Sites of Interest
Massachusetts:
www.state.ma.us/src.htm
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Senior Citizens website is part of an ongoing initiative to provide convenient access to state government information. It is a service of the Massachusetts Access to Government Network, MAGNet, managed by the Executive Office for Administration & Finance's Information Technology Division.
- www.state.ma.us/elder
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs offers this web site to serve the 1.1 million elders of Massachusetts and their families.
U.S. Government (Federal):
- www.state.ma.us/elder/shine.html
- The SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) Program is a health benefits counseling program sponsored by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, in partnership with elder network agencies across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
- www.state.ma.us/dph/qtool2/default.htm
- This WWW site contains a survey performance tool for nursing homes and allows the user to search nursing home quality ratings by city/town or name of facility.
- www.masslawhelp.com
- A public service of the Massachusetts Bar Association; site includes tips on choosing a lawyer, resources and links.
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- The Nursing Home Quality Initiative
- The Nursing Home Quality Initiative
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- The primary purpose of this tool is to provide detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.
www.aoa.dhhs.gov- The Administration on Aging (AOA) web site includes information designed for Older Americans and their families as well as those concerned about providing the opportunities and services to enrich the lives of older persons and support their independence.
www.nih.gov/nia- The National Institute on Aging leads federal efforts on aging research. Their WWW site lists research programs, health information, and funding and training that is available.
www.cms.hhs.gov- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (formerly the Health Care Financing Administration - HCFA) is the federal agency that administers Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
www.medicare.gov
The official U.S. Government site for Medicare information, this site has the capacity to search and compare information on health plans, nursing homes, dialysis facilities, Medigap policies, contacts, Medicare activities, participating physicians, and prescription drug assistance programs in your area.
- www.hcfa.gov/Medicaid/medicaid.htm
Medicaid is a jointly funded, Federal-State health insurance program for certain low-income and needy people.- www.Medicare.gov/nhcompare/home.asp
The primary purpose of this tool is to provide detailed information about the performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.
- aoa.gov/ltcombudsman
- Long-term Care Ombudsmen are advocates for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes, assisted living facilities and similar adult care facilities. Long-Term Care Ombudsmen advocate on behalf of individuals and groups of residents as well as work to effect systems changes on a local, state and national level.
- www.healthfinder.gov
- Healthfinder® is a free gateway to reliable consumer health and human services information developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- www.seniors.gov/legislation.html
- FirstGov for Seniors website provides up to date information on legislation and public laws affecting seniors.
- thomas.loc.gov
- The THOMAS site includes bill summaries, status and text, public laws, roll calls, the most recent issue of the Congressional Record, committee reports and hearings.
- www.medicarerights.org
- The Medicare Rights Center (MRC) is a national, not-for-profit organization that provides telephone hotline services to individuals who need answers to Medicare questions or help securing coverage and getting the health care they need.
- www.va.gov
- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Web site is a worldwide resource that provides information on VA programs, veterans benefits, VA facilities worldwide, and VA medical automation software.
- www.ssa.gov
- The official web site of the Social Security Administration allows visitors to apply for benefits online, fill out forms, and learn about their benefits and recent legislation.
- www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/age.html#older
- U.S. Census Bureau's most recent statistics on aging and the elderly in the U.S. and around the globe.
Professional Associations:
- The AARP Foundation provides direct services to senior citizens, particularly in the areas of consumer advocacy, legal assistance, tax counseling, job training and placement, and health care and long term care information.
- The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a national, non-profit organization. The website is designed to provide information to geriatrics health care professionals, the public, and other concerned individuals dedicated to improving the health, independence and quality of life of all older people.
- The Gerontological Society of Southeastern New England at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a non-profit, member supported organization founded in 1995 to serve as a liaison between students, faculty, providers and consumers along with their families and caregivers, focusing primarily on gerontological interests and needs.
- Members in The National Council on Aging (NCOA) include senior centers, area agencies on aging, adult day services, faith congregations, senior housing, health centers, employment services, and consumer organizations.
General Interest:
- SeniorNet is a nonprofit organization of computer-using adults, age 50 and older. SeniorNet's mission is to provide older adults education for and access to computer technology to enhance their lives and enable them to share their knowledge and wisdom.
- ElderWeb is designed to be a research site for both professionals and family members looking for information on eldercare and long term care, and includes links to information on legal, financial, medical, and housing issues, as well as policy, research, and statistics.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) provides a listing of older consumers' safety publications published by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Most are available in a downloadable version.
- Long Term Care: http://www.masslongtermcare.org/
- Jointly developed by the Massachusetts Extended Care Federation and the Home & Health Care Association of Massachusetts, the masslongtermcare.org website is a comprehensive source of consumer information for people making a long term health care decision for themselves or a loved one.
Last Updated On: 2/14/06
