ADVICE, REFLECTIONS, EQUIPMENT, SERVICES
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Abledata (objective information about assistive technology products and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and international sources)
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Abuse and disability (Family Village links)
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Accessible Web page design (for those serving disabled readers)
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Adult diapers, incontinence supplies, bedding, safety equipment, mobility devices, etc. (Parentgiving)
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Advice from a Home Health Aide (by Jane Gross, The New Old Age, New York Times blog)
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Aging Care
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Aging Parents Authority
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Aging Parents Insights (David Solie’s blog on understanding our aging parents and ourselves
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Alzheimer’s Association Carefinder
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Alzheimer's: Tracing the Path from DNA to Dementia (Irene Wielawski interviews Marcelle Morrison-Bogorad about research findings from the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Initiative)
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Alzheimer’s Reading Room
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Alzheimer’s Store
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Americans with Disabilities Act home page
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America's Best Nursing Homes (U.S. News & World Report -- notice step 1: Decide if a nursing home is necessary)
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Answers for families (Nebraska site that may be generally helpful)
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Assistivetech.net (searchable database on assistive technology (AT) and disability-related information)
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Babyboomer demand boosting universal home design (Realty Times)
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Bathroom design (AARP)
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Bathroom safety checklist (AARP)
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Boomer Tsunami (Judy Steed's excellent Atkinson Fellowship/Toronto Star series, on issues and aspects of promoting a good life for the elderly)
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Caregiving 101 (Debbie Newsham's blog on trying to stay positive while caring for her father, who has Alzheimer's disease)
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Caring for the Elderly (Jane Gross’s excellent list of resources, categorized as government sites, housing and services, caregiving, legal and financial, end of life, miscellany, advocacy, emotional support)
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Caring Today’s blogs, including Debbie Newsham's
My So-Called (Caregiver) Life
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Center for Aging with Dignity (scroll down to find useful articles on various aspects of aging and caregiving, for practical advice on safety concerns with aging drivers, and for insights into grieving)
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CAST (Center for Aging Services Technologies, some useful links for disabled or older people)
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Checklist for safety, lighting, and storage (AARP)
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Dementia Caregiving 101 (two sisters who cared for their mother share their experience and advice)
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Designing a Better Day: Guidelines for Adult and Dementia Day Services Centers by Keith Diaz Moore, Lyn Dally Geboy, and Gerald D. Weisman
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Designing for Dementia (radio interview with Keith Diaz Moore on how the design of living spaces affects the mood and performance of people with dementia)
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A difficult drive in a suit that mimics aging (Vivian Nereim, Boston Globe, 6-18-09)
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Disability.gov (online resource for Americans with disabilities)
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Disaster preparedness for people with special needs (Red Cross)
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Discussion groups and chat rooms about specific problems (assistivetech.net)
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Doctors say medication overused in dementia (AARP Bulletin)
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Doors, floors, and hallways (AARP’s checklist for accessibility)
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Eldercare locator (you can download their useful booklets on transportation and housing options)
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Everyone Communicates (augmentative and alternative communication, for when a person loses the ability to speak)
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Family Support 360 Initiative (providing grants to local service providers to help families with developmental disabilities)
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*Family Village (a global community for disability-related resources)
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Gadgets for Growing Old at Home (John Leland, reporting from the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NY Times)
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How to Choose Between Home Health Care, Assisted Living, and a Nursing Home (Money and Health, Health.com)
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In a Charmed Life, A Road Less Traveled (Layng Martine Jr, "Modern Love" column, NY Times 3-6-09), how love and the help of others help sustain this couple when a car accident makes her paraplegic)
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Increase Mobility, Brighten Your Outlook with Yoga Stephanie Golden on Yoga and Arthritis, Cleveland Clinic Arthritis Advisor, March 2004)
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Independent Living Centers (a directory)
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Independent Living Institute (promoting disabled people’s self-determination)
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International Longevity Center (navigating the age boom)
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KnowItAlz (Alzheimer’s Caregiver Community)
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Leonardo’s Laptop (Ben Shneiderman interview about human needs and computer design)
