National Nursing Home Week 2009 began on Mother's Day, May 10 is scheduled to run through May 16th.
Aging is on the minds of many baby boomers these days, due situations with their parents or other family members and/or issues in their own lives as we're growing older ourselves. Elder care is something a lot of us are dealing with right now.
This week is an opportunity to acknowledge and honor the people who reside in nursing homes as well as those members of staff and volunteers who help them and help to make their lives better. I can't completely endorse nor guarantee any of these sources, but think that they're a good place to start when sometimes we don't have an idea of where to turn.
Some families may have in-home care. There is a site with information on things to consider when arranging in-home care for persons with Alzheimers.
Whether one chooses an assisted living, home health facililty or nursing home, it may be a voyage into uncharted territory during a difficult time. In the US, your state Department of Health should have information where you can check on facilities (including any reports of abuse, public health and patient rights).
For instance, there is a page regarding the licensing and certification of Health care facilities in California.
The National Center for Assisted Living report offers a state-by-state summary of assisted living regulatory review.
The US Dept of Health & Human Services has a national Nursing Home Compare site. One of the things they offer is detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.
The Alzheimers Association has a Senior Housing Finder. The Senior Resource Guide Blue Book offers different information including that on housing. I'm not aware of how this data was compiled but the local version of this book was informative to us.
You may want to visit the US Senate Special Committee on Aging and The US National Institute on Aging web sites.
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