Resources
The following are resources to assist you in caregiving and decision making.
Medical vs. non-medical home care
Medical vs. non-medical home care
by ElderCarelink
by ElderCarelink
Today, most older individuals desire to remain in their homes instead of relocating to a nursing home or assisted living facility. Yet, as we age, living at home can become increasingly difficult. If you feel Mom or Dad may need some help around the house, you can take advantage of a variety of home care services.
The two common forms of home care are non-medical and home health care.
When non-medical home care is needed
When non-medical home care is needed
Keep an eye on some of these signs in an elderly loved one; they may indicate he/she needs assistance to remain at home safely.
- Decreased interest in meals
- Declining ability to drive
- Changes in appearance and personal hygiene
- Increasing mobility issues
- Signs of depression
Non-medical home care services revolve around daily living activities, such as bathing, dressing, eating, and toileting. However, a non-medical professional caregiver can also assist with the following:
- Provide companionship
- Assist with errands and shopping
- Transportation
- Light housekeeping
- Medication management
- Laundry
When home health care is needed
When home health care is needed
Licensed medical professionals are available to provide medical care to elders in their homes. If your loved one needs assistance with the following, home health care could be the solution:
- Occupational therapy
- Pain management
- Mobility training
- Post-operative rehabilitation
- Speech therapy
- Wound care
The team approach
The team approach
Remember, these services are flexible and can be combined--your loved one could see both a medical home care provider as well as receive services from a non medical home care provider.
National Organizations
National Organizations
AARP
AARP is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to addressing the needs and interests of persons 50 and older. Site provides useful information and resources on topics such as: health and wellness; economic security and work; long-term care and independent living; and personal enrichment.
Alliance for Retired Americans
The mission of the Alliance for Retired Americans is to ensure social and economic justice and full civil rights for all citizens so that they may enjoy lives of dignity, personal and family fulfillment and security
American Geriatrics Society (AGS)
AGS is a not-for-profit organization of over 6,700 health professionals devoted to improving the health, independence and quality of life of all older people. AGS provides leadership to healthcare professionals, policy makers and the public by implementing and advocating for programs in patient care, research, professional and public education, and public policy.
American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) SeniorSite
The American Foundation for the Blind has developed an online information center that provides common sense solutions to living with vision loss. It offers hope, help and encouragement to both people experiencing vision problems and their family members and provides links to local agencies that can help.
American Society on Aging
The American Society on Aging is a nonprofit organization committed to enhancing the knowledge and skills of those working with older adults and their families. Site offers useful resources on a variety of
aging-related topics.
Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO)
LCAO is a large coalition of the nation’s non-profit organizations serving older Americans. LCAO’s 56 member association is diverse and dedicated to preserving and strengthening the well-being of
America's older population.
National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A)
The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) is the leading voice on aging issues for Area Agencies on Aging and a champion for Title VI Native American aging programs. Through advocacy, training and technical assistance, we support the national network of 650 AAAs and 240 Title VI programs.
National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD)
Founded in 1964, the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) is a non-profit association representing the nation's 56 officially designated state and territorial agencies on aging.
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
The mission of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, a membership organization, is to protect, preserve, promote, and ensure the financial security, health, and the well being of current and future generations of maturing Americans. The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare acts in the best interests of its members through advocacy, education, services, grassroots efforts, and the leadership of the Board of Directors and professional staff.
National Council on the Aging (NCoA)
NCoA is an association of organizations and professionals dedicated to promoting the dignity, self-determination, well being, and contributions of older persons. The Senior’s Corner section of the site contains health related resources and tips.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. The Alzheimer’s Association mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America
The mission of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is “to provide optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families—through member organizations dedicated to improving quality of life.”
Elder Rights and Elder Abuse
Elder Rights and Elder Abuse
International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse
Acknowledging the diversity of culture, background, and life style of the world population, the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse aims to increase society's ability, through international collaboration, to recognize and respond to the mistreatment of older people in whatever setting it occurs, so that the latter years of life will be free from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL)
NCALL provides training and technical assistance on abuse in later life. Staff will respond to requests received via telephone, e-mail, regular mail and in person about specific cases or services. Staff members are also available to review materials and participate on state and national advisory committees. In addition, NCALL staff members are available to train audiences including professionals from domestic violence and sexual assault programs, the aging network, adult protective services, criminal justice, health care, faith based and other areas.
Legal Services
Legal Services
ABA Commission on Law and Aging
The mission of the ABA Commission on Law and Aging is to strengthen and secure the legal rights, dignity, autonomy, quality of life, and quality of care of elders. It carries out this mission through research, policy development, technical assistance, advocacy, education, and training. The Commission consists of a 15-member interdisciplinary body of experts in aging and law, including lawyers, judges, health and social services professionals, academics, and advocates.
National Consumer Law Center
The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) is the nation’s consumer law expert, helping consumers, their advocates, and public policy makers use powerful and complex consumer laws on behalf of low-income and vulnerable Americans seeking economic justice.
National Senior Citizens Law Center (NSCLC)
Since 1972, the NSCLS has worked to promote the independence and well-being of low-income elderly and disabled Americans, especially women, people of color, and other disadvantaged minorities. The NSCLC advocates nationwide to promote the independence and well-being of low-income elderly and disabled Americans.
The Center for Social Gerontology (TCSG)
Since its inception in 1972, TCSG, has been a non-profit research, training and social policy organization dedicated to promoting the individual autonomy of older persons and advancing their well-being in society. TCSG has pursued this goal through a wide variety of projects, including serving since 1985 as an Administration on:
Aging-funded
National
Support
Center
in Law & Aging. TCSG's mission is to help society adapt to the dramatic increase in the numbers of old and very old, and to insure that older persons at all socio-economic and health levels are able to meet their needs and use their talents and abilities in a changing society.
