GSWI - Current Issues in Aging

Links to Aging Resources

General Links
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Government Agencies
A-M | N-Z

: AARP
http://www.aarp.org; AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association dedicated to shaping and enriching the experience of aging for our members and for all Americans. Founded in 1958 by retired educator Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, we are today the nation's largest organization of midlife and older persons, with more than 30 million members.

AgeSource Worldwide
http://research.aarp.org/general/agesource_home.htmlAgeSource Worldwide describes clearinghouses, databases, libraries, directories, statistical resources, bibliographies and reading lists, texts, and Web “metasites” focused on aging or closely allied subjects. The topics covered range from Alzheimer's disease to wills and estate planning. AgeSource Worldwide includes more than 200 information resources in 24 countries—with 125 based in the United States alone.
Most of the information resources are located in North America and Europe.

Alzheimer's Association, Inc.
http://www.alz.org

The Alzheimer's Association, nearly 200 chapters strong, is the largest national voluntary health organization committed to finding a cure for Alzheimer's and helping those affected by the disease.

American Association for World Health
http://www.aawhworldhealth.org

AAWH is a private, national organization in the U.S. dedicated to funneling a broad spectrum of critical national and international health information to Americans at the grassroots level by developing and distributing practical, easy-to-use health education and promotional materials to those community leaders who can most effectively reach our U.S. citizens at the local level.

American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
http://www.aahsa.org

AAHSA is an association of not-for-profit or government-sponsored organizations dedicated to providing quality housing, health, community and related services to meet the needs of America's diverse aging population. AAHSA has distinct and charitable roots - ethnic, religious or fraternal - and serve individuals of diverse background and needs.

American Geriatrics Society
http://www.americangeriatrics.org

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is the premier professional organization of health care providers dedicated to improving the health well-being of all older adults. With an active membership of over 6,000 health care professionals, the AGS has a long history of effecting change in the provision of health care for older adults. In the last decade, the Society has become a pivotal force in shaping attitudes, policies and practices regarding health care for older people.

American Health Care Association
http://www.ahca.org

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is a federation of 50 state health organizations, together representing nearly 12,000 non-profit and for-profit assisted living, nursing facility, long term care, and subacute care providers that care for more than one million elderly and disabled individuals nationally.

American Public Health Association
http://www.apha.org

The American Public Health Association (APHA) is the oldest and largest organization of public health professionals in the world, representing more than 50,000 members from over 50 occupations of public health. The Association and its members have been influencing policies and setting priorities in public health since 1872.

American Society on Aging
http://www.asaging.org

ASA brings together researchers, practitioners educators, business people and policymakers concerned with the physical, emotional, social, economic and spiritual aspects of aging. ASA is founded on the premise that the complexity of aging in our society can only be addressed as a multidisciplinary whole.

Sections:

Assisted Living Federation of America
http://www.alfa.org

The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) represents over 7,000 for-profit and not-for-profit providers of assisted living, continuing care retirement communities, independent living and other forms of housing and services. Founded in 1990 to advance the assisted living industry and enhance the quality of life for the approximately one million consumers it serves, ALFA broadened its membership in 1999 to embraces the full range of housing and care providers who share ALFA's consumer-focused philosophy of care.

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Case Management Society of America
http://www.cmsa.org

The Case Management Society of America is an international, non-profit organization founded in 1990 dedicated to the support and development of the profession of case management through educational forums, networking opportunities and legislative involvement. Unique in its composition as a international organization, with 160 affiliated and prospective chapters [including Australia, Hong Kong, and London] in a tiered democratic structure, CMSA's success and strength is its structure as a member-driven society.

Generations United
http://www.gu.org/

GU represents morthan 130 national, state, and local organizations representing more than70 million Americans and is the only national organization advocating for the mutual well-being of children youth, and older adults.

The Gerontological Society of America
http://www.geron.org

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) seeks to provide researchers, educators, practitioners, and policy makers with expanded opportunities to understand, advance, integrate and use basic and applied research on aging to improve the quality of life during processes of aging.

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
http://www.jcaho.org

The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 19,500 health care organizations in the United States, includig hospitals, health care networks, managed care organizations, and health care organizations that provide home care, long term care, behavioral health care, laboratory, and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization, and the world's leading health care standards-setting and accrediting body.

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National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
http://www.n4a.org

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A) is the umbrella organization for the 655 area agencies on aging (AAAs) and more than 230 Title VI Native American aging programs in the U.S. Through its presence in Washington, D.C., N4A advocates on behalf of the local aging agencies to ensure that needed resources and support services are available to older Americans. The fundamental mission of the AAAs and Title VI programs is to provide services which make it possible for older individuals to remain in their home, thereby preserving their independence and dignity. These agencies coordinate and support a wide range of home- and community-based services, including information and referral, home-delivered and congregate meals, transportation, employment services, senior centers, adult day care and a long-term car ombudsman program.

