Long-term care resources

Resources for General Information and Assistance

Your state or local department on aging: Look for “aging” or “human services” in your local government blue pages of the phone book for the number. Specific resources to ask for include State Health Insurance Assistance Programs, and in many states Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs).

The Administration on Aging's national Eldercare Locator provides information including where to find specific services and supports in your community. Contact: 1-800- 677-1116, weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (ET) or contact the Eldercare Locator website.

Women’s Health/Health and Human Services (HHS) provides a range of information from caregiving to end of life and advance directives.

Resources to Assist with Caregiving

Administration on Aging (AoA)/Elders and Caregivers
The Caregiver Resource Room is where families, caregivers, and professionals can find information about The National Family Caregiver Support Program, including: where you can turn for support and assistance, and finding services for caregivers. In addition, another AoA resource is the Elder Care Locator.


Family Caregiver Alliance
The Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) operates the National Center on Caregiving (NCC). The FCA provides a central source of information and technical assistance on caregiving and long-term-care for policy makers, health and service providers, media, program developers, funders and families. Their website, www.caregiver.org, contains a wealth of resources for caregivers and providers, including fact sheets, research and policy studies.


Family Caregiving 101
This website, developed by the Family Caregiver Alliance and the National Alliance for Caregiving, provides information and resources for family caregivers.


NIA Booklet on Long Distance Caregivers - The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has released So Far Away: Twenty Questions for Long Distance Caregivers. This booklet focuses on some of the most important concerns caregivers have about providing long distance care. The booklet is free and may be ordered by calling 1-800-222-2225 or going to http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation.


National Alliance for Caregivng
The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) is a coalition of national organizations focusing on issues related to and in support of family caregivers. NAC conducts research, policy analysis, program development and public awareness about caregiving. Their website, www.caregiving.org, provides publications and information including a link to the Caregiving 101 website and surveys on the status of caregiving.


National Family Caregivers Association
The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) focuses on public awareness, and caregiver education and support, especially as it relates to helping family caregivers work effectively with healthcare providers. Resources on the site include ways to link and support family caregivers through the stories project and a caregiver bulletin board.

Resources for Healthy Aging

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
This government site provides a wide range of information and resources on health and prevention for all ages and groups. Each specific topic, for example aging, physical activity and exercise, and staying healthy, includes news on related reports, conferences, listservs, statistics, and additional resources. The “aging” topic includes a Healthy Aging for Older Adults web page.

Center for Healthy Aging
This National Council on Aging site provides information on a range of health issues and identifies state and local programs that provide health promotion and disease prevention for older adults. These programs include AoA funded Evidenced-Based Disease Prevention Programs.

Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) works to improve the health and well-being of Americans by developing and promoting dietary guidance that links scientific research to the nutrition needs of consumers.

National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the Federal Government's lead agency for scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Center conducts research, trains researchers, and provides a clearinghouse for information on treatments and therapies.

National Institute on Health: Health Information and Exercise Guide
This government site provides an Exercise Guide and links to additional publications and resources on health and wellness. The Guide provides advice on nutrition, balanced diets, and explains the benefits of exercise and physical activity, including how to get started and how to check your progress.

Resources to Assist with Financial Planning

The Federal Citizen Information Center section on ‘Money’ provides a range of information, fact sheets and resources on money and planning issues including banking, financial security, insurance, and retirement planning.

The My Money.Gov website provides information and resources that include social security benefit information, retirement planning strategies, and guidelines and questions to ask about trusts, IRA and other financial options.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners' (NAIC) provides shoppers guides for different types of insurance, including long-term care insurance to help individuals understand and compare policies - (NAIC) Shopper's Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance.

Your State Insurance Department will have information about long-term care insurance in your area. They also often offer a shoppers' guide to long-term care insurance. Contact: http://www.consumeraction.gov/insurance.shtml to find your State’s Insurance Department.

Women’s Institute for Secure Retirement (WISER). This website offers a variety of information and consumer publications to help women understand the complex issues in areas such as Social Security, pay equity, pensions, savings and investments, home-ownership, long-term care and disability insurance.

Resources to Assist with Housing Planning

AARP
www.aarp.org/money/revmort
This AARP site provides information on reverse mortgages including a quide to compare reverse mortgage products.

Administration on Aging (AoA)
http://www.eldercare.gov/Eldercare.NET/Public/Resources/Resources.aspx
This AoA site provides information and resources on housing including assistive technology, remodeling and housing with services.

A Guide to Making Housing Decisions: Housing Options for Older Adults
http://www.eldercare.gov/Eldercare.NET/Public/Resources/Resources.aspx
This booklet provides an overview of housing options – from home ownership to rental and housing with services – and the related benefits, challenges, and legal issues to consider.

Alliance for Technology
http://www.ataccess.org/default.html
This site provides a range of information and resources on assistive devices and technology including community resources and vendors.

Fair Housing Accessibility First
http://www.fairhousingfirst.org/information/design.html
This Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website provides a wide range of information on modifications and accessibility including issues related to individuals in rental housing.

National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
www.nahb.org/directory.aspx?sectionD=686&directoryID=188
This site provides a web-based directory you can search to find remodelers or contractors who specialize in modifying homes to make them safer and more comfortable.

National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification
http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/nrcshhm/directory/il.htm
This site provides information and local and state resources related to housing modifications and financing for modifications.

Rebuilding Together
http://www.rebuildingtogether.org/
This national nonprofit volunteer organization focuses on the home repair and improvement needs of lower income homeowners and includes a search tool to identify local assistance.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
http://www.hud.gov/groups/seniors.cfm
This government website provides information on housing including buying, owning, renting, home modifications, reverse mortgages, and legal issues.

Resources to Assist with Advance Care Planning

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides research on preferences for care at end of life that can help guide decision making for end of life care.

The American Bar Association provides a tool kit that offers information to help clarify decision-making before a health crisis occurs and resources for legal help in each state including legal services funded through the Older Americans Act: http://www.abanet.org/aging/resources/statemap.shtml. Specific contact for the Consumer’s Tool Kit for Health Care Advance Planning can be found at: http://www.abanet.org/aging/toolkit/home.html.

National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) are charged with protecting constituents in matters affecting the public interest, including consumer protection of those who are dying. The NAAG End-of-Life Health Care Project includes information on a range of end of life issues.

National Hospice and Palliative Care Association’s Caring Connections website, supported by funding from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, provides general information on Advance Directives and state specific forms that can be downloaded.

Own Your Future Planning Kit

Order or download the free Own Your Future Long-Term Care Planning Kit. It describes what is and what is not covered by public programs related to long-term care, as well as ways to plan ahead, address legal issues, assess services, and consider private financing options.

This kit is provided by the “Own Your Future” Long-Term Care Awareness Campaign, a joint Federal-State initiative to increase awareness about the importance of planning for future long-term care needs.