Family Caregiving
Family Caregiving
Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA)
Founded in 1977, Family Caregiver Alliance was the first community-based nonprofit organization in the country to address the needs of families and friends providing long-term care at home. FCA now offers programs at national, state and local levels to support and sustain caregivers.
Family Caregiving 101
The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) – leaders in the movement to better understand and assist family caregivers — have joined together to recognize, support and advise this vital group of Americans. The site is designed to provide caregivers with the basic tools, skills and information they need to protect their own physical and mental health while they provide high quality care for their loved one.
National Alliance for Caregiving
Established in 1996, The National Alliance for Caregiving is a non-profit coalition of national organizations focusing on issues of family caregiving.
Alliance
members include grassroots organizations, professional associations, service organizations, disease-specific organizations, a government agency, and corporations. The National Alliance for Caregiving is dedicated to providing support to family caregivers and the professionals who help them and to increasing public awareness of issues facing family caregivers.
National Family Caregivers Association
The National Family Caregivers Association educates, supports, empowers and speaks up for the more than 50 million Americans who care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability or the frailties of old age. NFCA reaches across the boundaries of diagnoses, relationships and life stages to help transform family caregivers' lives by removing barriers to health and well being.
In-Home & Long-Term Care
In-Home & Long-Term Care
Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes
Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes is a national campaign to encourage, assist and empower nursing homes to improve the quality of care and life for residents. The mission of the Campaign is to help nursing homes achieve excellence in the quality of care and quality of life for the more than 1.5 million residents of America's nursing homes.
Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA)
ALFA is the largest national association exclusively dedicated to professionally operated assisted living communities for seniors. ALFA's member-driven programs promote business and operational excellence through national conferences, research, publications, and executive networks. ALFA works to influence public policy by advocating for informed choice, quality care, and accessibility for all Americans.
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the
United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.
Leading Age
Leading Age’s 5,700 member organizations includes agencies that offer a continuum of aging services: adult day services, home health, community services, senior housing, assisted living residences, continuing care retirement communities and nursing homes.
National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA)
NADSA is the leading voice of the rapidly growing adult day services (ADS) industry and the national focal point for ADS providers. Our members include adult day center providers, state associations of providers, corporations, educators, students, retired workers and others interested in working to build better lives for adults in adult day programs every day
National Association for Homecare and Hospice (NAHC)
NAHC is the nation's largest trade association representing the interests and concerns of home care agencies, hospices, home care aide organizations, and medical equipment suppliers.
National Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs
The National Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs was formed in 1985. The non-profit organization is composed of state long-term care ombudsmen representing their state programs.
National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR)
NCCNHR was formed because of public concern about substandard care in nursing homes. NCCNHR provides information and leadership on federal and state regulatory and legislative policy development and models and strategies to improve care and life for residents of nursing homes and other long term care facilities.
National LTC Ombudsman Resource Center
The Center provides support, technical assistance, and training to the 53 State Long Term Care Ombudsman Programs and their statewide networks of almost 600 regional (local) programs. The Center's objectives are to enhance the skills, knowledge, and management capacity of the State programs to enable them to handle residents' complaints and represent resident interests (individual and systemic advocacy). Funded by the Administration on Aging (AoA), the Center is operated by the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR), in cooperation with the National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA).
National Aging Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA)
The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging's mission is to serve as the nations leading advocacy organization committed to the dignity, well-being, and quality of life of Asian Pacific Americans (APA) in their senior years.
National Caucus and Center on Black Aging (NCBA)
NCBA was established in October 1972. The Caucus existed as an advocacy group until 1973 when it received a grant from the Administration on Aging (AoA) to conduct research, train personnel and serve as a technical resource. The National Center on Black Aged was established to administer the AoA grant.
National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA)
NHCOA is the nation's premier constituency-based organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for the Hispanic/Latino elderly, their families, and their communities. Now in its 28th year, NHCOA represents a network of 42 community-based organizations across the continental U.S., the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Nutrition
Nutrition
Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA)
The Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) is the oldest and largest organization in the United States representing those who provide meal services to people in need. MOWAA works toward the social, physical, nutritional, and economic betterment of vulnerable Americans. As a national organization, MOWAA focuses on those issues that can best assist its member programs in achieving their individual missions of providing quality meals and nutrition services to as many vulnerable people as possible in the most efficient and effective manner, all "so no senior goes hungry”®.
National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP)
NANASP is a national membership organization for persons across the country working to provide older adults healthful food and nutrition through community-based services. NANASP's mission is to strengthen through advocacy and education those who help older Americans
Research & Education
Research & Education
Alliance for Aging Research
The private, not-for-profit Alliance for Aging Research is the nation's leading citizen advocacy organization for improving the health and independence of Americans as they age. The Alliance was founded in 1986 to promote medical and behavioral research into the aging process. Since
Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE)
Established in 1974, AHGE is a membership organization of colleges and universities that offer education, training, and research programs in the field of aging. AGHE currently has more than 280 institutional members throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad. The purpose of AGHE is to foster the commitment of higher education to the field of aging through education, research, and public service.
Gerontological Society of America (GSA)
GSA is the oldest and largest multidisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. GSA’s principal mission is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public.
Transportation
Transportation
American Automobile Association (AAA) Foundation for Traffic Safety
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is dedicated to saving lives and reducing injuries by preventing traffic crashes. It is a not-for-profit, publicly-supported charitable educational and research organization. The Senior Drivers section of this site contains sections, such as "Driving Safely," which includes tips and guides on staying safe on the road; "Giving Up Keys," which discusses how to plan for that time when driving is no longer a viable alternative; and "Providers," which is meant specifically for providers of senior supplemental transportation systems.