Consumer Resources
When you are searching for an aging-services provider, what matters most is that the direct caregiver is competent and compassionate. This is hard to figure out from a short visit, but one way to help improve your chances of choosing a quality provider is to choose one that is not-for-profit. In nursing home care, numerous studies show that quality is better and staffing ratios are higher in not-for- profit organization. In assisted living, home health, adult day and other aging services, not-for-profit providers offer a commitment to quality that stems from a mission of service and a history of compassion. Click here to learn more about what not-for-profit providers offer.
Find Homes and Services
Members of LeadingAge Iowa are the leaders in innovative aging services. They represent the full continuum of providers who believe in the moral imperative that we must put people above profits. They are driven by purpose to help improve the field, so that elders can age in a place called home safely and with dignity.
No one wants to think about needing aging services. But, the truth is, the best way to assure you receive the quality you deserve is to plan in advance. This section helps you understand how to find resources in your community and what insurance might cover.
LeadingAge Consumer Hub
Offers both providers and consumers ideas, information and inspiration to improve relationships and expand the world of possibilities for aging.
Click here to see what is all available through the Consumer Hub.
Assisted Living Facilities Directory
Home Health Care Agencies Directory
Skilled Nursing Facilities Directory
Official U.S. Government Site for Medicare
Free Resource from the Iowa Person Directed Care Coalition
The Iowa Person Directed Care Coalition (IPDCC) has made available on its website a brochure to educate consumers on Person Directed Care (PDC). PDC is a movement in health care that offers increased choices and accommodations to honor the individual’s lifestyle preferences while seeing to their medical needs.
This brochure is free to anyone to download and print to share with consumers. It is geared toward someone who may be considering moving into a care facility, providing suggestions on what the consumer should ask and look for based on what is important to them.
To download the brochure go to:
To download the brochure go to:
You can find out more about PDC and the Coalition on our website www.iowapersondirectedcare.org or contact Julie at 1-866-236-1430.
VA Medical Foster Home Program
Nursing Home Compare
Find detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.
How to Tour a Nursing Home
Helpful guidelines to help you know what to look for when visiting nursing homes.
Iowa Long Term Care Ombudsman
A Long Term Care Ombudsman is an advocate for residents of nursing homes, residential care facilities, assisted living programs and elder group homes. As a result of the Older Americans Act, each state is required to have a Long-Term Care Ombudsman program. The Ombudsman's Office can investigate and resolve complaints that may affect the health, safety, welfare, or rights of residents. Whether through individual contact with residents or systemic advocacy, ombudsmen make a difference in the lives of residents in long term care facilities everyday.
Area Agencies on Aging
Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) were established under the Older Americans Act (OAA) in 1973 to respond to the needs of Americans aged 60 and over in every local community. Iowa has thirteen AAAs, covering all 99 counties.
National Clearinghouse for Long Term Care
Information and tools to help people better understand the risks for and the costs of long-term care, and it is part of ongoing efforts to increase public awareness about the importance of advance planning for future long-term care needs.
Lifelong Links
Whether you are responding to a current need or planning for the future LifeLong Links can help you find your way through an array of choices, information, and options.
Medicaid Information
Good health is important to everyone. If you can't afford to pay for medical care right now, Medicaid can make it possible for you to get the care that you need so that you can get healthy – and stay healthy.
Medicare Information
Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 or older, people under 65 with certain disabilities, and people of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant).
Presently, substance abuse among seniors can fall into two large groups. Firstly, the “hardy survivor”, or people who have been abusing substances for many year. Second, the “late onset”, or people who became substance abusers later in life. Regrettably, it most commonly occurs due to misuse of drugs prescribed for chronic health problems.
Drugrehab.com is an online initiative of Advanced Recovery Systems, designed to help people and families affected by addiction and overcome the disease and other disorders. The free web resource provides essential tools and information to facilitate the recovery process.
Smoking among seniors raises more questions than answers. The ideal, of course, would be that everyone, young and old, quit smoking for good. But the flip side of that is, if elderly smokers have reached advanced age, while still being smokers, would it not be harder for them to quit? Would they reap any of the benefits of quitting smoking? What would the benefits be, if they ultimately decided to quit? And since quitting is so difficult, even for the healthy, wouldn’t the stress and frustration associated with quitting put undue duress on seniors in their autumn years? We’ll try to answer the preceding questions in the article below.
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