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Lo-Jack SafetyNet (Lo-Jack bracelet allows families to keep track of dementia-driven wanderers via radio signals, from the stolen-automobile recovery company)
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Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa (about a cat who senses death and stays to comfort the dying, but also about Alzheimer's and geriatric care and nursing homes and being there, at the end of life)
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MedicAlert + Safe Return (Alzheimer's Association medical bracelet helps when a person wanders or is lost and provides access to vital medical info in time of need)
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Mind Our Elders (Carol Bradley Bursack)
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My Elder Advocate (the meeting place for elderly concerns)
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My So-Called (Caregiver) Life
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National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM) (GCMs can help assess elders' long-term care needs, find them a place to live, and help them navigate the health-care system--for example, hiring private nurses, as needed, for fees that range from $80 to $200 an hour)
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National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information
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*National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (Library of Congress, free library program of braille and audio materials circulated to eligible borrowers in the United States by postage-free mail)
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Network of care
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Ouch! It's a disability thing! (blogs, message boards, podcasts by Mat Fraser and Liz Carr, videos with subtitles, funny computer wallpaper, news reflecting the wider view of life for disabled people)
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OurAlzheimer’s.com
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Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), an optional benefit under Medicare and Medicaid that helps older people frail enough to meet state standards for nursing home care stay in their home.PACE offers and manages all the medical, social and rehabilitative services enrollees need to preserve or restore their independence, stay in their homes and communities, and maintain their quality of life. Listen to this
interview on Kansas Public Radio about PACE. There is evidence that this new model of care is effective, but it is not yet widely available. Here is a current
list of PACE-provider organizations
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Sensecam: A Little Black Box to Jog Failing Memory (Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, NYTimes, 3-8-10, on a gadget that may be useful for Alzheimer's patients)
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Small Mercies (Canada's Veterans Independence Program successfully provides assistance with home care instead of facility care)
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Talking Book Program (Library of Congress, answers to frequently asked questions)
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10 Things to Know About Assisted Living (Jane Gross, NY Times)
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The Way We Age Now (Atul Gawande, The New Yorker, 4-30-07)
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3GenFamily blog (caring for parents, raising teens, and staying sane)
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Time Goes By (what it’s really like to get older)
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Universal home design (AARP)
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Vocational rehabilitation (fact sheet - pdf format)
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What I Wish I'd Done Differently (Jane Gross, on the four biggest mistakes she made while caring for her mother)
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What to Know If You Are The Boss of a Caregiver (Victoria E. Knight, Wall Street Journal, 3-19-09)
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Who Cares? (Federal Trade Commission on sources of information about health care products and services)
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Who Takes Care of Mom? by Francine Russo (Time, 2-1-2010), author of
They're Your Parents, Too!: How Siblings Can Survive Their Parents' Aging Without Driving Each Other Crazy
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Why Hire a Geriatric Care Manager? (by Jane Gross, The New Old Age, New York Times blog)
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Worry-free care for faraway parents (Phyllis Mensh Brostoff, Bottom Line Secrets, on hiring a geriatric care manager)
[Go Top]
LEGAL and FINANCIAL MATTERS
Advance directives, living wills, Medicare, and other practical matters
Disability Planning (ElderLawAnswers)
How to apply for SSI
Long-term care insurance, advice and information about:
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ElderLaw Answers (What to Look for In a Long-Term Care Insurance Policy, When Should You Purchase Long-Term Care Insurance?, How Much Insurance Should You Purchase?, Which Spouse Should Get Coverage?,Long-Term Care Insurance and Medicaid Planning,
Partnership Policies, The Tax Deductibility of Long-Term Care Insurance Premiums, The Taxation of Benefits, Consult With a Qualified Agent, Books on Long-Term Care Insurance)
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National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services
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ResearchLTC (get comparisons of top 10 insurers & policies: Allianz, Bankers Life & Casualty, Genworth Life, John Hancock, MassMutual, MetLife, Mutual of Omaha, New York Life, Prudential, State Farm)
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The Coming Caregiver Crunch and Why This Gerontologist Owns Long Term Care Insurance by Ken Dychtwald, Huffington Post
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Long-Term Care Insurance: The Essentials (free PDF from MetLife, an insurer)
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J.K. Lasser's Choosing the Right Long-Term Care Insurance by Benjamin Lipson
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Long-Term Care: Your Financial Planning Guide by Phyllis Shelton
Nolo online law center (provides legal assistance in preparing documents for elder care)
Social Security cash benefit programs for people with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities
Supplemental needs trusts and planning for disabled children (ElderLawAnswers)
