From Food Stamps to help with remodeling for disability, if you're looking for assistance programs for a parent, here's the place to start.

Benefits Checkup is a service of the National Council on Aging. It's programmed to take the information you plug in and to identify the national and state programs you might qualify for. You don't have to register, and you don't have to put in any identifying information other than your state and ZIP code.

Before you start, have your elder's basic financial information handy (income and resources).

Hint: It's a lengthy questionnaire. You will save a lot of time if you skip the part that asks about prescriptions unless you're looking for help paying for Medicare Part D.