All Nursing Homes
Virginia Nursing Homes
New York Nursing Homes
Washington, D.C.
Federal Government Healthcare Departments & Agencies
Advocacy Groups – Healthcare for the Elderly
Local Resources
Elder Neglect & Abuse
Nursing Home Abuse Center
All Nursing Homes
http://www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/home.asp
This web site enables you make a comparison of the nursing homes within a state or even a county, if known. Care areas highlighted include the number of beds and type of ownership, the percent of residents with pressure sores, percent of residents with urinary incontinence, summary results from the most recent state inspection; and the number of registered nurses, licensed practical or vocational nurses, and nursing assistants in each nursing home.
This web site provides an alphabetical listing of all states and the corresponding department of health, commissions and agencies pertaining to elderly care.
Virginia Nursing Homes
http://www.dss.state.va.us/localagency/
A third government entity that tends to produce or receive information that is relevant to a nursing home in your area is the Department of Social Services. This web link takes you to the contact information for offices in your region and/or county.
New York Nursing Homes
http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/nursing/mframe4.htm
This link takes you to the New York State Department of Health – Office of Continuing Care’s web site. From there you can access survey reports conducted by New York State, and obtain the mailing address for FOIA requests that you may make.
This link takes you to the New York Department of Aging’s web site. Similar to the Ombudsmen office in Virginia., this office represents the interest of the elderly. They also produce and receive documents that give information regarding nursing homes in the area. Once at the web site, you can find the contact information for the Office of Aging in the targeted county.
Washington, D.C.
This link takes you to the District of Columbia Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Aging. The website contains information on nursing home services, senior activities and services, transportation and needs assessment for the elderly. The site also has links to an Elder Care Locator which provides searchable information on nursing home facilities. The main website for the D.C. Department of Health and Human services is at http://doh.dc.gov/.
Federal Government Healthcare Departments & Agencies
This link takes you to the web page for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is a Public Health Service agency in the Department of Health and Human Services. AHRQ engages in research and provides evidence-based information on health care outcomes; quality; and cost, use, and access. Information from AHRQ’s research helps people make more informed decisions and improve the quality of health care services. AHRQ was formerly known as the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research
As of July 1, 2001, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) became the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This link takes you to the CMS website The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CMS runs the Medicare and Medicaid programs – two national health care programs that benefit about 75 million Americans. Answers to questions regarding the administration of medicare and Medicaid programs are likely to be found on this website.
This link takes you to the National Institute on Aging. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is one of the National Institutes of Health. It is a U.S. Government institute that conducts and supports biomedical, social, and behavioral research; provides research training; and publishes research findings and health information on aging processes, diseases, and other special problems and needs of the elderly.
This link takes you to the Social Security Administration. From this website, you may (1) apply online for social security benefits; (2) request online a replacement medicare card; (3) obtain cost of living information including benefit, tax and wage indexed changes; (4) replace, correct or change your name on your social security card; (5) obtain copies of publications on retirement, survivors, disability and Supplemental Security Income; and (6) request a social security statement.
This link takes you to the federal government’s administration on aging (AOA). The AOA was created under the Older Americans Act of 1965 and coordinates a range of programs that offer services and opportunities for older Americans, especially those at risk of losing their independence. The AOA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is headed by the Assistant Secretary for Aging in the Department. This site provides information on various federal programs in support of the elderly.
The Department of Health and Human Services is the U.S. government’s primary agency for protecting the public health and providing essential human services, including the elderly population. The Department of Health administers over 300 programs and oversees government agencies including the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Administration on Aging, and the National Institute of Health.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers
This link will take you to the Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center’s website. At the website you will find information about Alzheimer’s disease, related disorders, and healthcare information for the elderly who have Alzheimer’s disease.
Advocacy Groups – Healthcare for the Elderly
This link will take you to the Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living (“CCAL”). CCAL is a national consumer advocacy organization which is dedicated to ensuring the rights of assisted living residents. This site provides information which may be useful in choosing a nursing home or assisted living facility. It provides a searchable database for current topics and issues as well as educational on-line documents pertaining to developments in healthcare for the elderly.
http://www.theconsumervoice.org/
This link will take you to The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (formerly National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform – NCCNHR) website. The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care was formed to address concerns about substandard care in nursing homes. The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care is the outgrowth of work first achieved by advocates working for Ralph Nader and later for the National Gray Panthers. This web site contains address, phone number and links to state ombudsmen as well as free on-line publications regarding national healthcare for the elderly.
This link will take you to the American Association for Retired Persons webpage (“AARP”). The site contains a wide range of information which may be of interests to seniors as well as links to other sites and publications related to senior healthcare.
http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/
This is the webpage for the Center for Medicare Advocacy. Through this site, you may obtain publications and materials which are extremely useful in considering Medicare issues. The information in this site specifically addresses nursing homes, home health and physical therapy issues for the elderly.
The National Senior Citizens Law Center (“NSCLC”) is a non-profit organization which advocates for the independence and well-being of low-income elderly individuals, as well as persons with disabilities, women, racial and ethnic minorities. The NSCLC promotes advocacy through litigation, legislative and agency representation. The site contains an online library of periodicals, manuals and articles pertaining to healthcare for low-income elderly and disabled persons.
http://www.familiesusa.org/index.htm
This link will take you to the webpage for Families USA, which is a national Non-profit organization created to ensure high quality and affordable health and long term care for individuals of all ages. The site contains useful information on Medicare, Medicaid, managed care and healthcare issues for the uninsured.
This link takes you to the National Center on Elder Abuse. This webpage contains statistical information, facts sheets and other information pertaining to elder abuse. It also contains information on how to report abuse of the elderly as related to the healthcare industry.
Local Resources
Check Out Your Hospital
Check Out Your Virginia Doctor
Check Out Your Nursing Home
Elder Neglect & Abuse
Regulations Restricting the Use of Restraints in Nursing Homes: The Virginia Department of Health bans the use of physical and chemical restraints of nursing home patients except in limited circumstances. This link provides an overview of patient rights to be free from restraints.
Rules and Regulations for Virginia Nursing Homes: This link takes you to a list of the rules and regulations nursing homes are required to follow in Virginia.
Types of Abuse in Nursing Homes: Williamson & Lavecchia, L.C. has created a website devoted to the rights of nursing home patients and assisted living facility residents. This link provides valuable information about the signs and symptoms of the most commonly types of abuse committed against the elderly.
Virginia Assisted Living Facility Inspection Reports: The Virginia Department of Social Services inspects and licenses assisted living facilities. At this website you can learn how individual assisted living facilities performed at their recent inspections and whether the facility has been recently sanctioned.
Virginia Department of Health – Nursing Home Complaint Form: If you believe a loved one has been mistreated in a nursing home you can file a complaint with the Virginia Department of Health.
Nursing Home Abuse Center
The links contained on this web site are not intended to imply that the Law Office of Jeffrey J. Downey P.C. sponsors or is associated with these other sites, nor do we warrant that the information on these other sites is current or accurate. The Law Office of Jeffrey J. Downey P.C. makes no warranty, express or implied, about the accuracy of the information at this Web site or any other Web site to which this site is linked.