Resources Abound for Coping with Eldercare
Part 4 of a 4-part series on eldercare
by Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
 The vaunted amenities of the Finger Lakes Region – its cultural attractions, scenic beauty, and quality of life – offer a wealth of resources for families concerned about or caring for parents, friends, other relatives and themselves as they age. Those same amenities might even entice younger people to move back to handle these challenges in person, rather than from a distance. This final segment in the 2011 Life in the Finger Lakes series on eldercare provides resources for coping with looking after aging family members or oneself.
First steps
If worrisome conditions or behaviors become noticeable, the first step is a professional evaluation. Ask the family physician for a referral to a neurologist and a geriatrician or gerontologist.
A number of churches, synagogues, temples and other religious institutions sponsor nursing and assisted-living homes; provide help with handling the stress of aging issues; and host support groups among fellow congregants who are dealing with similar concerns.
AAA and AARP sponsor safe-driving programs that help older drivers compensate for vision and reaction changes, and family members with broaching that difficult conversation about stopping driving and responding to resistance. Consider setting up an account with a local taxi company or someone who offers driving and errand-running services (be sure to check references!). Put together small groups of older friends to make such activities more appealing as social outings. Ask the doctor’s office about pick-up services for appointments. Look for services like Rochester’s Jewish Senior Life program, a partnership with the University of Rochester School of Medicine that provides physician home visits.
Meals on Wheels and similar community organizations, area agencies on aging, and neighborhood associations all offer support services. Do not overlook your friends and colleagues. You are not alone in dealing with the challenges of aging. Many people feel as if they are coping in a vacuum and are desperate to talk about their experiences, as well as glad to share resources.
For further help with aging issues for oneself and friends, relatives, and colleagues, see below.
Resources for Coping with Eldercare
REGIONAL
New York State Attorney General’s Office
www.ag.ny.gov
Responsible for protecting New York state consumers against fraud in wide range of areas.
New York Insurance Administration
www.ins.state.ny.us/licinfo.htm
Answers questions regarding issues such as long-term care insurance, insurance premiums, benefits, and insurance fraud.
Medicaid Waiver Program
www.cms.gov/medicaidst
waivprogdemopgi/mwdl/list.asp
800-243-3425
Provides financial assistance for people in New York state with Medicaid and resources for family members of those with Medicaid.
NATIONAL
AAAA Senior Housing and Service Referrals
www.aaaalliance.org
Provides assistance in making housing decisions.
AARP
www.aarp.org
888-687-2277
Provides information, resources and advocacy for people age 50 and over; specialized services include senior driving programs, legal advocacy and discounts.
Administration on Aging
www.aoa.gov
800-677-1116
Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; provides services and resources for the elderly and those providing for their care, including referrals to local area agencies on aging.
Alzheimer’s Association
www.alz.org
800-272-3900
Provides information about Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, including links to support groups and related sites.
American Academy of Home Care Physicians
www.aahcp.org
410-676-7966
Serves physicians, other providers, and agencies interested in improving the medical care of patients in the home.
American Association of Daily Money Managers
www.aadmm.com
301-593-5462
Professionals who help elders and their families with basic money tasks, such as bill-paying and handling credit issues; provides referrals.
American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
202-783-2242
www.aahsa.org
Provides information about continuing-care retirement communities and accreditation.
American Bar Association
www.aba.org/aging
202-662-8690
Offers free legal resources concerning elder law issues and referrals to elder-law specialists.
American Geriatrics Society
www.americangeriatrics.org
212-308-1414
Provides referrals to geriatric physicians and other information about geriatric medicine.
American Memorial Life Insurance Company
www.americanmemorialife.com
800-810-9046
Source of information on prepaid funerals and funeral expenses.
Assisted Living Federation of America
703-691-8100
www.alfa.org
National membership association for the assisted-living industry; website has extensive checklist for selecting assisted-living facilities.
Children of Aging Parents
www.caps4caregivers.org
800-227-7294
Works to increase awareness of the special needs of those caring for parents; provides links to support groups.
Continuing Care Accreditation Commission
www.ccaconline.org
866-888-1122
Provides information about accreditation policies, service agreements and regulations governing Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) and assisted-living facilities.
Department of Veterans Affairs
www.va.gov
800-827-1000
Provides information about veterans’ benefits, including cemetery and funeral arrangements, pensions, and health care.
Eldercare Locator
www.eldercare.gov
800-677-1116
Part of the Administration on Aging; helps seniors and those caring for older loved ones find services in their areas.
Family Caregiver Alliance
www.caregiver.org
800-445-8106
Clearinghouse for information, research, and services for caregivers.
Gerontological Society of America
www.geron.org
202-842-1275
Provides information about professionals specializing in the needs of the elderly and referrals to geriatric-care managers and other elder-care professionals.
Hospice Foundation of America
www.hospicefoundation.org
Helps people make good hospice selections, including an interview with someone going through that process.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
www.irs.gov
800-829-1040
Provides tax forms, information about claiming elder relatives as dependents or deducting the costs of elder care, help with filing tax returns, and more.
Last Acts Partnership
www.lastactspartnership.org
800-989-9455
Source of information about advance directives and other end-of-life issues.
Lighthouse National Center for Vision and Aging
www.lighthouse.org
800-334-5497
Offers information about vision-related issues and information about products for the visually challenged.
