Check out recommended websites by clicking on the categories
below. Each site link includes a brief description.
If you have a website to recommend, we'd like to hear from you. Contact
us at info@caregiverMN.org.
www.seniorresource.com Seniorresource.com is an E-cyclopedia of lifestyle choices
and finance and insurance information to support choices for seniors
and their adult children. It includes general information about aging,
housing options, and medical issues and provides links to state-specific
resources. The site offers a free subscription to a monthly E-zine
of additional timely information.
www.tcaging.org This website of the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging (Twin Cities,
Minn.) has a section on caregiving that includes worthwhile materials
and articles for caregivers.
www.arcgreatertwincities.org Find information and services on this site about caring for
someone with a developmental disability. As the parent caregiver
and the care-receiver age, service needs change.
www.thehartford.com/alzheimers/easing_transition.html This online guide (Easing the Transition from Driver to Passenger)
is published by The Hartford Co. and helps individuals with Alzheimer's
Disease adapt to no longer driving.
www.harriscomm.com This site features products for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals
as well as products to assist someone with low vision. Check out the
Easy Living Aids too, which
has helpful daily living aids for older adults.
www.mobilitystore.com This online store features products that make daily life more
pleasurable, including equipment and supplies that provide greater
independence and peace of mind.
www.lifewithease.com This site specializes in products to help prevent injuries, live
with injuries, and aid with impairments --products that help
you maximize functionality at home and at work.
www.productsforseniors.com This online catalog features a large selection of health,
safety, household, gardening, and other products to help seniors and
individuals with special needs maintain active and independent lives.
www.assistedlivingstore.com "Simple gadgets can mean independence for a senior." The
Assisted Living Store site is a one-stop source for gadgets seniors
can use in daily living tasks. Items include kitchen and dining aids,
dressing aids, bathroom aids, and grooming aids.
Caregiving Journey
www.mnhospice.org/ This website of the Minnesota Hospice Organization is designed to
provide both consumers and health care professionals with information
about hospice services. They also provide tools to help individuals
make difficult health care decisions at the end of life. There
is a hospice locator for finding ones in Minnesota communities. For other
locations, there is an annotated list of web sites relating to end-of-life
care.
http://griefnet.org This site offers a variety of online grief support groups for
people living with many types of losses, such as the death of a spouse,
parent, or child. There are special groups for bereaved men who want to
talk with other men, people dealing with the loss of health, and other
unique losses.
Family Dynamics
www.asaging.org/networks/lgain/index.html
This is the site of the Lesbian and Gay Aging Issues Network, a constituent
group of the American Society on Aging. It includes monthly updates
from their OutWord newsletter and reviews of a wide range of resources
that deal with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender aging.
Also try the sites in the Caregiving Journey section above.
In-Home Services/Community Resources
www.eldercare.gov
Visit this online version of the Eldercare Locator, a nationwide
service that helps older adults and their caregivers find local services
for seniors. You can easily link to information and referral services
of your state and Area Agencies on Aging to identify appropriate services
where you reside.
www.madsa.org
This site of the Minnesota Adult Day Services Association (MADSA) supports adult
day programs that help keep people in their communities without social
isolation, while providing necessary support to their caregivers.
http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/groups/aging/documents/pub/dhs_Aging.hcsp
An overview of services for senior citizens living inMinnesota,
provided by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Service information
includes community programs (such as adult day care) and government programs
(such as food stamps).
www.eldercarepartners.org
An organization comprised of four nonprofit agencies that serve seniors
and their family caregivers in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.
Eldercare Partners' mission is to preserve and enhance local, high quality,
nonprofit, community-based services for seniors through the cooperative
efforts of the member organizations.
www.mnaging.org/ The Minnesota Board on Aging is a gateway to services for Minnesota
seniors and their families. The board listens to senior concerns,
researches solutions, and proposes policy addressing senior needs. Click
on "Public Benefits Counselor" to determine your eligibility
for various federal and state assistance programs. The website
also has links to many resources related to aging and caregiving.
Housing Alternatives
www.health.state.mn.us/nhreportcard Choosing a nursing home in Minnesota can be challenging.
This Nursing Home Report Card gives information to help
make a choice, and advises that you also consider other information sources,
visit the nursing homes being considered, and discuss choices with family
members and staff members of the facility.
www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/home.asp This government-sponsored website provides detailed information about
the performance of everyMedicare- and Medicaid-certified
nursing home in the U.S. as well as a guide to choosing a nursing
home and a nursing home checklist.
www.homemods.org The National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification
offers a wide range of resources for people wanting to "age in place."
