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General Health & Living | Iowa Health & Living | Nutrition | Housing Resources for Older People | Elder Rights & Consumer Protection | Legal Resources & Iowa Law | Senior Interests & General Resources | Emergency Preparedness | Related State Agencies


Iowa Area Agencies on Aging - Links to contact information for all Area Agencies on Aging in the state.


General Health & Living Links

  • National Institutes of Health - NIH is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation. Its mission is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. http://www.nih.gov/

  • Aging in the Know - Aging in the Know is a site based on resources that the American Geriatrics Society has developed. It has up-to-date information for people on health and aging. http://www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/

  • EPA's Aging Initiative Fact Sheets - The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a series of fact sheets on environmental hazards (air pollution, heat, water) for older adults and family caregivers. They are available in several languages. The fact sheets are available at http://epa.gov/aging/resources/factsheets/index.htm#fs

  • "Questions are the Answer: Get More Involved With Your Health Care" - Encourages consumers to ask questions of all their clinicians - Doctors, Nurse, Pharmacists, and others.

  • Tips for Older Dietary Supplement Users - Visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition website for some interesting news about seniors and supplements. Healthy seniors are happy seniors!!

  • Medicare - The official site for people with Medicare. Features include a database of prescription drug programs for those who need assistance, information about Medicare and Medigap plans, and Nursing Home Compare, which provides performance information about every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.
  • Social Security Administration - The official site for questions related to Social Security retirement, disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and widow, widowers and other survivors benefits. This site allows for online application, listing of eligibility, planning, and your rights if you already receive benefits.
  • AARP - AARP is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to addressing the needs and interests of persons 50 and older. This site has features including sections on reverse mortgages, grandparents' rights, and information on Medicare.
  • Benefits Checkup - A service of the National Council on the Aging (NCOA), Benefits Checkup allows older people to find out whether they are utilizing all of the public-assistance programs at their disposal.
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Agencies - This page is a list of links to all of the agencies under the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Especially of interest to older people may be the links to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Administration on Aging (AoA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
  • Healthfinder (U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services) - Healthfinder® is an award-winning Federal Web site that is a key resource for finding the best government and nonprofit health and human services information on the Internet. This site contains excellent information on health care topics.
  • National Library of Medicine - MEDLINE - PubMed provides access to over 12 million MEDLINE citations back to the mid-1960's and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites, and provides full text articles and other related resources.
  • Hospice of Central Iowa - Iowa's oldest and largest community-based hospice in Iowa. Hospice of Central Iowa opened its doors in 1978 and serves 25 central and south central Iowa counties by providing compassionate, comfort care for individuals and their families who are coping with an end-stage illness.
  • Alzheimer's Association - The world leader in Alzheimer research and support. Through their national network of advocates and chapters, they advance research, improve services and care, create awareness and mobilize support.
  • Eldercare Locator - Sponsored by the Administration on Aging, the Eldercare Locator helps older adults and their caregivers find local services for seniors. The Eldercare Locator has been available as a nationwide toll-free service since 1991, and was put on-line in 2001.
  • Center for the Advancement of Health - The Center for the Advancement of Health promotes a view of health that emphasizes lifestyle factors. This site contains extensive news and information on living healthly lifestyles.
  • Funerals- A Consumer Guide (Federal Trade Commission) - This site is a complete resource on all aspects of funeral arrangements: calculating costs, including choosing a funeral service provider, and understanding funeral products and services.
  • Funeral Consumers Alliance - A nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting a consumer's right to choose a meaningful, dignified, affordable funeral.
  • The Resource Directory for Older People - This excellent resource, designed to help people find the information they need on aging, is intended to serve a wide audience, including older people, their families, and others with an interest in the field of aging.
  • American Automobile Association Senior Driver Website The purpose of this website is to help older drivers stay safely behind the wheel as many years as possible. Included are tips on preparing your car to drive, handling travel, and being prepared for the physical demands of driving.
  • Driving and Diabetes - Driving is a complex skill. The ability to drive safely can be affected by changes in physical, emotional and mental conditions. The American Diabetes Association and the U.S. Department of Transportation have developed a brochure to give you information on driving when you have diabetes. Take a look at the brochure and obtain additional information at this web site.

