Caregivers who are dealing with the strident demands of Alzheimer’s disease have little time to plow through volumes of material for help. That’s why I am distilling lots of information to bring you relevant, to-the-point ideas. But in case you need highly specialized information, I am listing some excellent resources you can peruse.

1.   Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org)

I always put this organization at the top of my list. The information is creative, factual, well organized and compassionate.  The services offered are broad based and include: 

Lotsa Helping Hands – A way to coordinate help from family and friends through an online group calendar to help you keep track of people offering to help with caregiving tasks. 

Carefinder – A definitive service with information on all types of dementia with suggestions that might meet your need. Carefinder also has information on criteria for good care and how to communicate in your new world of care providers. 

Senior Housing Finder – A current list of licensed facilities such a assisted living, nursing homes, etc. which your loved one(s) may need at some point. 

Caregiver Message Board – In addition to our forum at The Care Community, the Alzheimer’s Association offers a way to connect with others.

Caregiving 101 – Helps for developing further your caregiving skills. 

Safety Enhancements – Medic Alert and the Alzheimer’s Association have formed a cooperative program to offer Safe Return, a 24 hour emergency service for wandering and medical needs. 

2.   Area Agency on Aging (www.n4a.org) 

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging is a government program offering a nationwide network of social services.  Eldercare Locator can be accessed from this site.  For referral to your local agency, call 1-800-677-1116. 

3.    Family Caregiver Alliance (www.cargiver.org)

This alliance offers programs at national, state and local levels to support caregivers.  Subjects dealt with are broad based and helpful. 

4.   Government Services (www.medicare.gov/nhcompare) 

This site provides information on the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the U.S. 

5.    Caring From A Distance (www.cfad.org) 

This site is dedicated to serving the needs of caregivers who are caring for someone long distance.  This adds a complex dimension to the caregiving task. 

6.    National Association for Homecare and Hospice (www.nahc.org) 

Find information about patient rights, selecting a provider, billing and payment practices, home care and hospice agency locator, and other services. 

7.    National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (www.caremanager.org) 

This organization is a source for determining when help is needed for managing the care issues of a loved one or his/her family, and how to procure the help. 

8.    American Association of Retired Persons (www.AARP.org) 

Go to the site and enter search words, especially “Choosing an agency for in-home care” or “Alzheimer’s disease.” 

9.    The National Alliance for Caregiving (www.caregiving.com)  

This organization is dedicated to providing support for family caregivers and professionals who help them and to increasing public awareness of issues facing family caregivers. 

We will continue to serve you with information and personal experience related to Alzheimer’s care here at The Care Community website (www.thecarecommunity.com). Visit us again soon.