Chapter Thirteen
Resources for Caregivers
To see a listing of all the links provided in each Chapter (1-14) of the Caregiver's Digest 2012 click here.
Click here to go directly to the list of Veteran's Resources.
In Indiana
Area Agencies on Aging (AAA)
www.in.gov/fssa/da/3453.htm
800-986-3505
Area Agencies on Aging are nonprofit agencies (two, Richmond and Vincennes, are affiliated with universities) that identify needs and plan and coordinate services for older persons or persons with disabilities who live in a specific geographic area served by one of the sixteen (16) Area Agencies on Aging in Indiana. Each AAA provides information and counseling about long term care options and support services for family caregivers.
To find the AAA for your loved one, along with contact information, call the 800 number above or click on the link above and then select the area on the map that covers the county where your loved one lives.
CICOA Aging & In Home Solutions (Area 8 Area Agency on Aging)
www.cicoa.org
317-254-3660 or 800-432-2422
Their Solutions Guide published by CICOA Aging and In-Home Solutions is a good source of information for seniors, persons with disabilities and caregivers.
Indiana State Senator or Representative
1-800-282-9842
Your state senator or representative can help you with problems related to state administered programs which include Medicaid, CHOICE and elgiblity determinations for Medicaid, food stamps and TANF. One of their main duties is to help constituents. Call the state House of Representatives switchwoard at 1-800-282-9842 and ask to be connected to your State Representative. Call the Senate switchboard to at 1-800-382-9467 and ask to be connected to your Senator. If you do not know who your Representative and Senator are, then give the operator your address and she/he will look up the information for you. If you are on line, follow this link to find out who represents you both in the state legislature and nationally. When asking for help from your elected officials, let them know your are a constituent and explain the problem clearly and tell them what you want to happen to solve your problem.
Alzheimer’s Association—Greater Indiana Chapter
www.alz.org/Indiana
317-575-9620 or 800-272-3900
The Alzheimer’s Association provides information, education and support including:
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A 24-hour a day helpline.
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Confidential care consultation provided by a master's level clinician who can help with decision-making support, crisis assistance and education on issues families face every day.
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A caregiver’s message board so you can be part of an online community.
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Care Finder—an interactive tool that gives you recommended options and a list of questions to ask when screening a care provider.
Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Resource Center is a part of Indiana State Department of Health web site.
United Senior Action
Family Education & Empowerment Program
www.usaindiana.org
317-634-0872
The Family Education and Empowerment Program provides family caregivers with information about options for care at home, in assisted living or in a nursing home; helps prepare families to deal with placement outside the home should the need arise; and equips families with the knowledge and tools they need to get quality care.
National and On-line Resources
United States Senator or Representative
Your U.S. Senator or Representative can help you cut through red tape with assistance with federal agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Internal Revenue Service, Social Security (disability), Medicare & Medicaid, Department of Labor (workers' compensation). You can find out who represents you at the federal level by clicking on this link to http://www.contactingthecongress.org/. You should write, phone, or e-mail their local office for assistance.
Administration on Aging (AoA)
www.aoa.gov
The AoA is a federal governmental agency whose mission is to develop a comprehensive, coordinated and cost-effective system of home and community-based services that helps elderly individuals maintain their health and independence in their homes and communities. The Elders and Families page links you to local programs, lets you check for benefits, explore national resources and long -term care planning tools. This site also contains aging statistics and key indicators of well being. The AoA was established under the Older Americans Act.
The Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA)
www.caregiver.org
415-434-3388 or 800-445-8106
The Family Caregiver Alliance is a national organization that provides information, education, services, research and advocacy to support the work of families who are caring for loved ones with chronic, disabling health conditions. The many resources offered by FCA include:
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One of the most extensive online libraries for caregivers in the country with hundreds of articles, forms, checklists and links to topic-specific materials.
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The Family Care Navigator, a state-by-state resource to help you locate government, nonprofit, and private programs and resources for caregivers, as well as for older adults and persons with disabilities in your area.
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Fact sheets and publications.
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Caregiving information and advice.
The National Family Caregivers Association
www.nfcacares.org
301-942-6430 or 800-896-3650
This association educates, supports, empowers and speaks up for caregivers. Among the many resources it provides are:
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Information and educational materials including Tips and Tools for family caregivers; information on agencies and organizations which provide caregiver support; and workshops on communicating effectively with healthcare providers.
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E-Communities, which connect family caregivers directly to other family caregivers in their own cities and states to share information and resources.
- Caregiver Message Boards where family caregivers can go for questions, support and general discussions on various topics concerning family caregiving.
The National Alliance for Caregiving
www.caregiving.org
This alliance focuses on advocacy and research but has many resources for family caregivers as well as alliance members. Alliance members include grassroots organizations, professional associations, service organizations, disease-specific organizations, a government agency, and corporations. Indiana does not have a National Alliance for Caregiving member.
