Anything affecting the memory can have devastating effects and require a massive amount of help and support. Here is a list of resources to help the caregiver or health provider to reduce the stress and confusion:
General Alzheimer Resources
- Alzheimer’s Association: information geared toward families is available on the home page. A link to the Professionals and Researchers section takes you to diagnostic procedures, treatment, Medicare and Medicaid, types of care, and counseling. Information on all aspects of the disease is available free to download in one-hundred-forty-six publications on the Publications page.
- The Alzheimer’s Store: find quality, affordable products that can ease the burden of caregiving, make life easier for the person with dementia, and improve quality of life.
- Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation: Understanding Alzheimer’s is divided into four sections: Alzheimer’s disease information, symptoms, early signs, diagnosis, and treatment. Answers to typical questions asked by families about the disease and its management are included. Selected vocabulary is hyperlinked to a glossary. The information is geared toward someone wanting a brief but thorough introduction to Alzheimer’s.
- Alzheimer’s Weekly: each week this is a consolidation of the latest in prevention, treatment, research, and caregiving. The internet sees over a thousand new articles per week on dementias such as Alzheimer’s and has as many sites and services. The focus is to bring you a single source that is clear, organized, friendly, and meaningful.
- Coach Broyles Playbook for Alzheimer’s Caregivers: it wasn’t always easy for Coach Broyles to find the answers his family needed about Alzheimer’s disease, and at times he found himself frustrated and confused. “I promised myself that one day I would share all that I had learned—from my research and my experience—with other families that were dealing with Alzheimer’s.”You can purchase the Playbook, download it, or read an interactive copy.
- ElderCare Online: Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Channel.
Guest authors provide solutions to challenging behaviors and offer advice to caregivers on coping and taking care of themselves. - Nasco Senior Activities: A great online catalog of activities for seniors with different levels of physical and cognitive impairment. Specific sections are dedicated to Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
- Family Caregiver Alliance: for those caring for family members with chronic health conditions of all kinds, this Web site offers factsheets, monographs, policy and statistical documents, and consumer and training materials on caregiving and caring for oneself.
- The Hartford: The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and the MIT Age Lab have developed this guide to help people with dementia and their families prolong independence while encouraging safe driving. This guide provides suggestions for monitoring, limiting, and stopping driving. The information incorporates the experiences of family caregivers and people with dementia, as well as suggestions from experts in medicine, gerontology, and transportation.
- Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services: information on Healthy Aging, Choices in Consumer Services, Culture Change in Long Term Care, Advocacy and Legislation, News Releases, Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK), Information for Providers of Aging Services and other aging issues.
- Mayo Clinic: Alzheimer’s Disease links to an array of topics including signs and symptoms, causes, risk factors, screening and diagnosis, complications, treatment, prevention, and coping. Notable are the related links in each section to additional and practical medical and caregiving articles.
- National Alliance for Caregiving (caregiving.org): recognizing that family caregivers provide important societal and financial contributions toward maintaining the well-being of those they care for, the Alliance’s mission is to be the objective national resource on family caregiving with the goal of improving the quality of life for families and care recipients.
- Reminisce Magazine: reminisce magazine brings back the good times by taking you on a stroll down memory lane. Find great nostalgic articles, stories, and photos from the 1920s-1950s in each issue of Reminisce magazine that can help caregivers relate to the past with the person with dementia.
Additional Resources for Memory Impairments
National Adult Day Services Association. Use the website database to find adult day services in your area.
www.nadsa.org
1-877-745-1440
National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center. Click “Locate an Ombudsman” to find a professional to serve as an advocate for your family as you deal with decisions concerning long-term care for your loved one.
www.ltcombudsman.org
(202) 332-2275
Legal Assistance
ElderLawAnswers.com. Search for an attorney local to your area, or browse resources and information on financial and legal issues of aging and/or caring for an Alzheimer’s patient.
www.elderlawanswers.com
1-866-267-0947
National Center on Elder Abuse. Serves as a national resource center dedicated to the prevention of elder mistreatment, addressing topics such as assisted living and financial exploitation.
https://.ncea.acl.gov/
1-855-500-3537
Financial Assistance
BenefitsCheckUp. Service of the National Council on Aging (NCOA) helps people to understand the benefits available from federal, state, and local programs.
