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Caregivers have a new resource to find quality home health care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have introduced "Home Health Compare", which provides users with quality measures for Medicare-certified home health agencies. At present, data is available for only eight states (Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wisconsin), however data will be available for all states in the fall. http://www.medicare.gov/HHCompare/home.asp
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is another useful website which provides information about whether agencies are accredited, a useful indicator of quality care. The following link allows caregivers to find accreditation information for home health agencies in addition to other long-term care facilities: http://www.jcaho.org/qualitycheck/directry/directry.asp
Nursing home rankings released: CareScout, an eldercare company that has a nursing home rating program, released a new report highlighting their choices of the top-ranked nursing homes throughout the United States. Of the 16,400 government certified nursing home facilities in the United States, only 151 received CareScout’s highest honor. The list by state can be viewed at the following link: http://www.carescout.com/company/natltopperformers.htm
Fall Prevention Guide for Caregivers: A new guide entitled Falls and Fall Prevention is available for caregivers and older adults. Metlife Mature Market Institute has released the guide as part of their "Since You Care" series. The guide provides useful tips to help make older adults’ homes safer, as well as a home safety checklist. To get a copy call (203) 221-6580 or go to: www.maturemarketinstitute.com and go to the "Since You Care" guides to download a copy.
New Training Resource for Professionals on Medication Use and Older Adults: The American Society on Aging and CDC have produced a new resource to address medication issues among the elderly. This medication module, entitled Optimal Medication Use: Wise Choices for Healthy Aging, provides an excellent overview of medication use in older adults. The module can be found online at: http://www.asaging.org/cdc.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has published a booklet called, "When Employees Become Caregivers: A Manager’s Workbook." The booklet is designed to guide employers in making eldercare and Medicare information available to caregiving employees at little or no cost.
Upcoming Conferences and Training:
September 16-19, 2003
4th International Respite Conference
Orlando, FL
www.archrespite.org
September 25-26, 2003
Communicating Effectively with Healthcare Professionals Workshop Leaders Training Conference
www.nfcacares.org
October 1-3, 2003
California Association of Adult Day Services 2003 Annual Conference
San Diego, CA
www.caads.org/conference.html
October 2-3, 2003
SPRY Foundation National Conference on Technology and Caregiving: Computer-Based Technology and Caregiving for Older Adults
Bethesda, MD (NIH campus)
www.spry.org
October 26-29, 2003
Care Management in an Aging Society: Integration, Innovation, Inclusion & Incentive
Philadelphia, PA
www.asaging.org/icm
December 4-6, 2003
International Conference on Aging, Disability and Independence (ICADI)
Arlington, VA
www.asaging.org/icadi/03/index.cfm
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