 There are four seniors-only walk-in DMV centers located in the Chicago area. All are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. No appointment is needed. The closest one to us is:

Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave., Evanston, IL 60202 

The others are: Bridgeview Community Center, 7900 S. Oketo Ave., Bridgeview, IL 60455; Westchester Village Hall, 10300 W. Roosevelt Rd., Westchester, IL 60154; and Calumet Township Community Center, 12633 S. Ashland Ave. Calumet Park, IL 60827.

There is also a senior-only call center at 800-252-8980 (press 2) for questions you may have.

HEART TO HEART

If you need something that helps you to move or prevents you from falling, or if you have medical equipment you no longer need, St. Gertrude’s Catholic Church is ready to help you. The mission of the Edgewater church’s Heart to Heart ministry is to help seniors who need minimal assistance, enabling them to remain independent in their home. Among other services, Heart to Heart offers a Medical Lending Closet. Available items include standard walkers, rollators, crutches, wheelchairs, shower chairs, tub transfer benches, and portable commodes. Please call the Lending Closet at 773-973-5464 to schedule an appointment, or to drop off donations. St. Gertrude’s is located at 1420 W. Granville. 

IN THE EVENT OF AN ICE RAID

Just in case you might wonder what you should do if you find yourself involved in a visit by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, here are some guidelines to protect yourself from being unnecessarily involved.

Although the chances of an ICE raid at EBA have been low, it is a possibility for which we are prepared.

EBAC’s attorney has advised that we are not required to allow anyone into non-public areas of the building without a warrant signed by a judge.  An administrative warrant, a general order not signed by a judge, does not authorize entry. NON-PUBLIC areas are any areas EBA does not allow access to anyone off the street, including residential floors, elevators, the garden, the pool, the Community Room, the Palm Court, the Library, laundry room, locker rooms, exercise rooms, break room, engineering and housekeeping offices, storage rooms, the Management Office, mailroom, package room, vacant arcade suites—anything locked, anything above the ground floor.

PUBLIC areas are the lobby, arcade, open-for-business arcade tenants, garage entrance and reception area, stairs to the rear lobby and rear lobby.

In the event ICE or a similar authority appears at EBA, the first point of contact is with Door Staff.  Door Staff should receive them as any other visitor to EBA and call the Manager or the President for instructions.

Staff has been trained in the following protocol:

• No member of Management or Staff is required or encouraged to engage in confrontation.

• No one should expose herself or himself to any harm or abuse.

• In the event of an appearance, Management and Staff must record it in an incident report.

• Likewise, Shareholders are encouraged to record any visit and report it to Management.

Signage

All private areas of the building are clearly marked to prevent entry by non EBAC residents, staff and commercial tenants. We have been advised by counsel not to add any signage explicitly prohibiting ICE entry, including on the outside of entrances to the building. Signs in apartment windows are not permitted.

ABOUT THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

Did you know that you can learn more about your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by searching ADA.gov? The site provides a guide to Disability Rights Laws as pertain to individuals with a physical or mental impairment, including an exhaustive list of examples of qualifying disabilities. Some of these are Cancer, Diabetes, PTSD, HIV, Autism. Deafness or hearing loss, Blindness or low vision, Epilepsy, Mobility disabilities such as those requiring the use of a wheelchair, walker, or cane, Intellectual disabilities, Major depressive disorder, Traumatic brain injury and many other disabilities not listed here. The ADA prohibits discrimination based on disabilities.

Go to ada.gov for a complete description of the law and it’s coverage and to see if you may qualify for some of its benefits in such areas as transportation, housing and employment.

Chicago Tribune, June 16, 2026

Scammers Target Medicare Cards, Durable Medical Equipment Needs, Experts Say

By Janice Neumann

Scammers have gotten crafty about tricking people out of their money, and often they use purported Medicare concerns as a way into the wallets of older people.

As a way to help people and in recognition of Medicare Fraud Prevention Week earlier in June, the Evergreen Park Public Library recently held a session to inform about the latest scams that are circulating.

AgeOptions, a nonprofit organization based in Oak Park, has led such information sessions at libraries and community centers throughout Cook County to tell seniors what to watch out for when their Medicare benefits are targeted. “A lot of people in every state get scammed, so prevention is necessary so it doesn’t happen in the first place,” said Jesus Enriquez, outreach and information specialist from AgeOptions, who led the session from an online feed.

Medicare fraud and improper payments reap $60 billion annually, according to the organization Senior Medicare Patrol, which helps fund such education sessions through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Enriquez said those looking to purchase durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds or CPAP machines, are a prime target for scammers. “They’ll get a call from who they think is Medicare,” Enriquez said, asking for Medicare numbers and other personal information. Some fraudsters run an illegitimate DME company and get a doctor to prescribe the equipment. They might tell a senior they have a promotion where the individual can get a knee brace, neck brace or wheelchair, and say they just need the Medicare number to verify coverage.

“The other route they can sometimes go, is those beneficiary identification numbers are sold on the dark web and illegitimate DME providers can get hold of those numbers,” said Patrick Dixon, manager of Elder Rights at AgeOptions. “They get their hands into somebody registered as a provider who is able to bill Medicare and they’ll use the number to ring up an illegitimate charge, whether or not the beneficiary receives the equipment.”

It’s very damaging,” Dixon said about the effect on victims of fraud. “The thing about any of these types of people perpetrating one of these scams is they thrive on two things: speed — getting the person to disclose sensitive information as quickly as possible — and they try to isolate people by not letting them check if things are legitimate. “With that isolation, the people who fall victim to fraud or scams think they’re completely alone in it when in reality they’re not.”

Dixon also pointed out a reputable provider will not rush patients in that way. When AgeOptions receives calls from seniors about scams, they typically forward the information to the state inspector general and occasionally the state’s attorney’s office and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said Dixon. Any individual who suspects they’ve been scammed, should call AgeOptions at 708-3838-0258 and ask to speak with a representative of Senior Medicare Patrol or go to Ageoptions.org for contact information. Dixon added the non-profit fields these calls and offers seniors information and advice but does not, itself, get into the investigative aspect of the fraud.

Dixon offered several prevention tips.

“The biggest one is to guard your Medicare beneficiary ID at all costs, treat it just like it’s your social security number or credit card number,” said Dixon. “Be very careful about who you’re providing that number with.“I’ll always tell people the old adage is true, if something seems to be too good to be true, there’s a chance it could be. … Take the time to do due diligence.”

Dixon also said sometimes it’s necessary to simply stop scammers in their tracks. “When in doubt when getting these phone calls that often can be very fast-paced and very high-pressure situations, just hang up,” said Dixon.

Enriquez also said during the presentation that seniors should call their doctor if in doubt about equipment needed. He told the audience to check their Medicare statements carefully for any charges that didn’t see right.

Linda Hyler, one of several older adults who attended, said she was concerned with so many scammers out there.

“There’s a lot going on with phone scams, so I said, I need to come here and take notes,” adding she came away with several useful phone numbers.

But like many seniors, Hyler, who lives in Chicago’s Ashburn community, said she was on to a lot of the cons. Hyler said a few days after she had visited her bank, she got a call that said it was from the bank but at a different number and knew to be suspicious and ignore the call. “I never answer,” said Hyler. “I call my daughter, who is like a cyber navigator. “But it’s hard because you could be missing some calls.”

Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.