HEALTH CARE, AGING, AND DEATH ISSUES
Resources in this section contain information on issues related to health
care, advance directives, aging, and death and dying.
You may choose from the following areas of interest or scroll down:
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Federal Health Care Related Agencies
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Pennsylvania Agencies
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Other Health Care Related Resources
FEDERAL HEALTH CARE RELATED AGENCIES
- Administration On Aging
http://www.aoa.gov
- Eldercare Locator
http://www.eldercare.gov/
- The Eldercare Locator, begun in 1991, is a national toll-free directory
assistance public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging. Part of this
service is available on-line at this website. Search by state and zip code to
locate information and referral services of state and local agencies on aging.
- Elders and Families
http://www.aoa.gov/eldfam/eldfam.asp
- This web page is designed to provide quick access to information and
resources on a variety of aging-related topics. These links are grouped by
subject matter: Elder Rights & Resources, For Caregivers, Housing,
Promoting Healthy Lifestyles, Services for Seniors, and more. There are also
links to state and federal agencies on aging, federal consumer web sites, and
links to many other aging sites.
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
http://www.ahcpr.gov/
- The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, an agency of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, is charged with researching the quality
of health care, patient safety, and cost and use of healthcare services. The web
site offers clinical information and information for consumers and patients.
Topics include clinical practice guidelines, preventive services, health plans,
surgery, prescriptions, conditions and diseases and more.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
http://www.cms.hhs.gov
(formerly the Health Care Financing Administration)
- Commission on Affordable Housing and Health Care Facility Needs
for Seniors in the 21st Century
http://www.seniorscommission.gov/index.html
- This Commission was created by Congress to report on the housing and health
needs for the next generation of seniors and offer policy and legislative
recommendations for enhancing services and increasing the available housing for
seniors. Following one year of independent research on housing, service and
demographic issues and a series of hearings, the report was presented to
Congress on June 28, 2002. In addition to the full text of the report, there are
links to hearings, research papers, a news archive, photos, and information
about the commissioners.
- DisabilityInfo.gov
http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=500
- DisabilityInfo.gov, one of President George W. Bush's Initiatives, is a
one-stop interagency directory of government links to disability-related information.
The links are arranged in broad categories including civil rights, education,
employment, housing, health, income support, technology, transportation, and
independent living.
- Food and Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov/
- The Federal Drug Administration is an agency of the Department of Health and
Human Services' Public Health Service. It is charged with protecting the
consumer by enforcing the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other related
acts. The web site includes information on topics such as: biologics, food,
human drugs, cosmetics, and medical products. This site is the official
repository for administrative proceedings and rule-making documents of the FDA.
Press releases and "talk papers" containing recent information keep the web site
current.
- Health Care Financing Administration
(Now known as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
http://www.cms.hhs.gov
- Healthfinder
http://www.healthfinder.gov/
- Healthfinder is a "gateway consumer health and human services information web
site launched April 1997" by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This service leads to selected publications, clearinghouses, and web sites on a
variety of topics including Alzheimer's Disease, aging, civil rights,
discrimination, Medicaid, and Medicare.
- Medicare.gov : the Official U.S. Government Site for People with Medicare
http://www.medicare.gov
- Medicare.gov, from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, offers links to
general information regarding Medicare billing, Medicare appeals process, long term
care, and Medicare health plans. Links to current news items such as the Medicare
approved drug discount cards are listed in the Features section. The Search tools
section includes links to publications, prescription drug and other assistance programs,
nursing home compare, home health compare, Medicare personal plan finder, and frequently
asked questions.
- National Institute on Aging — Health and Research Information
http://www.nih.gov/nia/health/Healthinformation
- This page contains publications and information about Alzheimer's Disease,
full text of booklets on NIA research, and press releases.
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- Pennsylvania Department of Aging
http://www.aging.state.pa.us/aging/site/default.asp
- The mission of this department, created in 1978, is to "advance the
well-being of Pennsylvania's older citizens." Background information and a
description of the organizational structure can be found at this web site.
- Pennsylvania Department of Health
http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/site/default.asp
- The department, created in 1905, has as its mission the "pursuit of good
health" and is responsible for planning and coordinating health resources
throughout Pennsylvania. The web site includes information on diseases, health
care issues, health statistics, and vital records. The information can be
searched by topic or key word.
