Resources

Long-term care resources

Medicare
This site provides information on nursing homes, including “a guide to choosing a nursing home,” nursing home check list and information on comparing nursing homes.

Eden Alternative
The Eden Alternative is a not-for-profit organization started by Dr. William Thomas and dedicated to remaking the experience of aging and disability across America and around the world. They provide education and resources for improving quality of life for our Elders and for recapturing a meaningful work life for their Caregiver. The site includes Dr. Thomas’s video letter to Oprah.

Eden Alternative 10 Principles for long term care
This site includes the 10 Principles for long term care identified by Dr. William Thomas from the Eden Alternative.

Program of all inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) programs

Frontline Living Old
This video goes over the following:

1. Overview – Our Aging Society
2. A Looming Crisis in Care?
3. Importance of Home, Family & Independence

Family Caregiver Handbook
This handbook contains information about caring for an elder in Massachusetts developed by researchers at the MIT workplace Center

The Urban Institute has research publications on long-term care and care for the frail elderly

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Assistive Technology for the Frail Elderly

End of life resources

Health Care Proxy and End of Life Decisions
This web site provides resources and suggestions about starting the conversation about end of life care with older adults.

CDC
This site includes a number of hospice care, palliative care and end of life resources. See the Advance Care Planning section of End- of- Life Resources including: Center for Practical Bioethics Caring Conversations; Caring Conversations, Finding your Way, Aging with Dignity-Five Wishes and Respecting Choices.

End of Life: Helping with Comfort and Care
This is a new booklet about end-of life care is available on line from the National Institute on Aging. It is written and designed to help care givers make the death of an older person as comfortable as possible for everyone involved.

Frontline Living Old
The second portion of this Frontline video includes discussions about end of life issues including: 4. Parents and Children – A “Good Death”; 5. Deciding When Enough is Enough; 6. End of Life Decisions

American Hospice Foundation
This web site provides articles, publications and related links to online resources for hospice care and advocacy.

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
This site offers grief and bereavement guides and addresses hospice provider concerns.

It’s okay, Mama, if you want to go, it’s okay
For information related to end of life care in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), read “It’s okay, Mama, if you want to go, it’s okay” by Hurley, A.C., & Volicer, L. (2002). Hurley and Volicer discuss a case based review of palliative care issues in late stage AD including withdrawal of invasive interventions, and initiation of hospice and treatment of late stage problems including nutrition, hydration and infections.