Rosalyn Carter Institute for Cargiving
The Rosalyn Carter Institute for Caregiving does quality research on caregiving issues and also has a very good Caregiver Resources listing of organizations throughout the country.
National Respite Network - ARCH
www.archrespite.org
Respite care is planned or emergency care provided to a long term care care receiver in order to temporarilly give relief to the caregiver. This site contains a National Respite Locator and A Consumer's Guide for Family Caregivers with information about respite programs, Adult Day Programs and paying for respite care.
AARP
www.aarp.org/family/caregiving
The AARP website has a section devoted to caregiving. The site provides the following:
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An online toolkit to help you navigate the world of caregiving.
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A question and answer forum with a national expert on caregiving issues, such as caregiving problems and concerns, local resources, tools, respite assistance, and more.
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Articles about caregiving.
The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care
http://www.theconsumervoice.org/
202-332-2275
This national organization, which advocates on behalf of long term care consumers, has a wealth of fact sheets and publications with a particular focus on advocacy for quality nursing home care. Check out their Family Council Center which contains information on Consumer Voice Projects related to family councils, family council rights that are protected by federal law, regulations applying to long-term care facilities, effective council advocacy and tools for forming an effective council.
Since You Care Guides
www.metlife.com/mmi/publications/since-you-care-guides
Prepared by the Mature Market Institute, this series of guides provides practical suggestions and useful tools on a variety of specific care-related topics. The guide, “Becoming An Effective Advocate for Care,” is particularly useful. The Publication Guide will help you find all the publications available on this site. Explore the caregiving, home health and long term care topics.
The New Old Age Blog
newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com
This blog, written by a woman who experienced caregiving firsthand, touches on all aspects of caregiving and includes helpful information and suggestions. The author shares the stories of readers, the advice of professionals, and the wisdom gleaned from her own years spent caring for her late mother. You can read the articles and comments and respond if you wish.
Senior Decision
www.seniordecision.com
This site gives you access to a national listing for senior care and housing, including home health, assisted living and nursing homes. The unique feature of this site is that it allows you to rate a nursing home, assisted living residence or home health agency on a five-point scale and write a review. When you visit the site, you can read a review (if one has been written) or write one yourself based on your own experience. All reviews are screened and the identities of reviewers are kept confidential upon request.
Next Step in Care
www.nextstepincare.org
Next Step in Care provides easy-to-use guides to help family caregivers and health care providers work closely together to plan and implement safe and smooth transitions from one care setting into another (hospital to home or hospital to rehab, nursing facility, etc.) for chronically or seriously ill patients. All guides are in English, Chinese, Spanish and Russian.
Veteran's Resources and Advocacy Groups
US Department of Veterans Affaris
http://www.va.gov/
This is the official US govenrment sit for all veterans. The site includes information on benefits, how to enroll for benefits, forms, state and local resources as well as information on the VA Strategic Plan through 2015. There are special programs for Returning Service Members, Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment, Homeless Veterans. Military Service Benefits, Surviving Spouses and Dependents, Women Veterans, and Adaptive Sports Program.
The Department of Defense's web site announcement about the benefits of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 which will provide many new benefits for vetrans and their caregiviers. Not all benefits are available immediately.
VA Caregiver Support
www.caregiver.va.gov
1-855-260-3274
This portion of the US Department of Veterans Affaris web pages include information and supports for caregivers of veterans. Learn about the new services for family caregivers of Post-9/11 veterans. Find information on these services: Adult Day Health Care Centers, Home-Based Primary Care, Skilled Home Care, Homemaker and Home Health Aide Programs, Home Telehealth, Respite Care, and Home Hospice Care. The site also contains a Caregiver Tool Box with everyday tips and checklists and diagnosis care sheets.
VeteranAid.org
This site discusses The Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit which is a VA benefit that few vetern's know about. The A & A program provides home care benefits for veterans and surviving spouses. The FAQ pages discuss applying for these services, legal and medical questions and a stet-by-step guide. Go to the fourms page to share stories and to get tips and resources.
National Organization of Veterans' Advocates, Inc
Attorney organization focused on helping persons seeking benefits through the federal veterans benefits system. Attorneys who assist claimants in getting VA benefits must be VA accredited. Find an attorney through this organization.
National Veterans Legal Services Program
NVLSP is an independent, non-profit, charitable organization acting to ensure that the U.S. government honors the promises of services made to veterans. NVLSP provices
Advocacy and Training
Education and Publications
Pro Bono Litigation
Resources for Veterans in the USA
This is a USA-people-search listing of government websites, veteran organizations, veteran benefits & services websites, veteran's health and well being information and more.