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OTHER HEALTH CARE RELATED RESOURCES
- AARP Research Center
http://www.aarp.org/research
- ABA Commission on Law and Aging
http://www.abanet.org/aging/
(formerly the Commission on Legal Problems of the Elderly)
- AgeRights.com
http://www.agerights.com
- Alan Crone and the employment law section of Crone & Mason, a Tennessee
law firm, developed the AgeRights.com website. It offers case summaries of the
U.S. Supreme Court and 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, a glossary of employment
law terms, articles and more on age discrimination in employment.
- Aging~PA
http://agingpa.psu.edu
- Aging~PA, a Geriatric Education Center of Pennsylvania Project, was developed by
the Penn State Gerontology Center. This network provides a central source of online
gerontology and health related links arranged in the following categories: general
public resources, professional resources, and research and education.
- Aging Research Centre (ARC)
http://www.arclab.org
- The Aging Research Centre is "dedicated to providing a service that allows
researchers in this field to find information that is related to the study of
the aging process." Information includes upcoming events, recent book titles,
abstracts of recent papers on aging, and links to online journals and other
related sites.
- Alzheimer's Association
http://www.alz.org
- The Alzheimer's Association is one of the oldest and largest national
voluntary health organization dedicated to research for the causes, cure, and
prevention of Alzheimer's disease. The site contains media releases and position
statements.
- American Health Care Association
http://www.ahca.org
- The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is a non-profit federation of
affiliated state health organizations with its headquarters in Washington, DC.
It represents nearly 12,000 non-profit and for-profit assisted living, nursing
facility, developmentally-disabled, and subacute care providers. The website
provides links to long-term care news and information, research and data on
health services, and current events.
- American Society on Aging
http://www.asaging.org/index.cfm
- The American Society on Aging (ASA) is a professional association that
provides resources on aging; however, certain resources are restricted to
members only.
- Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
http://www.bazelon.org/welcome.html
- Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is a nonprofit legal advocacy
organization based in Washington, D.C. The website offers information about
mental health and includes related issues dealing with aging, Americans with
Disabilities (ADA), children, and fair housing. The site also offers legislative
alerts and advocacy resources.
- CarePlanner
http://www.careplanner.org/
- CarePlanner is a free online website created by Clinical Tools, Inc., a
physician-owned, multimedia company based in Chapel Hill, N.C. Much of the
content at this website was formerly in Senior Care Web, also created by Clinical
Tools, Inc. Users fill out a series of questionnaires regarding such things as
finances, health, living arrangements. Based on information provided by the user,
CarePlanner will create individual Advice Reports analyzing living and care
options. The site includes worksheets, checklists, and links to related resources.
- Center for Studying Health System Change
http://www.hschange.com
- The Center for Studying Health System Change, a nonpartisan policy research
organization located in Washington, D.C., studies trends in the health care system.
Policy research covers topics such as insurance coverage and costs, access to care,
and local markets and managed care. Publications include issue briefs, community
reports, data bulletins, and journal articles.
- Choice in Dying
http://www.partnershipforcaring.org/HomePage/
(web site not available as of April 2005)
- See Partnership for Caring: America's Voices for the Dying
- The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care
http://www.dartmouthatlas.org/
- The Dartmouth Atlas project, a funded research effort of the faculty of the
Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences of Dartmouth Medical School, brings
together researchers in diverse disciplines and focuses on how medical resources
are distributed and used in the United States. The project uses health care claims
databases from Medicare, Blue Cross organizations, and other sources. The “Major
Topics” link includes documents on Medicare reform and end of life care. The
Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care Web Database Tools allows users to create graphs,
charts, and community profile reports similar to those found in the projects
publications.
- DeathNet
http://www.righttodie.ca/
- DeathNet is an "international archive specializing in all aspects of death
and dying." It was created by John Hofsess, Executive Director of the Right to
Die Society of Canada, in collaboration with Derek Humphry, President of ERGO!
This site contains information on the Canadian Senate Special Committee on
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, lists of books discussing "end of-life" issues,
and links to medical resources, key documents in USA and Canadian right-to-die
cases, and articles dealing with euthanasia and assisted-suicide.
- Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development
http://www.geri.duke.edu/
- The Duke Long Term Care Resources Program
http://www.ltc.duke.edu/
- The goal of this program, created in 1988, is "the enhancement of effective
long term care policy and service development in the interest of vulnerable
adults and their families." The site includes full text of publications and
policy papers, abstracts of ongoing research, and information about the
center's activities.
- ElderWeb
http://www.elderweb.com
- This web site contains links to articles and organizations related to health
care issues.
- End of Life: Exploring Death in America
http://www.npr.org/programs/death/
- This is the website for the National Public Radio All Things Considered
1997-98 series examining issues related to dying. Features include the
transcripts of the broadcasts, a list of resources and contacts for agencies
providing services to people facing life-threatening illness, a bibliography of
books and journal articles, and excerpts from literature written about death.
- Euthanasia World Directory
http://www.finalexit.org/
- This site is hosted by ERGO! (Euthanasia Research & Guidance
Organization), a non-profit educational corporation founded in 1993 to "improve
the quality of background research of physician-assisted dying." The wealth of
information on euthanasia and suicide contained at this site includes: a list of
all organizations which are members of the World Federation of Right to Die
Societies, a list of right-to-die organizations in the USA, full text of Ninth
and Second Circuit cases concerning physician-assisted suicide, full text of
selected "right-to-die" legislation, a bibliography of books, and the latest
national and international news on right-to-die issues.
- Georgetown University's Center on an Aging Society
http://ihcrp.georgetown.edu/agingsociety/index.html
- Georgetown University’s Center on an Aging Society, a non-partisan public policy
institute based in Washington, studies the impact of demographic changes on public
and private institutions and families of all ages. The website offers data profiles,
papers and projects on a variety of topics such as health security, long-term care,
aging society issues, chronic and disabling conditions, and young retirees and older
workers, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
- Healthcare and Elder Law Programs Corporation
http://www.help4srs.org/
- This web site contains discussion of planning documents including durable
powers of attorney.
- Infoaging.org
http://www.infoaging.org/index.html
- Infoaging.org was launched in 2000 by the American Federation for Aging
Research, a national, nonprofit organization that supports basic aging research.
The website features a Diseases Center containing information on age-related
diseases; a Biology Center containing information on the biological causes of
aging; and a Lifestyle Center offering information for healthier living.
- Living Wills Registry (Canada)
http://www.sentex.net/~lwr/
- This registry, established by Dr. David Williams, a Stratford family
physician, and his wife aims to "assist people in directing their own medical
treatment in the event of incapacitating illnesses or injuries." The site
focuses on Canadian law and offers background information about living wills and
discusses the kinds of documents contained in a living will. A bibliography of
related articles and books is included. It is possible to order a "Living Will"
package from this site.
- National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA)
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACDA/index.html
- The National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA) is located within
the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research at the
University of Michigan. NACDA, funded by the National Institute on Aging,
collects, preserves, and disseminates data pertaining to gerontological
research. The website offers detailed descriptions of surveys and studies. Many
of the data files are available free of charge for downloading.
- National Council on the Aging
http://www.ncoa.org/index.cfm
- The National Council on the Aging, begun in 1950, is an association of
organizations and professionals including area agencies on aging, adult day care
centers, and health centers. This site offers issue briefs, advocacy
information, and current news.
- National Health Law Program, Inc.
http://www.healthlaw.org/
- The National Health Law Program is a "national public interest law firm that
seeks to improve health care for America's working and unemployed poor,
minorities, the elderly and people with disabilities." This site contains full
text of reports, essays, and papers written by members of NhelP and other
advocacy organizations. It provides links that are updated daily to health law
articles from various newspapers and journals and links to other resources. A
publications guide is also included.
- Nolo Law Centers: Health Care & Elder Care
http://www.nolo.com/resource.cfm/catID/84404409-3882-4800-81764383AA66993B/118/207/
- Nolo Press, started by two Legal Aid lawyers, specializes in producing
self-help law books and audio-visual products. The Law Centers: Health Care &
Elder Care contains information on healthcare directives and powers of attorney
issues.