www.benefitscheckup.org
(571) 527-3900
Federal Government Programs and Services
Alzheimer’s and related Dementias Education and Referral Center (ADEAR). Provides current Alzheimer’s disease information and resources from the National Institute on Aging. Offers information for people with Alzheimer’s disease, their families, and professionals, including information on clinical trials.
www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers
1-800-438-4380
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Provides the latest information and resources on government-sponsored health programs, including:
- Medicare, which is a federal program that provides some coverage for people who meet certain qualifications. Alzheimer’s disease is not listed as a specific condition covered, but many aspects of treatment may be covered.
- Medicaid programs, which are run by individual states.
Social Security Administration (SSA), which may also provide certain benefits to qualified individuals.
Veterans Benefits Programs, those who served in the armed services may qualify for certain Veterans Administration program benefits.
To find out what services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, or Veterans programs, visit www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/financial-aid or call:
CMS at 1-800-633-4227
SSA at 1-800-772-1213
Veterans Benefits at 1-800-827-1000
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health. Provides general information on Alzheimer’s disease, websites and some publications on its Alzheimer’s disease page.
www.ninds.nih.gov
1-800-352-9424
Prescription Assistance Programs
BrightFocus maintains lists of prescription assistance programs for patients in treatment for Alzheimer’s.
www.brightfocus.org/alzheimersdrugassistance
Please call 1-800-437-2423 to order a print copy.
Safety and Home Healthcare
MedicAlert Foundation International. Offers emblems and chains engraved with the person’s membership number, primary medical conditions, and the toll-free 24-hour Emergency Response Center number. MedicAlert allows the person to be identified and can relay key medical facts and notify family contacts.
www.medicalert.org
1-888-633-4298
Travel
Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) Cares. Assists travelers with medical conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, as they prepare for travel prior to getting to the airport. It provides answers to questions about screening policies, procedures, and what to expect at the security checkpoint.
www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures
1-855-787-2227
Caregiving and Caregiver Support
ARCH National Respite Network. Assists families to locate respite and crisis care services in the community and provide a consumer guide for family caregivers, The ABCs of Respite.
http://archrespite.org/respitelocator
(703) 256-2084
Caregiver Resource Center. Provides information on caregiving, planning for long-term care services, and employee assistance.
www.caregiverresourcecenter.com (website may timeout)
(203) 861-9833
Dementia Friendly America. A multi-sector, national collaborative to foster communities that are equipped to support people with dementia and their family and friend caregivers by becoming “dementia-friendly.”
www.dfamerica.org
Family Caregiver Alliance, National Center on Caregiving. Information, education, services, research, and advocacy for those caring for people with chronic, disabling health conditions.
www.caregiver.org
1-800-445-8106
Latino Alzheimer’s & Memory Disorders Alliance. Empowers Hispanic and Latino caregivers and families of those afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and memory disorders by providing education, skill-building training, and support programs. It also provides training programs to healthcare providers who work with the Hispanic and Latino communities.
www.latinoalzheimersalliance.org
(708) 395-5472
Meals on Wheels Association of America. Provides information on local meal delivery and group meal locations for seniors.
www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org
1-888-998-6325
National Caregivers Library. An extensive online library for caregivers with articles, forms, checklists, and links to topic-specific external resources.
www.caregiverslibrary.org
(804) 327-1111
Long-Term Care and Living Options
A Place for Mom. It provides a searchable database of assisted living facilities with memory care services, and checklists to determine if that is the best option for your loved one.
www.aplaceformom.com/alzheimers-care
1-888-857-0796
LeadingAge. Provides a searchable database of aging services, including assisted living, nursing care, and home meal delivery.
www.leadingage.org
(202) 783-2242
National Center for Assisted Living. Represents long-term care providers; contains information for consumers on assisted living.
www.ncal.org
(202) 842-4444
Hospice Care
Caring Connections. CaringInfo provides free resources to help people make decisions about end-of-life care and services before a crisis. Topics addressed include advanced directives, and hospice and palliative care, among others.
www.caringinfo.org
1-800-658-8898
Multilingual Helpline: 1-877-658-8896