Medicaid/Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
www.cms.hhs.gov
877-267-2323
Central source of information about eligibility and related aspects of national programs to provide health insurance and other services for people over age 65, disabled people, and others.
Medicare
www.medicare.gov
800-633-4227
Official government site for Medicare information.
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
www.naela.com
520-881-4005
Provides referrals for elder-law attorneys who work with families on issues such as estate planning, guardianship, health-care planning and probate.
National Adult Day Services Association
www.nadsa.org
800-558-5301
Comprehensive resource for all types of adult-day services.
National Alliance for Caregiving
www.caregiving.org
Organization for families and caregiving professionals.
National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
www.n4a.org
Umbrella organization advocating to ensure that needed resources and support services are available to older Americans.
National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers
www.caremanager.org
520-881-8008
Provides information and referrals for finding certified geriatric-care managers in local areas.
National Association of Social Workers
www.socialworkers.org
202-408-8600
Provides information about how to locate a social worker who specializes in elder-related care.
National Center for Assisted Living
www.ncal.org
Provides consumer-friendly information about assisted-living facilities, including specific information about regulations and safety concerns.
National Center on Elder Abuse
www.elderabusecenter.org
202-898-2586
Advocacy organization for elders and families, focused on preventing, reporting and responding to abuse of elders.
National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform
www.nccnhr.org
202-332-2275
Consumer-oriented organization providing information on
nursing homes, long-term-care legislation, best practices, elder abuse, and ombudsman
programs.
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
www.ncpssm.org
800-966-1935
Advocates for legislation to protect Social Security, Medicare, and other government programs for seniors and the disabled.
National Council on the Aging
www.ncoa.org,
www.benefitscheckup.org – BenefitsCheckUp
202-479-1200
Clearinghouse for senior-related issues, including information on financial planning, health, safety in the home and advocacy, and where to find programs offering financial aid for seniors, such as discounts on drugs and other free medical programs and
services.
National Family Caregivers Association
www.nfcares.org
800-896-3650
Provides education, information, and public advocacy for caregivers.
National Guardianship Association
www.guardianship.org
520-881-6561
Offers information and resources on legal guardianship and conservatorship.
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
www.nhpco.org
800-658-8898
Clearinghouse for information about hospice and other end-of-life services, and resources for patients and their families.
National Insurance Consumer Helpline
800-942-4242
Provides assistance with general questions about insurance.
National Institute on Aging
www.nih.gov/nia
800-222-2225
Offers information on exercise and fitness for the elderly; performs research in areas related to aging.
National Institute of Mental Health
www.nimh.nih.gov
866-615-6464
Provides information on Seasonal Affective Disorder, light therapy, depression, and other mental-health concerns.
National Library of Medicine
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
Offers information on drugs and drug interactions affecting the elderly.
National Osteoporosis Foundation
www.nof.org
202-223-2226
Provides advocacy, health information, and support for patients with osteoporosis and their
families.
National Rehabilitation Information Center
www.naric.com
800-346-274
Government-sponsored organization and database containing information about disabilities and rehabilitation, and fact sheets about how to modify the home to accommodate various disabilities.
National Respite
Locator Service
www.respitelocator.org
Offers comprehensive, state-by-state listings of respite care programs.
National Senior Corps
www.americorps.org
800-424-8867
Offers information about volunteer opportunities and how to find volunteer visitors for the elderly.
New York State Association of Area Agencies on Aging
www.nysaaaa.org
www.carenewyork.org
New York State Office for the Aging/Senior Citizens Helpline
800-342-9871
www.aging.ny.gov
Source of information about all local, state and federal programs for seniors, the Medicaid Waiver program, Eldercare Locator,
and more.
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
800-762-4636
Provides information about patient-assistance programs sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.
Senior Alternatives for Living
www.senioralternatives.com
A free referral service to communities that meet specified location and level of care criteria; information about elder housing options.
Senior Caregivers
Support Group
www.seniorcaregiversupport.com
402-502-1764
Clearinghouse for online information about support groups for elder caregivers.
Senior Living
www.seniorliving.com
Information about retirement communities in 13 states.
Shepherd’s Centers of America
www.shepherdscenters.org
800-547-7073
National interfaith organization that trains lay people in respite care and coordinates centers providing respite care throughout the U.S.
Social Security
www.ssa.gov
800-772-1213
Federal agency managing and paying Social Security benefits; provides support and information about related issues.
Village to Village Network
www.vtvnetwork.org
Coordinates access to affordable services, including transportation, health and wellness programs, home repairs, social and educational activities, and trips.
Visiting Nurse Association of America
www.vnaa.org
617-737-3200
Information on home care and advice for caregivers; members of local chapters provide nursing care in the home.
WEBSITES
www.care.com
Resource for finding caregivers and jobs in caregiving.
www.carescout.com
Searchable national database of assisted-living facilities and information about licensing information on a state-by-state basis.
http://holisticelderwellness.blogspot.com
Information on holistic approaches to elder care.
www.lifeafter50.com
Solutions for anything and everything related to life at 50+.
www.nursinghome.com
Provides information about nursing homes and related
matters.
www.ourparents.com/new_york
Offers information about Alzheimer’s care, nursing homes, assisted living, micro-communities, in-home care, and senior communities.
www.retirementhousingonline.com
A resource for finding retirement housing that fits lifestyles and budgets.
Today’s Caregiver magazine
www.caregiver911.com
Online journal with articles of interest to caregivers. |
