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Links
Medical
Malpractice Links
■ Institute for Healthcare Improvement
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement is a non profit organization that was organized to help improve health care thoughout the world.
■ Negligent
Doctors Escape Discipline in Georgia, Research Shows
■ "Malpractice Makes Perfect" by Stephanie Mencimer
■ Curious
about the cause of high healthcare insurance premiums?
■ New
Data Refute Link Between Medical Malpractice Lawsuits and OB/GYN
Insurance
Premium Hikes
■ National Litigation Bureau
■ Consumers Advancing Patient Safety - "(CAPS) is a consumer-led nonprofit organization formed to be a collective voice for individuals, families and healers who wish to prevent harm in healthcare encounters through partnership and collaboration." This website provides patient safety information, online forums on medical error experiences.
■ Persons United Limiting Substandards and Errors in Healthcare - "PULSE is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization working to improve patient safety and reduce the rate of medical errors using real life stories and experiences. Survivors of medical errors are encouraged to use their experience to educate the community and advocate for a safer healthcare system." This website is a national network of patient-rights advocates and victims of medical errors, links for patient rights and chat rooms.
■ Surgicalfire.org - "Online resource for information on surgical fires" This website provides information on the risks of surgical fires and how to prevent them.
■ Medically Induced Trauma Support Services - "Medically Induced Trauma Support Services (MITSS), Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in June of 2002 whose mission is “To Support Healing and Restore Hope” to patients, families, and clinicians who have been affected by an adverse medical event." This website provides education and support for patients, families, and medical professionals involved in errors.
■ Josie King Foundation - "The Josie King Foundation’s mission is to prevent others from dying or being harmed by medical errors. By uniting healthcare providers and consumers, and funding innovative safety programs, we hope to create a culture of patient safety, together.” This website provides consumer patient-safety information, hospital safety programs, and an online forum to share medical error experiences.
Nursing Home Abuse / Neglect Links
All Nursing Homes
■ The American Health Care Association - The American Health Care Association (ACHA) is a non-profit federation of state health organizations representing more than 10,000 non-profit and for-profit assisted living, nursing facility, developmentally-disabled, and subacute care providers that care for more than 1.5 million elderly and disabled individuals. ACHA represents the long term care community to the nation at large - to government, business leaders, and the general public. It also serves as a force for change within the long term care field, providing information, education, and administrative tools that enhance quality at every level.
■ Nursing Home Checklist (Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home) from CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
■ Medicare's Nursing Home
Comparisons - This web site
allows you to compare nursing homes within a state
or county. Information provided includes the
number of beds, type of ownership, percentage of residents
with bed sores, percentage 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.
■ Freedom of Information
Act - Under the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), you are entitled to certain
documents produced as a result of government oversight and
inspection. This web page explains FOIA, as well as how to make a
request to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS),
formerly the Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA), and where
to make the requests.
■ Administration on Aging - The AOA
provides a range of programs that offer
services and opportunities for older Americans and their
caregivers.
■ One in Ten Residents Suffer Medication Injury Every Month
■ Nursing
Home Abuse Newsletter by Consumer Justice Group- Read the articles in our Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect Newsletter to find out more about elder abuse law and what you can do to help a loved one.
Federal Government Healthcare
Departments & Agencies
■ 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 provides research and evidence
based information on health care quality, cost, use, and access.
■ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services -
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a federal
agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
CMS administers the Medicare and Medicaid programs - two national health
care programs that benefit around 75 million Americans. Here
you will find answers to your questions about Medicare and
Medicaid.
■ 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.
■ Social Security Administration - From this
website, you may (a) apply online for social security benefits;
(b) request online a replacement Medicare card; (c) obtain cost of
living information including benefit, tax and wage indexed
changes; (d) replace, correct or change your name on your social
security card; (e) obtain copies of publications on retirement,
survivors, disability and Supplemental Security Income; and (f)
request a social security statement.
■ Federal Consumer Information Center -
Here you can search the Federal Consumer Information
Center to find websites for
various federal government agencies. They also have a toll free
number that you can call if you have questions about government
programs or agencies.
■ Administration on Aging - The AOA was created under the Older Americans Act of 1965 and
provides 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.
■ Department of Health and Human Services - 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. From this website, internet
links to other federal healthcare agencies are listed on http://www.hhs.gov/agencies/.
■ Combined Health Information Database - The CHID
contains a search engine from which titles, abstracts, and
availability information for health information and health
education resources may be found.
■ Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center - Here you will find
information about Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.
Advocacy Groups - Healthcare for
the Elderly
■ Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living - CCAL is a national consumer advocacy organization
that is dedicated to protecting the rights of assisted living
residents. This website provides information about
choosing a nursing home or assisted living facility. It provides a
search engine for current topics and issues as well as
educational online documents pertaining to developments in
healthcare for the elderly.
■ National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform - The National Citizens' Coalition for
Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR) was formed to address concern about
substandard care in nursing homes. NCCNHR is the outgrowth of work
first achieved by advocates working for Ralph Nader and later for
the National Gray Panthers. This website contains addresses, phone
numbers and links to state ombudsmen, as well as free online
publications regarding national healthcare for the elderly.
■ American Association for Retired Persons (AARP)
- AARP's website has 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.
■ Center for Medicare Advocacy - Here you
will find 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 - 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.
■ Families USA - Families USA is a national
non-profit organization created to provide 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.
■ Health Systems Research and Analysis - CHSRA is research organization which seeks to
improve long-term care for the elderly by creating performance
measures and developing statistical data and decision support
systems. CHSRA performs research and provides information to
consumers, long-term healthcare providers, policy makers,
resident/patient advocates and regulatory agencies in order to
improve the quality of healthcare.
■ 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.
Virginia Nursing Homes
■ Local Ombudsman Programs - Ombudsman
groups are a group of representatives for
the elderly population in a given area. Those representatives are
known as Ombudsmen, and they represent a city or county. As
advocates for the elder population, they provide informative
information for the elderly.
■ DSS
Local Agencies - The Department of
Social Services page that provides contact
information for offices in your region or county.
■ TLC for LTC (Roanoke Chapter) - The Roanoke Chapter
of TLC 4 Long Term Care (TLC4LTC) was founded in August 2001
when a group of citizens expressed their concerns about the
quality of care of residents of nursing homes were receiving in
Southwestern Virginia.
Washington, D.C. Nursing Homes
■ District of Columbia Department of Health and Human Services,
Office on Aging - This website provides information on nursing home
services, senior activities, and transportation needs
for the elderly. This site also has links to an Elder
Care Locator which provides information on nursing home
facilities.
West Virginia Nursing Homes
■ West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services - The Bureau is a cabinet level agency within State Government
that acts as the lead entity for programs serving older
West Virginians. A Commissioner appointed by the Governor is
the chief administrative officer and oversees all program and
fiscal operations.
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