  • We Need to Talk. . . - The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., and the MIT AgeLab developed information to help families initiate productive and caring conversations with older adults about driving safety.
    (The Department of Elder Affairs in no way endorses the financial products of The Hartford Financial Services Group.)

  • FIU National Policy & Resource Center on Nutrition & Aging - Created in 1995 under funding from the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA), the Center promotes healthy aging by working to reduce malnutrition among older adults.
  • National Mental Health Association - The National Mental Health Association (NMHA) is the country's oldest and largest nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness.
  • Health Care Coach - This site is a project of the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), a non-profit legal organization. The site is packed with facts and do-it-yourself tips on everything from health insurance to patient care - to help you help yourself.
  • Full Circle of Care - Caregiver Site - This site, produced by the Triangle J Area Agency on Aging in North Carolina, provides a wide range of resources and information for caregivers. Especially recommended is the "Caregiver Web Resources" section, an excellent collection of links on caregiving. Please be aware that some information on the site is North Carolina-specific, and persons residing in Iowa should consult the DEA website and those of other State of Iowa agencies for Iowa-specific information on laws, rules, and policies.
  • Veterans Benefits: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs web site includes the 2007 edition of the handbook, "Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents." It contains eligibility criteria, a description of the benefits, and updates the rates for certain federal payments. It also includes contacts for additional resources and who to contact if you have questions.

    Veterans living in a care facility who have not applied for benefits should contact the Iowa Commission of Veterans Affairs at the following link to determine if they are eligible for benefits and for assistance in applying for those benefits:  http://www.iowava.org/

  • áGeriatricWeb provides links to geriatrics resources. GeriatricWeb, a collaboration between the faculty at the Division of Geriatrics at Palmetto Health/University of South Carolina School of Medicine and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Library, is an internet digital library of links to peer-reviewed geriatrics resources, for use in the clinical care of the older patient and the education of health care professionals. Geriatrics resources are categorized by topic or disease, and are geared toward health professionals at various levels of training and experience. It is a free service and is open to all users; no password or registration is required. To access GeriatricWeb, visit http://geriatricweb.sc.edu.
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Iowa Health & Living Links

  • NAMI IOWA - NAMI IOWA (Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Iowa) is a non-profit, state-wide grass roots organization. Our mission is to raise public awareness and concern about mental illness, to foster research, to improve treatment and to upgrade the system of care for the people of Iowa. We work to support our mission through education, advocacy and support.
  • Telecommunications Access Iowa (TAI) - a program of the Iowa Utilities Board. Having "barrier-free" telephone access is so important to all of us. There are people who struggle using the telephone because they experience either hearing loss or speech impairment. Thanks to TAI, it will not have to be that way! This program provides vouchers to qualified applicants at 95 percent of the average cost of specialized telephone equipment. Amplified phones, captioned telephones, text telephones, speech amplified phones, loud/flashing ringers, etc. can be very expensive to purchase, but with the vouchers, the recipients will have to pay either little or no cost for these phones!
    http://www.relayiowa.com/tai
  • Geriatrician Locator - The "Geriatrician Locator" includes those physicians with a certificate of added qualification in geriatrics in the areas of internal medicine, family practice or psychiatry. http://www.centeronaging.uiowa.edu/GeriatricianLocator/GeriatricWeb3.htm
  • Iowa Family Caregiver - This program is a venture of the Iowa Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the Department of Elder Affairs, consumer organizations, and community service providers, designed to help relieve the burdens shouldered by Iowa's family caregivers.
  • Senior Health Insurance Information Program - SHIIP is designed to help people find answers to their questions on Medicare, Medicare supplement insurance, long term care insurance, and other health insurance issues.

