Report to Congress: Appropriateness of Minimum Nurse Staffing Ratios In Nursing Homes

Nursing Home Compare.
This site includes information about nursing homes (certified by Medicare and/or Medicaid), including number of beds, facility address, type of ownership, information on resident conditions, staff levels, and inspection reports. The site includes national and state averages of resident conditions, staff levels, and facility deficiencies for comparison.

National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (formerly the National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform).
National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR) was formed because of public 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. Elma Holder, NCCNHR Founder, was working with The Long Term Care Action Project of the Gray Panthers when she organized a group meeting of advocates from across the country to attend a nursing home industry conference in Washington, D.C. in 1975.

AARP
Information of interest to seniors

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
CMS (formerly HCFA) is the federal agency that oversees the survey and certification of nursing homes and continuing care providers. This site provides direct links to specific information on nursing homes, such as manuals, guides, state operation manuals, and fact sheets on issues such as nursing home inspections, paying for care, and residents' rights.
You can find the CMS Report to Congress: Appropriateness of Minimum Nurse Staffing Ratios In Nursing Homes Phase II Final Report at http://www.allhealth.org/briefingmaterials/abt-nursestaffingratios(12-01)-999.pdf

Administration on Aging.
This site provides information on the Aging Network and its activities for consumers, professionals, the Aging Network, and researchers. Recent press releases and AoA programs are highlighted on the home page for easy access. Consumers can use this site to access the ElderCare Locator, for information on accessing community resources for seniors and the National Aging Information Center, for statistical information.  

Alzheimer's Disease Education & Referral Center (ADEAR)
A service of the National Institute of Aging. This site includes a large amount of information about Alzheimer’s, including reports, research, a health information database, and a clinical trials database. Publications, including fact sheets, resource information, a newsletter, reports, and training materials, are free online.  
Center for Disease Control - National Center for Health Statistics
The Fastats A to Z link on this web site will take the user directly to statistics on a wide range of issues, including nursing home care. It also leads the user to more comprehensive data on that particular issue. This site provides access to the statistical information gathered in the National Nursing Home Survey of 1995 and 1997.  

Center for Health Systems Research and Analysis (CHSRA)
CHSRA conducts research and develops decision support systems to improve long term care and health systems. This site includes information on projects undertaken by CHRSA, including Revision to the Survey Process, OSCAR, Quality Indicators, and the Minimum Data Set.  

Center for Medicare Advocacy
The information on this site on topics such as nursing homes, home health, and physical therapy is particularly useful for professionals and those familiar with public policy. The Center makes available a number of publications and materials that can be ordered from the site and that are extremely useful to those working on Medicare issues.  
Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living
CCAL is a national consumer focused organization that works collaboratively with a broad spectrum of people and organizations supporting quality Assisted Living as an essential option in long term care. Contains a good and easy to read checklist of questions to ask when choosing an assisted living facility.  
Direct Care Alliance
The Direct Care Alliance is a coalition of consumers, workers, and concerned providers formed to improve the quality of care for consumers through the creation of higher quality jobs and working conditions for direct-care paraprofessional workers.  
Elder Law Answers
This site provides information on legal issues facing seniors as well as a search engine for finding attorneys by area code or city. The site includes information on Medicaid, Medicare, estate planning and long-term care planning.  
Families USA
Families USA is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the achievement of high quality affordable health and long term care for all Americans. This site provides up-to-date information on a wide variety of health care issues including Medicaid, managed care, children's health, and the uninsured as well as action steps and resources for those wanting to get involved in advocacy.  
Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics
The site makes the following report available: Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being. This report covers 37 key indicators of aspects of the lives of older Americans and their families in population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care.  
General Accounting Office (GAO) Publications
The General Accounting Office is the investigative arm of Congress. Through this website, you can access independent, non-partisan studies and reports about nursing homes and other topics of interest.  
National Center on Elder Abuse
This site includes fact sheets on elder abuse, abuse reporting information, the latest news and features of the center. It also contains a listserve and information about their clearinghouse and publications.  
National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA)
NFCA is an organization which supports family caregivers through education and information, support and validation, public awareness and advocacy.  
National Senior Citizens Law Center (NSCLC)
This information and materials on this site are specific and most useful for legal services attorneys or public policy specialists. The site contains an online library of periodicals, manuals, and articles, information about NSCLC’s services, and press releases about current public policy issues.  
Office of Inspector General - Evaluation & Inspections (OIG/OEI)
The OIG/OEI conducts evaluations of programs within the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Health Care Financing Administration that oversees the public funding, inspection and certification of nursing homes. This site provides access to their evaluations and reports. Fraud Alerts and a fraud and abuse reporting hotline are also available through this site.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Web page with a large collection of medical and nursing home information, guidelines, and studies.
Code of Federal Regulations
Database of U.S. Code and Statutes
National Library of Medicine database
National Institutes of Health home page
Institute of Medicine
As an independent, scientific adviser, the Institute of Medicine strives to provide advice that is unbiased, based on evidence, and grounded in science
Martindale-Hubbell
Martindale-Hubbell provides a listing of attorneys and information about attorneys throughout the U.S.
The American Association for Justice
Formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Department of Health
Senior Citizen's Law Office
New Mexico Board of Nursing