Government Sites
Medicare.gov. An all-purpose site with interactive tools for planning and paying for long-term care and choosing among drug plans. Includes searchable inspection results, good and bad, for the all the nation's skilled nursing facilities.
NIHSeniorHealth.gov. A collaboration of the National Institutes of Health and the National Library of Medicine that provides authoritative information on all diseases and disorders of old age. Each section is available in both large-type and audio versions.
Eldercare Locator. Links to state and local ombudsmen and agencies serving the elderly.
U.S. Administration on Aging. Brief fact sheets on aging and links to outside resources for an assortment of caregiving issues, including financial planning, residential options, in-home services, case management and the law.
Homemods.org. Advice on home renovation from the University of Southern California.
UCompareHealthCare. Free search by location for nursing homes, plus data on quality, staffing and outcomes from government sources.
www.cms.hhs.gov Official web site Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
www.socialsecurity.gov For information about the four Social Security Benefits-Retirement, Survivors, Disability, and Medicare
www.cdc.gov Official web site for The Center for Disease Control & Prevention, online source for credible health information
www.aoa.gov web site designed for comprehensive overview of wide variety of topics, programs, and services related to aging
www.nia.nih.gov U.S. National Institutes of Health & National Institute on Aging-information on research, database of national organizations which provide help to older people, publications
www.ada.gov U.S. Dept. of Justice Americans with Disabilities Act web site
Health Related
Comfort One: Your Comfort, Your Care, Your Choice
The Comfort One program has been eliminated from the Emergency Medical Services system and replaced by Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST).
Existing Comfort One documents and bracelets are still honored by EMT personnel and your wishes will still be followed by the EMT personnel. You may wish to discuss POLST with your provider if you want your wishes expanded beyond withholding life sustaining treatment at home or wish the medical facilities and other medical providers to honor your wishes. A POLST document will be transferable from home to facility and will be honored by all personnel regardless of setting.
www.asmrehab.com American Seating & Mobility-scooters, power chairs, specialty rehab; Billings
www.nwhc.org/kme Kalispell Medical Equipment-respiratory & durable medical equipment provider-ambulatory aids, bathroom equipment, oxygen supplies. Serving residents within 100 miles of Kalispell; owned by Northwest Healthcare
www.wisdomking.com The largest physical therapy online store, providing a wide variety of physical therapy supplies and rehabilitation products.
| State of Montana
www.montana211.org Resources identified in Montana by United Way, as listed in the annual Answer Book
www.mtadv.org Protects and advocates for the rights of Montanans with mental & physical disabilities; provides advocates & attorneys for disability related issues)
MT Informed Patient is dedicated to providing Montana's health care consumers with information, resources and tools that will enable consumers to make better informed health care decisions.
Caregiving
Family Caregiver Alliance. Offers tips on a wide range of topics, including how to hire help, hold a family meeting, balance work and caregiving, find important papers, and decide whether parents should move in with an adult child.
Family Caregiving 101. A separate "how-to" site by the NFCA with advice on time management, asking for help, navigating the health care maze and communicating with insurance companies and hospitals.
MetLife Mature Market Institute Reports from a research arm of the insurance company on the price of assisted living, the strains of long-distance caregiving, and the cost to employers of baby boomer employees involved in eldercare.
Strength for Caring A site for family caregivers from Johnson & Johnson with original articles written by experts and how-to materials.
www.aoa.gov Web site designed for comprehensive overview of wide variety of topics, programs, and services related to aging
www.ialcp.org Web site for the International Association of Life Care Planners-find members here
www.caregiver911.com Site for caregivers, link for subscription to Today’s Caregiver bi-monthly magazine and/or newsletterwww.aarp.org Web site for the American Association of Retired Persons
www.alz.org Alzheimer’s Organization web site
Health Care Agencies
www.cdc.gov Official web site for The Center for Disease Control & Prevention, online source for credible health information
www.ialcp.org Web site for the International Association of Life Care Planners
www.aoa.gov Web site designed for comprehensive overview of wide variety of topics, programs, and services related to aging End of Life
Caring Connections. Contains of the consumer information from NHPCO and has state-by-state advance directive forms.
Hospice Foundation of America. Information on end-of-life issues, such as pain management. One section called "Caregivers Corner" has links, reading lists and a self-assessment tool for caregivers to analyze their own strengths and weaknesses.
Advocacy
AARP. Political position papers, member discounts, demographic research, online versions of its bulletin, and magazine and consumer advice.
Center for Medicare Advocacy. Detailed information about what Medicare covers, and how to enroll and, if necessary, appeal denial of claims.
Medicare Rights Center. A similar tutorial on how this government health care program for the elderly works. A link to the Kaiser Family Foundation's "Medicare 101" and a hotline for questions and complaints.
The National Committe 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. Their efforts are directed toward developing better-informed citizens and voters.
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