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Nutrition

Housing Resources for Seniors

  • DIA Health Care Facilities Book - Published by the Iowa Department of Inspections & Appeals and updated monthly, this book lists all licensed and certified health facilities in Iowa. (Follow the link from the DIA Health Facilities Division home page.)
  • National Center for Assisted Living - NCAL is the assisted living voice of the American Health Care Association (AHCA), the nation's largest organization representing long term care.
  • American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging - AAHSA serves two million people every day through mission-driven, not-for-profit organizations dedicated to providing the services people need, when they need them, in the place they call home. AAHSAs members offer the continuum of aging services: assisted living residences, continuing care retirement communities, nursing homes, outreach programs, and senior housing. AAHSA's commitment is to create the future of aging services through quality people can trust.

  • HUD Resources for Seniors - Contains important information including staying in your own home, finding an apartment, and choosing a nursing home or other housing + services options.

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Elder Rights & Consumer Protection Links

  • FTC Consumer Protection - This page provides excellent information on avoiding scams and making informed purchases on a wide variety of items.
  • National Fraud Information Center - The NFIC fights telemarketing fraud by improving prevention and enforcement. The NFIC estimates that about one quarter of all telemarketing fraud victims are age 60 and older.
  • Senior Citizen Vulnerability Profile [Word Format] - Here is a quiz to diagnose the level of vulnerability for abuse to which you, your family member, or your friend may be exposed. It was developed by Stuart A. Van Meveren, District Attorney, Eighth Judicial District, Fort Collins, Colorado, and adapted for Iowa by Southeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging.
  • Consumer Action Handbook (Federal Consumer Information Center) - On this site you may order this 148-page guide is designed to help citizens find the best and most direct source for assistance with their consumer problems and questions.

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Legal Resources & Iowa Law

  • Iowa Code for DEA - This is the Iowa law authorizing the Department of Elder Affairs.
  • Iowa Legal Aid - Obtain legal information, advice and resources for individuals 60 and older. By obtaining legal advice when you need it, you can prevent and resolve legal problems, avoid being victimized, remain independent, and make better life planning decisions.

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Senior Interests & General Resources

  • FirstGov for Seniors - This official U.S. Government site provides a vast array of resources and news relevant to older people.
  • Iowa Genealogical Society - Founded in 1965, the Iowa Genealogical Society (IGS) is a non-profit educational organization which seeks to encourage genealogical and historical research.
  • The University of Iowa Center on Aging - The Center works to address the needs of older Iowans, viewing aging as a lifelong process. This site contains Iowa's only on-line listing of practicing geriatricians, by city and county, and a health care information & referral service (hint: use the "Resources You Can Use" bar at the bottom of your screen to find these resources).
  • Senior Net - A site for older people that includes chat rooms, web-based educational courses, and other entertainment.
  • White House Greetings Office - The President's office will send birthday greetings to persons 80 and older. Special greetings can also be sent to recognize 50th and greater anniversaries, weddings, a baby's birth, and other important occasions.
  • Governor's Correspondence Office - Upon request, the Office of the Governor will send birthday greetings to centenarians (persons 100 years of age and older). This link goes to a web form. In the drop-down box at the top of the form, select "Amrita Daniel Pederson, Correspondence Coordinator". Be sure to include the centenarian's birthdate.
  • Through My Plan After 50, you'll find resources and assistance to envision and plan a more vibrant life after 50.

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Emergency Preparedness

  • Are you Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness brings together facts on disaster survival techniques, disaster-specific information, and how to prepare for and respond to both natural and man-made disasters. At the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) web site, you can view and download the Are You Ready? publication which provides a step-by-step outline on how to prepare yourself and loved ones for both man-made and natural disasters including terrorist attacks, flooding, thunderstorms, extreme heat and cold, winter storms and many other situations.
  • The Iowa Homeland Security Initiative is the state of Iowa's response to the unprecedented terrorist attacks that occurred in the United States on September 11, 2001. It is also realization that our unique American way of life may have been forever altered by the sudden and tragic events beyond our control. The envisioned future holds reasons to be watchful, cautious, and perhaps even apprehensive. We know that we live in a nation better prepared to prevent and respond to terrorism that it was before September 11, but we also acknowledge that our security depends upon watchful citizens.

More sites that include emergency preparedness information and publications include:


Related State Agencies

  • Iowa - The official website of the State of Iowa.

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