The site has extensive information on home modification and supportive
housing for frail elderly people and those aging with a disability.
www.seniorhousingnet.com Lists of housing options for older adults -- those who are
healthy and those who need assistance -- compiled by homestore.com. Listings
for assisted-living facilities, nursing homes, retirement communities,
and independent living may be searched by city and state.
www.seniorcareconnections.com This site is a service of the Minnesota Health and Housing Alliance
(MHHA) to assist consumers and health care professionals in locating senior
housing communities and nursing homes throughout Minnesota. The site
includes a lifestyle needs assessment tool.
www.carelinkusa.com Care Providers of Minnesota's CARELINK website is an interactive tool
for health care professionals and consumers seeking information and
referrals to facilities such as nursing homes and assisted-living
environments in and around Minnesota. The site features an online
assessment tool, provides guidelines for choosing nursing homes or senior
housing, and is fully searchable by county or city, type of provider,
or services offered.
Dementia/Impaired Thinking
www.alz.org A comprehensive site of the Alzheimer's Association. It gives
general information about the disease, treatment options, research advances,
and caregiving tips.
Also try the sites in the Caregiving
Basics section above.
Medical/Health Issues
www.ridges.fairview.org/Community_Health/fall/index.asp Falls are not just a result of getting older. This resource focuses
on Keeping in Balance:Preventing falls in older adults through
education and intervention. Information includes risk factors, recommendations
for preventing falls, and exercise tips. It is part of
Fairview Ridges' resources for senior health issues.
www.ninds.nih.gov/ Find information about neurological diseases and stroke. The
National Institute on Neurological Diseases and Stroke is the federal
government's principal research agency on the causes, prevention, detection,
and treatment of these conditions. The site includes brief fact sheets
on a wide range of neurological illnesses and related links.
www.apdaparkinson.org/ This site of the American Parkinson Disease Association provides
information about Parkinson's Disease, educational materials to
download or purchase, and a search function for chapters and support
groups across the nation.
www.mhsource.com In the A to Z Disorders Index (lower left side of homepage), choose
from a wide range of symptoms and disorders and get information about
a variety of mental illnesses. You can also find detailed case
histories and treatment alternatives. The site is for both care receivers
and caregivers.
www.ahealthyme.com A general health site that includes a section specifically about senior
health. The site, from Blue Cross and Blue Shield, includes topics
such as diseases after 60, Alzheimer's, caregiving, emotional health,
and safety.
Legal Issues/Insurance/Government Programs
www.BenefitsCheckUp.org This website, sponsored by the National Council on Aging, identifies
federal and state assistanceprograms for which you may
be eligible. Upon completing a confidential questionnaire, users receive
suggestions about government programs to pursue. The site serves people
in any state. More comprehensive program information for Minnesota
can be found at www.mnaging.org by clicking on "Public
Benefits Counselor."
www.financinglongtermcare.umn.edu This site's goals are to help people know about long-term care
as a family financial issue; help them take action before a crisis;
and help those who are planning ahead make more informed decisions.
www.nolo.com/encyclopedia/ep_ency.html This site, known for self-help legal information, has an extensive
section about estate planning, where you can learn about wills,
trusts, funeral planning, probate, and much more.
www.naela.org/ The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc. is a nonprofit association
that assists lawyers, bar organizations, and others who work with older
clients and their families. The site allows you to search by location
for elder law attorneys who are NAELA members. To see a list of
Minneapolis/St. Paul area NAELA members, click
here.
www.seniors.gov This Social Security Administration site provides a retirement planner,
information on health, legislation, tax assistance, and more.
It also provides links to other useful sites.
www.eldernet.com This site provides links to senior health, housing, legal, financial,
retirement, lifestyle, and news and entertainment information on
the World Wide Web.
www.medicare.gov/ The official U.S. government website for Medicare information
with content offered in English, Spanish, and Chinese.
www.medicarerights.org The Medicare Rights Center's web site offers comprehensive educational
brochures on traditional Medicare and HMOs.
Culture-Specific
Sites for Spanish Speakers www.neighb.org Programs and resources for seniors
and much more appears on this site of Neighborhood House, which provides
doorways of opportunity for vibrant, diverse
communities. More than one-third of the
organization's staff is bilingual in Spanish or Hmong. Neighborhood House
is a Twin Cities-based organization.
www.CLUES.org Elder Wellness Services
is a key section of this Chicanos Latinos Unidos En Servicio (CLUES) website
and includes elder advocacy and access to services. CLUES is a Twin Cities-based
organization.
Culture-Specific
Sites for Hmong Families www.Hmongcenter.org
This site has a resource center, a collection of Hmong-related literature,
scholarly research, and multimedia materials. Many items relate to family
life issues. The site advances cross-cultural
understanding between Hmong and other cultures.
www.hmong.org
This site of the Hmong American Partnership (HAP) aims to provide culturally
appropriate social services to Hmong
families in Minnesota.
www.neighb.org
Programs and resources for seniors
and much more appears on this site of Neighborhood House, which provides
doorways of opportunity for vibrant, diverse
communities. More than one-third of Neighborhood
House’s staff is bilingual in Hmong or Spanish.
www.laofamily.org
This website of Lao Family Community of Minnesota (LFC) strives to help
the Hmong community strike a balance between traditional
Hmong culture and modern American life.