- Pain & the Law
http://www.painandthelaw.org/
- The Pain and the Law website was developed by the Center for Health Law
Studies at the University of St. Louis and the American Society of Law,
Medicine, and Ethics. The website focuses on the legal issues related to pain
management and palliative care. It offers links to articles, commentary,
statutes and regulations, court decisions, and news articles.
- PALawHELP.org
http://www.palawhelp.org/PA/index.cfm/County/%20/demoMode/%3D%201/Language/1/State/PA/TextOnly/N/ZipCode/%20/LoggedIn/0/so/1
- PALawHELP.org is a free service funded by a grant from the Legal Services
Corporation and supported by Pennsylvania Legal Services. Pennsylvania Legal
Services and Neighborhood Legal Services Association maintain the web site,
created by Pro Bono.net. This guide to legal information and free civil legal
services is arranged in broad categories such as consumer, disability, elder law,
health care, immigration, public benefits, children and families, education,
employment, housing and shelter, migrant issues, and veteran issues.
- Partnership for Caring: America's Voices for the Dying
http://www.partnershipforcaring.org/Home Page
(formerly Choice in Dying)
(web site not available as of April 2005)
- In January 2000 Choice in Dying dissolved and a new organization, Partnership
for Caring, was formed. This national non-profit organization provides legal,
educational and counseling services. The site contains a list of resources for
background information on end-of-life issues; toolkits or guides for quality
care; and advance directives including access to state specific documents. The
"What's New" section lists changes in state legislation regarding advance
directives as well as press releases.
- Penn State Gerontology Center
http://geron.psu.edu/
- Based in The College of Health and Human Development, the Center's home page
offers course and research information on age-related programs and gerontology
and Penn State, as well as statistical information on Pennsylvania's aging
population. Provides links to other gerontology and aging resources.
- Recreation Administration and Gerontology at California State University, Fresno
http://www.csufresno.edu/gerontology/
- This site contains links to various aging topics.
- Rural America Vol. 17, issue 3 (publication of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture)
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/ruralamerica/ra173/
- This issue of Rural America examines the aging of the rural population:
describing the elderly population in rural America, recent trends in older
population change in non-metro areas, characteristics of older farmers, and
federal funding in non-metro elderly counties.
- SeniorScape — Taking Charge of Your Health Care
http://www.seniorscape.com/html/advdir.htm
(web site not available as of April 2005)
- This site contains a discussion of advance directives, as well as other
health care issues.
- Stetson University Elder Law Center
http://www.law.stetson.edu/excellence/elderlaw/default.htm
- The Elder Law Center at Stetson University College of Law was established in
1995. It maintains a web site where current cases and materials pertaining to
aging can be found as well as extensive links to other related sources including
links to health care, Alzheimer's disease, and aging information.
- University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study
http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/
- The University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, sponsored by the National
Institute of Aging, is a longitudinal study of health, retirement, and aging. It
surveys more than 22,000 Americans over the age of 50 every two years. The web site
offers information and materials related to the studies, including an overview,
announcements, study details, datasets and files, and papers and publications. Public
datasets and files are available to registered users, other restricted information is
made available under certain conditions. A bibliography of papers and publications
based on the data collected in the health and retirement study can be searched by
author, title, publication type, content area, or keyword.
- U.S. Living Will Registry
http://www.uslivingwillregistry.com/
- The U.S. Living Will Registry, founded by Dr. Joseph Barmakian in 1996, is a
privately funded organization that electronically stores advanced directives,
organ donation information, and emergency contact information. The documents and
information are made available only to health care providers such as hospitals,
hospices, doctors, skilled nursing facilities, and home health care providers.
Registration of the materials is free. The website includes background
information about advanced directives.
- Professor Valerie J. Vollmar's Physician-Assisted Suicide Web Site
http://www.willamette.edu/wucl/pas/index.html
- Vollmar is a professor at the Willamette University College of Law. Three
times a year, she posts updates on recent national and state developments in
physician-assisted suicide.
- Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology, GeroWeb
http://www.iog.wayne.edu/
- GeroWeb is designed as an online resource for researchers, educators,
practitioners, and others interested in aging." Links to the resources can be
found on this virtual library by browsing categories such as grief/dying,
gerontology, housing/real estate, and publications or creating a keyword search.
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Please send questions, comments, and requests for additional
information to Cecily Giardina.
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