National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers
http://www.caremanager.org

GCM is a non-profit, professional organization of practitioners whose goal is the advancement of dignified care for the elderly and their families. With more than 1,000 members, GCM is committed to maximizing the independence and autonomy of elders while striving to ensure that the highest quality and most cost-effective health and human services are used when and where appropriate.

National Association of Social Workers
http://www.naswdc.org

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with more than 155,000 members. NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies.

National Council on the Aging
http://www.ncoa.org

NCOA is the nation's first association of organizations and profession dedicated to promoting the dignity, self-determination, well being, and contributions of older persons. We began in 1950 with a new concept of older people as "the aging," not the "aged," and we embraced the challenge of creating a nation where many more people, especially disadvantaged, frail, and minority elders, would live much longer and better lives.

National Family Caregivers Association
http://www.nfcacares.org

NFCA is a national, charitable organization dedicated to making life better for all of America's family caregivers. There are more than 25 million people who find themselves in a caregiving role. And the numbers are growing daily. Family caregivers focus on their lovedone's needs. NFCA focuses on family caregivers.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
http://www.ngltf.org

NGLTF is the national progressive organization working for the civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people.

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
http://www.nhpco.org

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is the largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. The organization is committed to improving end of life care and expanding access to hospice care with the goal of profoundly enhancing quality of life for people dying in America and their loved ones.

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Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care
http://www.sswlhc.org

The Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care is an association, 1500 members strong, dedicated to promoting the universal availability, accessibility, coordination, and effectiveness of health care that addresses the psychosocial components of health and illness.

Southern Gerontological Society
http://www.southerngerontologicalsociety.org/sgs/index.asp

The Southern Gerontological Society (SGS) is a powerful network of the South's most respected gerontology professionals. Southern Gerontological Society members are educators, aging network personnel, researchers, health professionals, and policy makers. They seek to bridge the gap between research and practice by generation, translating and applying knowledge in the field of aging through SGS.

Government Agencies

: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
http://www.ahcpr.gov; AHRQ sponsors and conducts research that provides evidence-based information on health care outcomes; quality; and cost, use, and access. The information helps health care decision makers-patients and clinicians, health system leaders, purchasers, and policymakers-make more informed decisions and improve the quality of health care services.
: Bureau of Health Professions
http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/; BHPR seeks to promote a health care workforce with a mix of the competencies and skills needed to deliver cost-effective quality care; support educational programs' ability to meet the needs of vulnerable populations; improve cultural diversity in the health professions; and stimulate and monitor relevant systems of health profession education in response to changing demands of the health care marketplace.
: Center for Mental Health Services
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/, keyword: elderly; The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) leads Federal efforts to treat mental illnesses by promoting mental health and by preventing the development or worsening of mental illness when possible. CMHS was established in 1992 to take a leadership role in delivering mental health services, generating and applying new knowledge, and establishing national mental health policy. CMHS is a component of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/; Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) is the federal agency that administers Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). HCFA provides health insurance for over 74 million Americans through Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP. The majority of these individuals receive their benefits through the fee-for-service delivery system, however, an increasing number are choosing managed care plans.
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: National Center for Health Statistics
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs; NCHS is the Federal Government's principal vital and health statistics agency. Since 1960, when the National Office of Vital Statistics and the National Health Survey merged to form NCHS, the agency has provided a wide variety of data with which to monitor the Nation's health. Since then, NCHS has received several legislative mandates and authorities. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health Human Services. To meet priority data needs for public health, NCHS works closely with other Federal agencies as well as researchers and academic institutions.
: National Institute on Aging
http://www.nih.gov/nia; The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). We are part of the U.S. Government, a part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The NIA conducts and supports biomedical, social, and behavioral research; provides research training; and disseminates research findings and health information on aging processes, diseases, and other special problems and needs of older people.
: Social Security Administration
http://www.ssa.gov; For over 60 years, the Social Security program has been the most successful domestic government program, providing economic protection for Americans of all ages.
: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Knowledge Exchange Network
http://www.mentalhealth.org, keyword: elderly; The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN) provides information about mental health via a toll-free telephone number (800-789-2647), this web site and more than 200 publications. KEN was developed for users of mental health services and their families, the general public, policy makers, providers, and the media.
: US Administration on Aging
http://www.aoa.gov; AoA is the Federal focal point and advocate agency for older persons and their concerns. In this role, AoA works to heighten awareness among other Federal agencies, organizations, groups, and the public about the valuable contributions that older Americans make to the Nation and alerts them to the needs of vulnerable older people. Through information and referral and outreach efforts at the community level, AoA seeks to educate older people and their caregivers about the benefits and services available to help them.